APUSH Unit 6 Terms

mechanization

The introduction of machines or automatic devices into a process, activity, or place.

National Grange Movement

A farmers' organization formed in the late 19th century to promote the social and economic needs of farmers in the United States. It advocated for policies regulating railroads and grain elevators, and provided educational opportunities for

Commerce Act

A U.S. federal law enacted in 1887 that regulated the railroad industry, particularly its monopolistic practices. The Act required that railroad rates be 'reasonable and just,' and it established the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to oversee the railroads and ensure fair practices. It was intended to prevent discriminatory pricing and other anti-competitive behaviors.

Pacific Railroads Act

A U.S. law that provided federal land grants and loans to support the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, connecting the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. It authorized the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads to build the line, facilitating westward expansion and economic development.

Transcontinental Railroad

A railroad system completed in 1869 that connected the eastern United States to the Pacific coast, revolutionizing national transportation and commerce.

Homestead Act

A U.S. law granting 160 acres of public land to settlers who agreed to live on and improve the land for five years, encouraging westward expansion.

boomtowns

A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth, typically due to the discovery of valuable resources like gold, silver, or oil

Reservation System

A system where the United States government forced Native American tribes to live on designated parcels of land with specific boundaries. These reservations were often located on land that was undesirable to settlers and were intended to assimilate Native Americans into American culture, often disrupting their traditional ways of life and sovereignty.

Sioux War

A series of conflicts between the United States government and various subgroups of the Sioux (Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota) peoples. These wars, spanning much of the 19th century, were driven by disputes over land, resources, and the imposition of U.S. policies on Native American tribes.

Indian Appropriation Act

A series of laws passed by the United States Congress in the 19th and early 20th centuries that allocated funds for the administration of Native American affairs. These acts often authorized the establishment of Indian reservations, the provision of supplies and services to Native American tribes, and the implementation of policies aimed at assimilating Native Americans into American culture.

Dawes Act

Enacted in 1887, the Dawes Act, also known as the General Allotment Act, authorized the President of the United States to survey American Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. The objective of the Dawes Act was to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream society by eradicating tribal social structures. Land not allotted to individual Indians was opened to settlers, leading to a significant loss of land owned by Native Americans.

Wounded Knee

The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Natives.

Plessy v Ferguson

A landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality also known as "separate but equal". The case stemmed from an 1892 incident in which Homer Plessy, an African American man, refused to sit in a car designated for white passengers only. This ruling had a long-lasting impact, legitimizing segregation laws across the United States, particularly in the South, until it was eventually overturned by later Supreme Court decisions, such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Jim Crow laws

Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted in the Southern United States from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries. They enforced racial segregation and disenfranchisement against African Americans. These laws mandated the segregation of public facilities, schools, transportation, and other aspects of life. They were characterized by unequal treatment and limited opportunities for African Americans, reinforcing racial hierarchy and discrimination.

industrial inventions

Industrial inventions refer to the groundbreaking technological advancements and innovations that occurred primarily during the Industrial Revolution (roughly from the late 18th to the 19th centuries) and beyond, transforming manufacturing processes, transportation, communication, and various aspects of human life. These inventions led to increased efficiency, mass production, and economic growth.

Gilded Age

laissez-faire

Gospel of Wealth

labor unions

Great Railroad Strike

Pullman Strike

ethnic enclave

Great Migration

Chinese Exclusion Act

Hull House

socialism

temperance

Panic of 1893

Open-door Policy

patronage

Populist party

political machines