APUSH Unit 6-7

Frontier Thesis

A theory proposed by Frederick Jackson Turner, arguing that American democracy and character were shaped by the existence of the frontier and its continuous expansion.

Tenements

Overcrowded, poorly built apartment buildings in cities, primarily housing immigrants and the working class during the Gilded Age.

Sweatshops

Small, overcrowded factories with low wages, long hours, and poor working conditions, often employing women and children.

Political Machine

A powerful, organized political group that controlled city politics by exchanging services (jobs, aid) for votes, often corrupt.

Political Boss

The leader of a political machine, controlling government jobs and decisions, often engaging in bribery and fraud.

Tammany Hall

A Democratic political machine in New York City, led by Boss Tweed, notorious for corruption but also helped immigrants.

Pendleton Act (1883)

A law that ended the spoils system by requiring government jobs to be awarded based on merit, not political connections.

Settlement Houses

Community centers (like Hull House) that provided social services to immigrants and the poor, offering education and job training.

Social Gospel

A religious movement advocating for social reform based on Christian ethics, emphasizing aid for the poor and labor rights.

Gilded Age

A period (1870s–1900) of rapid economic growth, industrialization, political corruption, and extreme wealth inequality.

Corporate Capitalism

An economic system dominated by large corporations, monopolies, and trusts, often reducing competition.

Laissez-faire

An economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in business and the economy.

Social Darwinism

The belief that only the strongest individuals, businesses, or nations survive in society, justifying wealth inequality.

The Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie’s philosophy that the rich should use their wealth to benefit society through philanthropy.

Depression of 1893

A severe economic downturn caused by railroad failures, bank collapses, and the debate over gold vs. silver currency.

Billion Dollar Congress

The Republican-led Congress (1889–1891) that spent a record-breaking amount of federal money, leading to economic concerns.

Grangers

Members of the Grange Movement, which fought for farmers’ rights, particularly against high railroad shipping rates.

Munn v. Illinois (1877)

Supreme Court ruling that allowed states to regulate railroads and grain storage prices to protect farmers.

Wabash v. Illinois (1886)

Overturned Munn v. Illinois, ruling that only the federal government could regulate interstate commerce.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

The first federal agency created to regulate railroads and prevent unfair practices.

Farmers’ Alliance

A coalition of farmers advocating for economic reforms, leading to the formation of the Populist Party.

Subtreasury Plan

A Populist proposal where the federal government would store crops and provide farmers low-interest loans.

Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)

Increased the amount of silver the government had to buy, meant to help farmers but contributed to the Panic of 1893.

Populists

A political party (also called the People’s Party) that supported farmers, free silver, regulation of railroads, and direct election of senators.

Coxey’s Army (1894)

A protest march of unemployed workers demanding federal government job programs during the Depression of 1893.

Williams v. Mississippi (1898)

Upheld poll taxes and literacy tests, restricting Black voting rights in the South.

Progressivism

A reform movement (1890s–1920s) aiming to address social problems, corruption, labor rights, and government inefficiency.

Pragmatism

A philosophy that ideas and policies should be tested based on their practical effects and results.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices (e.g., Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell, Jacob Riis).

Hull House

A settlement house founded by Jane Addams in Chicago to help immigrants and the poor.

Civic Housekeeping

The idea that women should use their roles in the home to advocate for social reform.

Segregation

The legal and social separation of races, especially in the South under Jim Crow Laws.

NACW (National Association of Colored Women)

A civil rights organization that fought for racial and gender equality.

Muller v. Oregon (1908)

Supreme Court case that upheld laws limiting women's working hours, reinforcing gender-based labor laws.

Sheppard-Towner Act (1921)

A federal program that funded maternal and infant health care.

NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association)

Led the fight for women's voting rights, later succeeded by the National Women’s Party.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote.

Tuskegee Institute

A school founded by Booker T. Washington to provide vocational training for Black students.

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

Civil rights organization founded by W.E.B. Du Bois to fight for racial justice.

The Niagara Movement

A Black civil rights group that opposed Booker T. Washington’s gradualist approach.

WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union)

Led the fight against alcohol consumption and supported prohibition.

Anti-Saloon League

A political group that pushed for the 18th Amendment (Prohibition).

18th Amendment (1919)

Banned alcohol in the U.S. (Prohibition).

Mann Act (1910)

Made it illegal to transport women across state lines for 'immoral purposes,' often misused for racist or sexist enforcement.

Eugenics

A pseudo-scientific movement advocating selective breeding to improve society, often targeting minorities and immigrants.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911)

A factory fire that killed over 100 workers, leading to workplace safety reforms.

