SOCIAL STUDIES

Monopoly

Exclusive control by one company over an entire industry.

Laissez-faire

A theory advocating minimal government interference in the economy.

Robber baron

A negative term for individuals who became wealthy at the expense of poor workers through corruption.

Tenement

Multistory buildings divided into apartments to house as many residents as possible.

Settlement house

A community center organized at the turn of the twentieth century to provide social services to the urban poor.

The Grange Movement

A political gathering formed by farmers facing hardships, pressing for changes to limit the power of railroads.

Populist party

A political party formed in 1891 advocating for a larger money supply and various economic reforms.

Knights of Labor

A labor union that aimed to include all workers and focused on broad social reforms.

Strike

Action taken by workers where they collectively stop working to protest conditions and low wages.

Collective bargaining

The process in which employers negotiate with labor unions about working conditions.

American Federation of Labour

A labor union organizing skilled workers in specific trades with specific demands.

Great Railway Strike

A strike stopped by the government to prevent disruptions to shipping.

Haymarket Riot

An 1886 labor-related protest in Chicago that ended in deadly violence.

Homestead Steel Strike

The 1892 strike against Carnegie’s steelworks that resulted in violence.

Progressive Era

The period from 1900-1920 characterized by significant actions from Progressive reformers.

Muckraker

A journalist in the early twentieth century who sought to expose corruption and social problems.

NAACP

An organization founded in 1909 to advocate for the rights of African Americans.

Interstate Commerce Act

An act that established the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad abuses.

Sherman Antitrust Act

Prohibited monopolies and declared illegal any business combination restraining trade.

16th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that granted Congress the authority to levy an income tax.

17th Amendment

The constitutional amendment allowing for the direct election of U.S. senators.

18th Amendment

The constitutional amendment banning the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcohol.

19th Amendment

The constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote.

Pendleton Act

The 1883 law creating a civil service system for the federal government.

Northern Securities Co. v United States (1904)

A court case where the government used the Sherman Antitrust Act to dissolve a railroad monopoly.

Andrew Carnegie

An industrialist and philanthropist who built Carnegie's Steel Company.

John D. Rockefeller

Industrialist and philanthropist, founder of the Standard Oil Company.

Theodore Roosevelt

U.S. President known for trust-busting and creating the Department of Commerce.

William Howard Taft

The 27th president of the U.S., also served as chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. president who changed economic policies and led the nation into World War I.

Ida Tarbell

A journalist and one of the founders of the NAACP, known for her work on Standard Oil.

Upton Sinclair

Author of 'The Jungle' and a political activist.

Booker T. Washington

An African American educator advocating for vocational education and economic self-improvement.

W.E.B. Du Bois

Author of 'The Crisis,' challenging issues faced by African Americans.

Robert M. La Follette

Wisconsin governor known for progressive reforms including primary elections and tax reforms.