Gilded Age

Thomas Reed

Supporting the passage of the McKinley tariffs; power of businessmen large, power of government small.

Thomas Edison

Was an inventor, is going to steal lots of patents, immigrant.

Upton Sinclair

Muckraker, writer who exposed the nastiness of the meat industry. Wrote The Jungle. The major takeaway is that the meat is contaminated with poison.

Jacob Riis

Muckraker- journalist/photographer- exposed the slums and the inner cities to expose the bad conditions during the time. Book called "How the Other Half Lives"

Ida Tarbell

Muckraker- exposed corruption in industries like Rockefeller and oil. Her book "The History of Standard Oil."

Pendleton Act - Civil Service Reform

Spoils system- gave jobs to friends. Chester Arthur no longer supported the spoils system. Rather than giving jobs to friends, give it to people who can do the required tasks of the job. Tried to eliminate some of the corruption when it came to giving out government jobs.

McKinley Tariff Act 1890

High tariffs to protect American industry.

Wilson-Gorman Tariff 1894

Four years later was an attempt to lower the tax or tariff on goods coming into the United States.

Credit Mobilier Scandal

One example- happened during Grant's presidency, gov. giving companies money to build railroads. Chinese immigrants and Irish immigrants working, asking the government for money to pay their workers. Instead of using the money to pay their workers, they were using the money to put it into their bank accounts. They didn't shut it down, and instead just transferred money back to the government. LOTS OF CORRUPTION.

Whiskey Ring

One example- Happened during Grant's presidency. Tax collectors were supposed to collect taxes from the whiskey distillers. They took bribes instead and just pocketed the money. LOTS OF CORRUPTION once again. Grant didn't know all the corruption going on during his presidency.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

This is a law that banned racial discrimination in public places. This was not enforced and was later declared unconstitutional.

Compromise of 1877

An argument that ended Reconstruction. This ended the Hayes-Tilden election. Beginning of the Gilded Age. Hayes wins the presidency. The power of the presidency and government decreases.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Stops Chinese immigration into the United States. In 1882, Chinese laborers were no longer allowed to come into the United States.

Homestead Steel Strike

People who worked in the factory. The people working at Carnegie's steel company went on strike and demanded better wages and working conditions. Pinkerton detectives were a private agency that factory owners could hire to try to find out if there was any talk of unionization in their factory or strikes. This strike was not successful for the workers.

Panic of 1873

The main reason this economic panic occurred was the railroad industry's oversaturation. People were spending too much money on railroads.

Depression of 1893

The worst economic depression until the Great Depression. The value of the dollar caused the depression of 1893. Trying to print more money and saying silver should give our money value.

Farmers' Alliance

Organization of farmers that pushed for better economic reforms.

Populist Party 1892

This grew out of the Farmers' Alliance. Stands up for farmers' needs.

Jim Crow Laws

Enforce segregation and discrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Court case that states, "Separate but equal is legal" law until the mid 1950s.

Muller v. Oregon

This is 1908. This states that women can not work. They can only work for 10 hours a day because the government states women are stronger than men.

Lochner v. NY

Struck down limits on bakers' working hours. Get rid of the 10-hour workday.

Pinkerton detectives

These are people companies hired to listen in on coworkers to see if they were talking about unionization or strikes.

Wabash Case

Court case that states that the federal gov controls interstate trade. As a result, the Interstate Commerce Act was created.

Interstate Commerce Act

Creates the Interstate Commerce Commission, a group of 6 people who control all interstate trade in the US. Wildly ineffective.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Of 1890. You can't have trusts. Anti-monopoly act of 1890. Not effective. The wealthy have the power, so these acts do not work out. Teddy Roosevelt actually enforced the antitrust act. He did not like corruption and went after the wealthy and the consumers. He became vice president to get him out of a policymaking position. The Gilded Age ends when Roosevelt becomes president.

Knights of Labor

A labor union responsible for the Haymarket Square Riot, which continued to decrease the power of unions.

American Federation of Labor

A union focused on skilled workers and better wages led by Samuel Gompers. Just skilled workers.

Haymarket Square Riot

When the Knights of Labor went on strike. A labor protest that became violent in Chicago. The idea that unions are violent.

Jim Fisk and Jay Gould

Made their fortune in the railroad industry. Trying to corner the gold market. They were hoarding gold. The value of gold would go up the more they hoarded it. The businessman found out and got mad because they were messing with their wealth. The businessman stopped this.

John D. Rockefeller

Oil businessman who founded Standard Oil and became one of the richest Americans.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel businessman who built a huge steel company and gave away much of his wealth.

Cornelius and William Vanderbilt

Wealthy railroad businessmen who built a major railroad empire and fortune.

Theodore Roosevelt's political platform as governor of NY

Supported government regulation of businesses, labor reforms, and fighting political corruption.

J.P. Morgan

Powerful banker who financed and controlled many major businesses and railroads.

Samuel Gompers

Labor leader who founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and fought for better wages and working conditions.

Rutherford B. Hayes

U.S. president from 1877-1881 who ended Reconstruction and supported civil service reform.

Grover Cleveland

President who opposed political corruption and excessive government spending; served two nonconsecutive terms.

William McKinley

President who supported high tariffs and led the U.S. during the Spanish-American War.

George Pullman

Railroad businessman who built Pullman sleeping cars and the company town where the Pullman Strike occurred.

James Garfield

President who was assassinated in 1881 by Charles Guiteau; his death helped lead to civil service reform.

Chester Arthur

President who supported civil service reform and signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act.

Charles Guiteau

Man who assassinated President James Garfield in 1881.