Political conflicts of the Gilded Age reflected similar conflicts regarding race and sectional tension from the Civil War and Reconstruction period. Answer parts a, b, and c. Briefly explain the effect of the Union victory on the positions and influence of the Republican party in the 1860s and 1870s. Briefly explain the effect of the Union victory on the positions and influence of the Democrat party in the 1860s and 1870s. Briefly explain how the debate over greenbacks and silver dollars affected political power between parties in the 1870s.