Westward Expansion, Industrialization & Progressive Era Vocabulary

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Westward Expansion, industrial growth, immigration, and progressive-era reforms.

Westward Expansion

The 19th‑century movement to settle lands west of the Mississippi, driven by profit, new lands, overpopulation in the East, ranching, transportation improvements, and industrial development.

Manifest Destiny

Belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Cattle Boom

Post–Civil War period with millions of wild cattle on the Great Plains; cattle drives to railheads in Kansas and slaughter for eastern shipment.

Homestead Act

1862 law granting 160 acres to settlers who cultivated it for five years; ownership after meeting cultivation requirements.

Klondike Gold Rush

1896 rush following gold discoveries in Alaska, drawing prospectors westward.

Transcontinental Railroad

Railway system linking the coasts, enabling faster transport of goods and people and spurring settlement and market growth.

Barbed Wire

Fencing that helped end open-range cattle drives by marking boundaries and controlling livestock.

Windmill

A device that pumped water and supported irrigation, increasing productivity on the plains.

Plight of the Farmer

Economic troubles on the Great Plains: falling crop prices, shrinking money supply, loan pressures, and high shipping costs.

Populist Party

Political movement expressing farmers’ grievances with reforms such as monetary expansion and political reforms.

Direct Election of Senators

Populist reform cause to elect U.S. senators by popular vote rather than state legislatures.

Secret Ballot

Voting method designed to protect voters from intimidation and bribery.

Income Tax (Populist Platform)

Taxation proposed to distribute the tax burden and fund federal programs.

Federal Loan Program

Populist proposal for government loans to farmers and others to ease debt.

Increase in Money Supply

Populist demand to expand the money supply to raise prices and relieve debt.

Gold Standard

Monetary system in which the dollar is backed by gold reserves.

Bimetallism

Monetary system backed by both gold and silver to expand the money supply.

Assimilation (Indians)

Policy intended to blend Native Americans into Euro‑American culture.

Dawes Act

1887 law that allotted 160‑acre parcels to individual Indians to promote assimilation; otherwise moved to reservations.

Americanization

Efforts to integrate immigrants into American culture through education and social programs.

First Wave of Immigration

Immigrants from Northwest Europe who settled in the U.S. in the earlier period.

Second Wave of Immigration

Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe who followed in later years.

Sherman Anti‑Trust Act

1890 law prohibiting monopolies and restraints of trade.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

Reform establishing merit-based hiring for many government jobs via exams.

Trusts

Large combinations controlling markets or industries, often leading to monopolies.

Vertical Integration

Company control over multiple stages of production from raw materials to finished products.

Horizontal Integration

Mergers of companies in the same industry to reduce competition.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

Federal body created to regulate railroads; initially weak due to vague powers and enforcement limits.

Bessemer Process

Industrial method that made steel production cheaper and faster by removing impurities.

Industrial Growth Factors

Abundant natural resources, improved transportation, rise of big business, monopolies, and new inventions fueling growth.

Problems in Cities

Urban issues like sanitation problems, overcrowding, and crime, often worsened by weak local governance and graft.

How the Other Half Lives (Riis)

Jacob Riis’s work exposing urban poverty to spur reform.

Nativism

Favoritism toward native-born citizens over immigrants.

Laissez‑Faire

Philosophy of minimal government intervention in business."

Labor Unions

Organizations representing workers; common methods include strikes, boycotts, and protests.

Political Bosses/Machines

Corrupt urban political networks that exchanged jobs and services for votes.

Tammany Hall

New York City political machine led by Boss Tweed.

Graft

Using political influence for personal gain.

Social Gospel

Movement urging Christians to help the poor and reform society.

Jane Addams

Founder of Hull House, a settlement house aiding immigrants and the poor.

Hull House

Settlement house providing social and educational services to newcomers and the urban poor.

Social Darwinism

Idea that society and business follow 'survival of the fittest' principles.

Susan B. Anthony

Leader in the women’s suffrage movement.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Labor union focusing on skilled workers and collective bargaining.

Knights of Labor

Early nationwide labor organization seeking broad reforms.

Haymarket Square Riot

1886 protest that turned violent after a bomb was thrown at police.

Child Labor

Widespread employment of children in factories; many under age 15, often at the expense of schooling.

Immigrants (Reasons for Immigration)

People moved to the U.S. seeking economic opportunity, political and religious freedom.

Gentleman’s Agreement of 1907

Informal agreement where Japan limited unskilled emigration in exchange for the repeal of San Francisco segregation orders.

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law banning most Chinese immigration to the United States.

Telephone (Invention)

Invention that enabled long‑distance voice communication, expanding business and personal networks.