(56) APUSH Chapter 23: Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age (American Pageant)

The Gilded Age

A term used by Mark Twain to describe the late 1800s when the U.S. experienced massive industrialization and economic growth, but also significant social problems and corruption.

Ulysses S. Grant

The 18th President of the United States (1869–1877) who was a Union general in the Civil War, known for his military leadership and later for his controversial presidency marred by scandals.

Tweed Ring

A group of corrupt politicians led by Boss Tweed that used bribery, graft, and fraudulent elections to drain millions from New York taxpayers.

Credit Mobilier affair

A scandal in which railroad executives created a sham company to overcharge the government for railroad construction, involving bribery of congressmen.

Whiskey Ring

A scandal involving government officials who embezzled tax revenues from whiskey sales, revealing corruption within Grant's administration.

Panic of 1873

An economic crisis triggered by over-speculation and bank failures, leading to a severe recession that affected the enforcement of Reconstruction.

Patronage

The practice of granting jobs and favors in return for political support, prevalent in the Gilded Age and linked to the spoils system established by Andrew Jackson.

Compromise of 1877

An agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election by allowing Rutherford B. Hayes to become president in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from the South.

Plessy v. Ferguson

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1896 that upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine, reinforcing systems of racial discrimination.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

The first federal law to restrict immigration based on ethnicity, banning Chinese immigrants from entering the United States.

Gilded

Describing something as attractive on the outside but having little value or substance on the inside.

Pendleton Act

A significant civil service reform enacted in 1883 that established merit-based hiring for government jobs and reduced patronage.

Populist Party

A political party formed in the late 19th century advocating for the rights of farmers and laborers, including demands for monetary reform and economic policies to alleviate hardship.

Homestead Strike of 1892

A violent labor strike at Andrew Carnegie's steel plant, emblematic of labor unrest and the struggles of workers against big corporations.

Grandfather Clause

A legal loophole allowing individuals to bypass literacy tests and poll taxes based on their ancestors’ voting rights, effectively exempting white voters.

Hard currency

Money that has intrinsic value, such as gold or silver, contrasted with paper money that may not retain its value.

Laissez-faire policy

An economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in the economy, promoting freedom for businesses to operate without regulation.

Debt

An obligation to pay or do something, typically money owed by one party to another.