SDC American History Unit 2 Vocab

Industrialization

The process of developing industries on a wide scale, transforming economies from agrarian to manufacturing-based.

Inventions of the Late 19th Century

Key technological innovations such as the telephone, electric light bulb, and alternating current that revolutionized communication and industry.

Big Business

Large-scale corporations and enterprises that dominated the economy during the industrial era.

Robber Barons

Wealthy and powerful industrialists accused of using exploitative practices to amass their fortunes.

Horizontal Integration

A business strategy where a company buys out or merges with competitors producing similar products.

Vertical Integration

A company's control over multiple stages of production, from raw materials to finished products.

Trusts and Holding Companies

Legal arrangements and corporate structures used to consolidate control over multiple businesses.

Monopoly

Exclusive control over an entire industry or market by a single company or group.

Social Darwinism

The belief that social success and wealth are the results of survival of the fittest in society.

Scientific Management

A method of increasing efficiency in factories by breaking tasks into simple, timed segments.

Labor Unions

Organizations formed by workers to protect their rights and improve working conditions.

Haymarket Affair

An 1886 labor protest in Chicago that turned violent, hurting the labor movement's public image.

Molly Maguires

A secret organization of Irish coal miners who used militant tactics to fight for labor rights.

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

A major nationwide strike by railroad workers protesting wage cuts and poor conditions.

Consumer Culture and Mail-Order Catalogs

The rise of widespread consumerism facilitated by advertising and mail-order shopping.

Urbanization

The rapid growth of cities due to migration and industrial job opportunities.

Electric Lighting (urban power development)

The introduction of electric light bulbs and street lighting that extended work and social hours.

Intracity Transportation

Systems like trolleys, elevated trains, and subways enabling easier movement within cities.

Skyscrapers and Elevators

Tall buildings made possible by steel construction and electric elevators addressing space shortages.

Tenements and Living Conditions

Overcrowded, poorly maintained housing where many urban workers and immigrants lived.

Settlement House Movement and Social Gospel

Reform efforts providing social services and advocating Christian responsibility for social issues.

Machine Politics and Political Machines

Local political organizations that exchanged favors for votes, often involving corruption (e.g., Tammany Hall).

Great Migration

The movement of African Americans from the rural South to Northern and Midwestern cities.

New European Immigration and Ethnic Enclaves

The influx of southern and eastern European immigrants who often settled in culturally distinct urban neighborhoods.

City Beautiful Movement

A progressive urban planning movement focused on beautifying cities with parks, wide boulevards, and green spaces.