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

Homestead Act

offered 160 acres of land to any family settled on that land for a minimum of five years; pushed lower class migrants westward

A Century of Dishonor

book about the US government’s terrible treatment of the natives

Dawes Act

attempted to address the issues with the federal gov’s treatment of natives; stated that natives could be citizens IF they left their tribe; essentially forced natives onto reservations

Plessy v Ferguson

Supreme Court ruling stating that segregation (separate but equal) is constitutional

Henry Grady

editor of the Atlanta Constitution; pushed for the industrialization of the south aka the creation of the “New South”

Booker T. Washington

former slave advocating for vocational training & a slow but steady journey toward equality

H.E.B. DuBois

civil rights leader advocating for the prioritization of the “talented tenth” in order to accelerate equality

Populist Party

made up of indebted farmers from the West & South; radical platform based on wanting direct election of senators, shorter workdays, immigration restrictions, and a graduated income tax

Populism

a political approach or philosophy that strives to appeal to ordinary or “average” citizens who feel their concerns are often disregarded by established elite groups

William Jennings Bryan

democratic/populist candidate in the 1896 election; the “Great Commoner”; supporter of bimetallism

William McKinley

winner of the 1896 presidential election; republican candidate and a supporter of the gold standard and laissez faire

Bimetallism

the idea that the US should switch from using solely gold as an economic base to using both gold and silver

Gold Standard

the idea that US should continue to solely use gold; anti-Bimetalllism

Mark Hanna

bankroller of McKinley; iron industry robber baron

Gold Standard Act

passed in 1900; committed the nation to the gold standard