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Public Opinion
Politics, Technology, and Ideas from Reconstruction to the 1920s
The “Rise of Public Opinion”
The Newspaper Age
The Decline of Popular Politics
Public Relations, Propaganda, and Civil Liberties
Newspapers Before 1865
Party Papers & Blanket Sheets
The Penny Press
The Civil War
Newspapers After 1865
The “Independent” Metropolitan Daily From party editors to “press lords”
The Newspaper as Big Business Advertising
30% to 50% of content, 1870-1900 Revenue doubles every decade
Economies of Scale Steam presses, wire services, half-tone process, etc.
Newspaper Circulation(per 100 households)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
A New Reading Public
Urbanization
More Diverse African-American press Foreign language press
Better Educated 1870: 52% of children in school 1900: 72% of children in school
New Journalisms
Newspapers & Urban Life Health and “swill scandals” Political machines and corruption
Thomas Nast vs. Tammany
Other Scandals
“The Beecher,” 1872 Victoria Woodhull and
Obscenity
Comstock Act, 1873 Press liberty v. public
morals
“Yellow” Journalism
Or “Story” Journalism
Hearst, Pulitzer, et al.
Reaching new readers Supplements, Sunday editions, and graphics Women and immigrants News for the working and lower-middle classes
Spanish-American War
Newer Journalisms
“Information” Journalism Adolph Ochs and The New York Times Professionalism “Decency”
The ‘moral wars’ of the 1890s News for the educated middle-classes?
“Muckraking”
“Quality” Magazines and the Middle Classes Harper’s, Century,
Scribner’s, Collier’s, Cosmopolitan
Socialist Press and the Working Classes Appeal to Reason and The
Jungle
From Outrage to Cynicism?
Voter Turnout in National Elections
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1868187218761880188418881892189619001904190819121916192019241928
Politics Before 1865
A “State of Courts and Parties”
Wartime expansion
Shadow of the Civil War
The ‘Bloody Shirt’
Veterans and Politics Pensions and jobs The Grand Army of the
Republic
Militias, Parades, and Political Ballyhoo
Gilded Age Politics
The Apotheosis of Popular Politics
Strong Parties, Weak Presidents
Close Elections, Negligible Mandates
“Special” Legislation and “Corruption” William Seward on the Republican Party:
“a joint-stock company in which those who contribute the most, direct the action and management of the concern.”
Issues
Tariffs
The Currency
Railroad Regulation
Trusts and Monopolies
Civil Service Reform
Cultural Aspects
Republicans ‘Mainstream’ Evangelical moralism
Democrats Outsiders Liturgical / libertarian
Issues Drink, schools,
immigration Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion
Splinter Groups
Anti-Vice RepublicansGrangers and GreenbackersWomen Suffragists“Mugwumps” / Liberal Republicans
Educational Politics
Liberals and Anti-Party Reform Civil Service Australian Ballot Primaries Municipal reform
Voter disenfranchisement Educating Public Opinion
Ex: Currency
The Progressive “Movement”
Progressives and the Educational Style Muckraking (again) Attacking “the interests” Airing the “smoke-filled rooms” Expertise and efficiency
Partisanship in Decline
Emergence of “Pressure Groups”
A Changing Electorate Middle class respectability Women and partisanship
From Popular to Advertised Politics Centralization of party operations Money and campaigning
The Great War & Public Opinion
Disillusionment in the 1920s
The “Propaganda Menace”
The Dissent Cases and Modern Civil Liberties
Walter Lippmann