Commission Form of Government

A city government system where officials were elected to manage specific departments, reducing political corruption.

Conservationism

The movement to preserve natural resources, promoted by Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot.

Bully Pulpit

A term used to describe Teddy Roosevelt’s use of the presidency to influence public opinion.

Square Deal

Teddy Roosevelt’s domestic policy promoting consumer protection, trust-busting, and conservation.

Elkins Act (1903)

Banned railroad rebates and enforced fair pricing.

Department of Commerce and Labor (1903)

Created to regulate business and labor disputes.

The Jungle (1906)

Upton Sinclair’s novel exposing the meatpacking industry’s unsanitary conditions.

Meat Inspection Act (1906)

Required federal inspection of meat processing plants.

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

Required accurate labeling of food and medicine.

Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909)

A controversial tariff signed by Taft, disappointing Progressives who wanted lower tariffs.

Progressive Party (1912)

A third party founded by Teddy Roosevelt after splitting from the Republicans (aka 'Bull Moose Party').

16th Amendment (1913)

Established a federal income tax.

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)

Strengthened antitrust laws to break up monopolies.

Adamson Act (1916)

Established an 8-hour workday for railroad workers.

Keating-Owen Act (1916)

Banned child labor (later ruled unconstitutional).

Workmen’s Compensation Act (1916)

Provided benefits to federal employees injured on the job.

Frederick Jackson Turner

Historian who wrote the Frontier Thesis, arguing that the frontier shaped American democracy and individualism.

Jacob Riis

Muckraker and photographer who wrote How the Other Half Lives, exposing the harsh conditions of urban tenements.

Horatio Alger

Author of 'rags-to-riches' stories that promoted the idea that hard work and determination led to success.

Herbert Spencer

Philosopher who applied Social Darwinism to society, arguing that the wealthy were naturally superior.

Henry George

Economist who criticized wealth inequality and proposed a 'single tax' on land to reduce poverty.

William McKinley

Republican president (1897–1901), known for supporting high tariffs, the gold standard, and defeating William Jennings Bryan in 1896; assassinated in 1901.

William Jennings Bryan

Democratic/Populist leader famous for the 'Cross of Gold' speech, advocating for free silver and farmers’ rights; ran for president three times but never won.

Jane Addams

Founder of Hull House, a settlement house that provided services to immigrants and the poor, key in the Progressive movement.

Wounded Knee Massacre

The 1890 killing of around 300 Lakota Sioux by the U.S. Army, marking the end of major Native American resistance.

Dawes Act (1887)

A law that attempted to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal land into individual plots.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

The first major U.S. law restricting immigration, banning Chinese laborers from entering the country.

Homestead Act (1862)

Provided free land in the West to settlers willing to farm it for at least five years, encouraging westward expansion.

Bonanza Farms

Large-scale commercial farms that used machinery and wage laborers, often struggling due to market fluctuations.

Knights of Labor

A labor union that sought to organize all workers, regardless of skill or race, and advocated for broad social reforms.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A labor union founded by Samuel Gompers, focusing on skilled workers and advocating for better wages and hours.

Haymarket Affair (1886)

A violent clash between police and labor protesters in Chicago, leading to a backlash against labor unions.

Pullman Strike (1894)

A nationwide railroad strike led by the American Railway Union, which was crushed by federal troops.

Lochner v. New York (1905)

Supreme Court case that struck down a law limiting bakers' work hours, favoring business over labor rights.

Newlands Reclamation Act (1902)

Funded irrigation projects in the West to promote agriculture and settlement.

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

Created the Federal Reserve System to regulate banking and stabilize the economy.

17th Amendment (1913)

Allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators, increasing democracy.

Direct Primary

A Progressive reform where voters choose candidates in a preliminary election instead of party leaders selecting them.

Referendum

A process where citizens vote directly on proposed laws.

Recall

A process that allows voters to remove an elected official before their term ends.

Initiative

A process where citizens can propose laws and vote on them directly.

Northern Securities Case (1904)

A Supreme Court ruling that broke up a major railroad monopoly, strengthening antitrust enforcement.

Underwood Tariff (1913)

Reduced tariffs and implemented a federal income tax under the 16th Amendment.

Federal Trade Commission (1914)

A government agency created to prevent unfair business practices and promote consumer protection.

Zimmermann Telegram (1917)

A secret message from Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance against the U.S., which led to U.S. entry into World War I.

War Industries Board

A government agency that coordinated industrial production during World War I.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

A government agency that used propaganda to promote support for World War I.

Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917–1918)

Laws that restricted free speech by making it illegal to criticize the U.S. government or war effort.