APUSH Time Period 6

1865-1898

Gilded Age

term coined by Mark Twain; implies that, while the time period appears “gold” or positive, beneath, it’s not as good as it appears

Cornelius Vanderbilt

the “commodore”; earned his original wealth through naval trade, then got stupid rich through railroads

Interstate Commerce Act of 1887

federal regulation of interstate commerce; aimed to minimize railroad accidents; marginally successful

Laissez-Faire

the business ideology that the government should be “hands-off” and that individuals should freely compete in the marketplace

Social Darwinism

“survival of the fittest”; the idea of natural selection applies to human societies; the gov. shouldn’t involve itself in helping those seen as “lesser”

Andrew Carnegie

steel production; first major user of vertical integration

John Rockerfeller

owner of the Standard Oil Company; used trusts

JP Morgan

banker known for putting employees on the boards of all rival banks

Gospel of Wealth

written by Andrew Carnegie; stated that it is the wealthy’s duty to leave a legacy that benefits society

Labor Union

a group of workers joining together to advocate for changes in the workplace; three common goals: better wages, fewer hours, & safer conditions

Knights of Labor

1st national labor union; very inclusive

Haymarket Riot

massive, violent riot that gave labor unions a bad name

American Federation of Labor

founded from the remnants of the KoL; exclusive to skilled workers only

Samuel Gompers

created the AFL

Ellis Island

in NY harbor; immigration where nearly all European immigrants entered the US during the gilded age

Angel Island

in the San Francisco Bay; western equivalent to Ellis Island

New Immigrants

post-1880 immigrants from Eastern & Southern Europe

Nativism

preference toward native-born Americans; commonly anti-Catholic

Know-Nothing Party

Nativist political party

Chinese Exclusion Act

passed in 1882; banned Chinese immigrants for 10 years, then later became indefinite

Tenaments

multi-family, overcrowded, & unsanitary housing units in poor immigrant neighborhoods

Jacob Riis

muckraker & photo journalist; wrote “How the Other Half Lived”

Temperance

movement for sobriety; used alcohol as a scapegoat for societal issues

Settlement Houses

community centers in poor immigrant areas; provided educational, social, & cultural services; run by middle class, educated women

Jane Addams

founded the Hull House as a settlement in Chicago; leader of the Social Gospel Movement

Political Machines

organized groups that controlled political parties in cities; wanted political power to use for profit

Tammany Hall

democratic political machine in NYC; run by William '“Boss” Tweed

Graft

illegal use of political influence for personal gain