Gilded Age

Homestead Strike

A violent labor dispute in 1892 between the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the Carnegie Steel Company in Homestead, Pennsylvania, resulting in a battle between strikers and Pinkerton agents.

Steel Mills

Factories where steel is produced. During the Gilded Age, steel mills were a driving force of industrialization, often associated with harsh working conditions and low wages.

Haymarket Riot

A violent confrontation in 1886 in Chicago, stemming from a workers' rally for an eight-hour workday, which ended in a bomb explosion and subsequent deaths, heightening tensions between labor and management.

Government Siding with Industrialists

During the Gilded Age, government policies and actions often supported big businesses and industrialists over workers, such as using federal troops to suppress strikes.

Working Conditions

During this era, working conditions were often dangerous, with long hours, low pay, and minimal safety regulations in factories, mines, and railroads.

Wealth Disparities

The Gilded Age saw significant economic inequality, with industrialists like Carnegie and Rockefeller amassing vast wealth while workers lived in poverty.

Monopolies

Large corporations that controlled entire industries, stifling competition. Examples include Standard Oil and U.S. Steel.

Labor Unions

Organizations formed by workers to advocate for better wages, hours, and conditions, such as the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor (AFL).

Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie, a leading industrialist who built a steel empire and became one of the wealthiest men of his time, often criticized for his labor practices despite his philanthropy.

Homestead Mill

A Carnegie Steel mill in Pennsylvania, central to the Homestead Strike of 1892.

Henry Clay Frick

Carnegie's business partner and manager of the Homestead Mill, known for his role in the violent suppression of the Homestead Strike.

SCABS

Workers who replaced striking employees, often viewed negatively by unions as strikebreakers.

Pogroms

Violent attacks on Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, which drove many Jewish immigrants to the United States during the Gilded Age.

Chinese Exclusion Act

An 1882 law that prohibited Chinese immigration to the U.S., reflecting widespread xenophobia and racism.

Steerage

The cramped, low-cost section of ships where many immigrants traveled to the U.S.

Tenements

Overcrowded and unsanitary apartment buildings where many urban poor and immigrants lived.

Jacob Riis

A journalist and photographer who exposed the living conditions of the poor in tenements through his work How the Other Half Lives.

Cossacks

A group in the Russian Empire known for their military skills, often associated with repression of uprisings, including pogroms against Jews.

Nativism

The belief in prioritizing native-born Americans over immigrants, leading to restrictive immigration policies and discrimination.

Xenophobia

The fear or hatred of foreigners, which fueled anti-immigrant sentiment during the Gilded Age.

Ellis Island

The main immigration station in New York City, processing millions of immigrants arriving in the U.S.

John Wanamaker

A pioneer of department stores in the U.S., who transformed retail with fixed prices and advertising.

Party Boss

A leader in a political machine who controlled votes and dictated appointments, often through corruption.

World Fair

The World Fair of 1876, held in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, marked the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and was the first official World's Fair in the United States. It celebrated American progress in industry, agriculture, and culture, drawing over 10 million visitors from around the world. Key exhibits included the Corliss Steam Engine, Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, and the Statue of Liberty's arm and torch, which promoted fundraising for the monument. The fair also introduced the typewriter and root beer to the public. Symbolizing America's shift toward industrialization and innovation, the exposition showcased the nation's growing global prominence and was a defining moment of the Gilded Age.

Insider Trading

The illegal practice of trading on the stock market with access to confidential information.

Pinkertons

A private security agency often hired by industrialists to break strikes and suppress labor movements.

Caroline Le Count

An African American civil rights activist in Philadelphia who worked to desegregate public transportation.

Populism

A political movement that emerged to support farmers and common people against industrialists and elites, exemplified by the People's Party.

Tyrants of the Insider

Likely refers to monopolists or political figures exploiting insider knowledge or power.

Donald Trump being populist

Donald Trump has been described as a modern populist for his rhetoric appealing to 'common people' and criticizing elites.

William Jennings Bryan ('Silver Tongue')

A politician known for his powerful oratory skills and support for free silver in his 'Cross of Gold' speech.

Yellow Brick Road

A metaphor for the gold standard in The Wizard of Oz, often interpreted as an allegory of Gilded Age politics.

McKinley

William McKinley, the 25th U.S. President, associated with pro-business policies and the Gold Standard.

Political Machines

Organizations that controlled local governments through corruption, patronage, and the manipulation of votes. Examples include Tammany Hall in New York City.

Ethnic Enclaves

Urban neighborhoods where immigrants from the same country or region clustered together to preserve their culture, language, and traditions while adapting to life in the U.S. Examples include Chinatown and Little Italy.

George Washington Plunkitt

A leader of Tammany Hall, the powerful New York City political machine, best known for his concept of 'honest graft.'

Jay Gould's Quote - 'He could pay one half of the working class to kill the other'

This quote reflects Jay Gould's cynical view of class divisions and his belief in exploiting them to maintain control.

Honest Graft

Honest Graft

A term popularized by George Washington Plunkitt, a leader of Tammany Hall, referring to the practice of profiting from public projects through legitimate means rather than outright corruption. It implies that politicians can take advantage of their insider knowledge to make strategic investments in developments or land that will increase in value due to political decisions, all while maintaining the facade of integrity.