APUSH Vocab Terms

Munn v. Illinois

1877 Supreme Court case that allowed states to regulate private businesses that serve the public interest.

Homestead Act

A law passed in 1862 that gave settlers 160 acres of free land if they lived on and improved it for five years.

Morrill Act (1862)

A federal law that gave land to states to fund public colleges focused on agriculture and engineering.

Turner Thesis

Frederick Jackson Turner’s idea that the frontier shaped American democracy and culture.

Bernard DeVoto

A historian who emphasized the importance of westward expansion and challenged myths of the American West.

Marc Reisner

An environmental historian who criticized western water use in his book Cadillac Desert.

Sand Creek Massacre

An 1864 massacre where U.S. soldiers killed unarmed Cheyenne and Arapaho, mostly women and children.

Chief Joseph

A Nez Perce leader who peacefully resisted removal and led his people on a long retreat.

Battle of Little Big Horn

An 1876 battle where Native American forces defeated General Custer and U.S. troops.

Dawes Act (1887)

A law that divided tribal lands into individual plots to force Native American assimilation.

Carlisle School

A boarding school created to assimilate Native American children by erasing their culture.

Geronimo

An Apache leader who resisted U.S. military control in the Southwest.

Ghost Dance

A Native American religious movement promising the return of land and removal of white settlers.

Wounded Knee

An 1890 massacre of Lakota Sioux that marked the end of major Native resistance.

Homestead Strike

An 1892 violent labor strike at a Carnegie steel plant that weakened unions.

Eugene Debs

A labor leader and socialist who supported workers’ rights and led major strikes.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A labor union that focused on skilled workers and better wages and conditions.

Knights of Labor

An early labor union that sought broad reforms but declined after the Haymarket Riot.

The Grange

A farmers’ organization that pushed for railroad regulation and cooperation.

Haymarket Square Riot

An 1886 labor protest that turned violent and hurt public support for unions.

Farmers’ Alliance

A group that supported economic reforms for farmers and influenced the Populist Party.

Gospel of Wealth

The idea that the rich should use their wealth to benefit society.

Social Gospel

A religious movement that aimed to solve social problems caused by industrialization.

Jane Addams

A reformer who founded Hull House to help urban immigrants and the poor.

Andrew Carnegie

A steel industrialist who promoted philanthropy and the Gospel of Wealth.

John D. Rockefeller

An oil tycoon who built Standard Oil and used monopolistic practices.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

A transportation magnate who built wealth through railroads and shipping.

J.P. Morgan

A powerful banker who helped finance and stabilize major U.S. industries.

Frederick Taylor

The creator of scientific management to improve factory efficiency.

Ellis Island / Angel Island

Immigration stations where Europeans (Ellis) and Asians (Angel) were processed.

Wabash v. Illinois

An 1886 case that limited state regulation of interstate commerce.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

A federal agency created to regulate railroad rates and practices.

Social Darwinism

The belief that success and wealth are the result of natural competition.

Louis Sullivan

An architect known as the father of the skyscraper who promoted functional design.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption and social problems.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized news reporting used to attract readers.

Suicide Squad / Harvey Wiley

Volunteers who tested food additives to support food safety laws.

Jacob Riis

A journalist who exposed poor urban living conditions through photos and writing.

Frank Norris

An author who criticized corporate greed and monopolies.

Lincoln Steffens

A muckraker who exposed political corruption in cities.

Ida Tarbell

A journalist who exposed Standard Oil’s corrupt business practices.