The Gilded Age had its fare share of political scandals, and the Star Route scandal ranks as one of its most important. It exposed the spoils system at a time when public debate about good government filled the headlines. Why has this scandal remained so obscure when compared to others like Credit Mobilier or the Whiskey Ring. Professor Shawn Peters joins the show to discuss his latest book When Bad Men Combine, the story of the star route scandal.
Essential Reading:
Recommended Reading:
Winifred Gallagher, How the Post Office Created America (2016).
Lewis L. Gould, The Republicans: A History of the Grand Old Party (2014).
Thomas C. Reeves, Gentleman Boss: the Life of Chester Alan Arthur (1975).
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