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Madura FINAL 4 26 24 with cert.pdf (634.99 KB)

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Rival Reformers: Mugwumps, Populists, and the Dual Movements for Change in Gilded Age America

Madura, Justin Harrison
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1714393281911832

Abstract Details

2024, Master of Arts in History, Youngstown State University, Department of Humanities.
The late nineteenth century’s Gilded Age witnessed numerous changes within American society, economics, and government. It was in this atmosphere of controversial business practices, rapid economic fluctuations, collaboration between special interests and the government, and lasting effects from the Civil War period that two significant factions, the Populists and the Mugwumps, voiced criticism. The Mugwumps were representative of the classical liberal concepts of laissez-faire, sought the overall benefit of society at large, and rejected any use of government to aid one segment of society at the expense of others. The Populists promoted a unique “anti-monopoly” vision which strove to elevate the interests of the “common man” in response to the government favors which often benefitted politically connected business interests. While both the Populists and Mugwumps ultimately failed to enact their respective programs to completion, they each presented coherent alternatives which the American government and economy could have followed, and they repeatedly placed their principles above strict partisanship. This thesis analyzes the Populists and the Mugwumps both in their similarities and their differences, and concludes that while both factions differed philosophically, they shared similar methods.
Amy Fluker, PhD (Advisor)
David Simonelli, PhD (Committee Member)
Brian Bonhomme, PhD (Committee Member)
98 p.
American History; Economic History; History; Political Science
American History; nineteenth-century history; economic history; political factions; Gilded Age; American Populism; Classical Liberalism

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Madura, J. H. (2024). Rival Reformers: Mugwumps, Populists, and the Dual Movements for Change in Gilded Age America [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1714393281911832

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Madura, Justin. Rival Reformers: Mugwumps, Populists, and the Dual Movements for Change in Gilded Age America. 2024. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1714393281911832.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Madura, Justin. "Rival Reformers: Mugwumps, Populists, and the Dual Movements for Change in Gilded Age America." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1714393281911832

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ysu1714393281911832
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© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12