Lecture Notes: Industrialization, Reform, and Gilded Age Figures (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key figures, acts, and movements from the late 19th to early 20th century United States.

Dawes Act

A federal law of 1887 sponsored by Senator Henry L. Dawes that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual allotments and promoting private land ownership.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Railroad and shipping magnate who built vast wealth and laid the foundations of the modern American railroad system.

Jay Gould

Railroad and financial tycoon who amassed wealth by controlling railroad stocks and engaging in market manipulation.

Jacob Riis

Muckraking journalist who exposed tenement life and urban poverty in How the Other Half Lives.

William McKinley

25th President of the United States; led the nation during the Spanish-American War and the period of economic recovery.

Jane Addams

Founder of Hull House; prominent social reformer and leader in the settlement-house movement.

Jacob Gould (Jay Gould)

Railroad and financial tycoon who gained wealth through control of railroad stocks (alternative labeling of Jay Gould).

Rutherford B. Hayes

19th President who ended Reconstruction with the Compromise of 1877.

Samuel Tilden

Democratic candidate who won the popular vote in 1876 but lost the presidency after a disputed election.

William Graham Sumner

Social Darwinist thinker who advocated applying evolutionary ideas to society.

Susan B. Anthony

Leader in the women's suffrage movement and pioneer for women's rights.

Jacob Coxey

Activist who led Coxey’s Army during the Panic of 1893 to demand federal jobs programs and relief.

Sitting Bull

Lakota leader who resisted U.S. expansion and led resistance at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

George A. Custer

U.S. Army General defeated and killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

J. P. Morgan

Influential American banker and financier who stabilized markets and financed major industries.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel magnate who led in vertical integration, helped found U.S. Steel, and popularized the Gospel of Wealth.

John D. Rockefeller

Oil industry magnate who used horizontal integration to consolidate the Standard Oil Company.

Walter Rauschenbusch

Theologian and leader of the Social Gospel movement, advocating applying Christian ethics to social problems.

William Jennings Bryan

Populist-leaning politician famous for the Cross of Gold speech and advocacy of free silver.

Dawes Act

A federal law of 1887 sponsored by Senator Henry L. Dawes that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual allotments and promoting private land ownership.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Railroad and shipping magnate who built vast wealth and laid the foundations of the modern American railroad system.

Jay Gould

Railroad and financial tycoon who amassed wealth by controlling railroad stocks and engaging in market manipulation.

Jacob Riis

Muckraking journalist who exposed tenement life and urban poverty in How the Other Half Lives.

William McKinley

25th President of the United States; led the nation during the Spanish-American War and the period of economic recovery.

Jane Addams

Founder of Hull House; prominent social reformer and leader in the settlement-house movement.

Jacob Gould (Jay Gould)

Railroad and financial tycoon who gained wealth through control of railroad stocks (alternative labeling of Jay Gould).

Rutherford B. Hayes

19th President who ended Reconstruction with the Compromise of 1877.

Samuel Tilden

Democratic candidate who won the popular vote in 1876 but lost the presidency after a disputed election.

William Graham Sumner

Social Darwinist thinker who advocated applying evolutionary ideas to society.

Susan B. Anthony

Leader in the women's suffrage movement and pioneer for women's rights.

Jacob Coxey

Activist who led Coxey’s Army during the Panic of 1893 to demand federal jobs programs and relief.

Sitting Bull

Lakota leader who resisted U.S. expansion and led resistance at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

George A. Custer

U.S. Army General defeated and killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

J. P. Morgan

Influential American banker and financier who stabilized markets and financed major industries.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel magnate who led in vertical integration, helped found U.S. Steel, and popularized the Gospel of Wealth.

John D. Rockefeller

Oil industry magnate who used horizontal integration to consolidate the Standard Oil Company.

Walter Rauschenbusch

Theologian and leader of the Social Gospel movement, advocating applying Christian ethics to social problems.

William Jennings Bryan

Populist-leaning politician famous for the Cross of Gold speech and advocacy of free silver.

Before his railroad empire, Cornelius Vanderbilt initially built his fortune in what industry?

Steamboat transportation and shipping, earning him the nickname 'Commodore'.

Jay Gould's early career involved work in what financial sector before he became a prominent railroad magnate and master of market manipulation?

Tanning and surveying, before moving into stock speculation and railroad development.

What was Jacob Riis's background, and what innovative technique did he use to expose urban poverty in 'How the Other Half Lives'?

A Danish immigrant and police reporter, Riis pioneered the use of flash photography to document the harsh realities of tenement life.

Prior to his presidency, William McKinley served honorably in what major conflict and held what political office?

He served as a brevet major in the Union Army during the Civil War and later as a U.S. Congressman and Governor of Ohio.

Beyond founding Hull House, what significant recognition did Jane Addams receive for her pioneering work in peace activism and social reform?

She was co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, becoming the first American woman to be awarded it.

What was Rutherford B. Hayes's military background during the Civil War, and what political office did he hold multiple times before becoming president?

He served as a Union Army officer, rising to the rank of brevet major general, and was elected Governor of Ohio three times.

Before running for president in 1876, Samuel Tilden served as Governor of what state and gained national prominence by fighting what political corruption?

He was Governor of New York and was known for his efforts to break up the corrupt Tweed Ring.

At what prestigious university did William Graham Sumner teach and popularize his Social Darwinist theories?

Yale University, where he was a professor of political and social science.

What early social movements was Susan B. Anthony involved in before dedicating herself fully to women's suffrage?

She was active in the temperance and abolitionist movements, advocating for the rights of women and enslaved people.

What was Jacob Coxey's primary occupation before he led his 'Army' in protest during the Panic of 1893?

He was a wealthy quarry owner and businessman from Ohio.

What was Sitting Bull's role among the Lakota people beyond a military leader, and what major event led to his fame after the Battle of the Little Bighorn?

He was a powerful spiritual leader (holy man) and medicine man. He toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show for a period.

Prior to his defeat at Little Bighorn, George A. Custer gained considerable recognition for his leadership in what earlier conflict?

He was a decorated cavalry commander in the American Civil War, known for his aggressive tactics.

J. P. Morgan’s financial empire was built upon a family banking firm and he was instrumental in consolidating what major American industries?

He reorganized and consolidated major industries such as railroads, steel (U.S. Steel), and electricity (General Electric).

Describe Andrew Carnegie's humble beginnings and his major philanthropic contributions later in life, as outlined in his 'Gospel of Wealth'.

Born into poverty in Scotland, he started as a telegrapher. He later donated vast sums to libraries, education, and peace initiatives, believing the wealthy had a moral obligation to give back.

What aspects of John D. Rockefeller's background influenced his business practices and later led him to become a major philanthropist?

His strict Baptist upbringing and humble beginnings instilled in him a disciplined work ethic and a desire to give back, leading to the establishment of major philanthropic foundations for medicine and education.

Walter Rauschenbusch's ideas on social reform were heavily influenced by his experiences as a pastor in what impoverished urban area?

Hell's Kitchen, New York City, where he witnessed firsthand the social injustices and suffering of the working class.

How many times did William Jennings Bryan run for President of the United States, and what was his primary political platform during these campaigns?

He ran three times (1896, 1900, 1908) as the Democratic nominee, primarily advocating for the interests of farmers and laborers, free silver, and anti-imperialism.