Creating a Modern America (1865-1901) Part 2

Pacific Railway Act (1862)

allowed building transcontinental railroad

Union Pacific Railroad

railroad that came from the east for the transcontinental railroad

Central Pacific Railroad

railroad that came from the west for the transcontinental railroad

Laissez-faire

French for "hands off"; government tried not to get involved w economics

Corporation

business that is owned by many investors

Stockholders

people who invest in a corporation

Trusts

company that has monopoly of an industry

Vertical Integration

corporation owning all businesses needed to produce one product

Horizontal Integration

corporation owning all smaller local companies in same industry

Knights of Labor

first labor union in the United States; fought for a 6 hour work day and recruited skilled and unskilled workers

American Federation of Labor

organized the activities of over 20 different unions, but focused on only organizing skilled labor; took over main union activities of the nation after the Knights of Labor folded; united w Congress of Industrial Organization and is known as the AFL-CIO today

Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies)

they sought a worldwide social revolution of the classes that would overthrow capitalism, wage labor and industrialization

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

first major strike that turned the nation against labor due tp their violent actions; the Knight of Labor grew out of this strike

Haymarket Square Riot, 1886

riot broke out after a bomb was detonated and several dozen were killed; it discredited the Knights of Labor and labeled them anarchists

Pullman Strike, 1894

workers rioted against the Pullman Company stalling railroad service from Chicago to SF; federal troops were called out to remove the strikers based on legal means - the strikers had prohibited the movement of US mail

Open Shop

companies could hire union or non-union members

Closed Shop

companies could only hire union members

Second Industrial Revolution

occurred after the Civil War (1870-1900) and focused on chemical, steel and electricity

Gilded Age

name given to second industrial age by Mark Twain; rust covered by thin layer of gold

Castle Garden

Immigrants from Europe were process at this center in New York City from 1865-1881

Ellis Island

immigrants from Europe were processed on this island in New York after 1882

Angel Island

immigrants from East Asia were processed on this island in SF after 1910

Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882

banned Chinese from immigrating to the US for 10 years and preventing Chinese already in the US from becoming citizens; renewed in 1892 and became permanent in 1902

Gentlemen's Agreement

unofficial agreement between US and Japan that SF would desegregate their school district and Japan would limit # of Japanese immigrants to US; negotiated by Roosevelt

Politicial Machine

informal network of politicians who "helped" people get jobs, housing, food and fixed legal problems in exchange for votes; most famous is the Tammy Hall of NY

Tenement

dark and crowded multi-family apartments

Graft

bribes given to politicians in exchange for votes or government business going to specific company

Social Darwinism

idea created by Herbert Spencer that the smartest will become the rich and the natural selection will weed out the dumbest

Americanization

process of schools teaching immigrant children in English, American history and responsibilities of citizen in democracy

Alexander Graham Bell

Invented the telephone + formed AT&T

Thomas Edison

Invented the light bulb + formed General Electric

Andrew Carnegie

robber baron and owner of Carnegie Steel (later US Steel); used vertical integration

John D. Rockefeller

robber baron owner of Standard Oil (declared a monopoly and ordered to be broken up; i.e. Exxon and Mobil) and is considered the richest person in history (Bill Gates is considered the 20th richest person as of 2008); used horizontal integration

Cornelius Vanderbilt

robber baron who earned his wealth in railroads

J.P. Morgan

robber baron who earned his wealth in banking

Samuel Gompers

head of the American Federation of Labor

Terrance Powderly

Leader of the Knights of Labor

"Big" Bill Haywood

leader of IWW; had philosophy that the ends justified the means

President Cleveland

created Labor Day to honor America's workers after the Pullman Strike

William M. "Boss" Tweed

boss of political machine Tammany Hall

William Jennings Bryan

Populist presidential candidate; famous for his "Cross of Gold" speech

Thomas Nast

political cartoonist that attacked corruption and graft of the Gilded Age, particularly Boss Tweed and Tammany machine