american unit 4

Homestead Act

gave 160 acres of free land to settlers who farmed it for 5 years; encouraged westward expansion and settlement on Native American land

Dawes Act

divided Native American tribal land into individual plots to force assimilation; resulted in loss of Native land

Battle of Little Bighorn

1876 battle where Native Americans defeated the U.S. Army; led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse; George Custer killed

Wounded Knee Massacre

1890 killing of about 200 Native Americans by U.S. soldiers; ended Native resistance

Ghost Dance

Native American religious movement promising restoration of land and buffalo; caused fear among U.S. settlers

Sitting Bull

Lakota leader who resisted U.S. expansion and helped defeat Custer

Crazy Horse

Native American war leader who fought in Little Bighorn

George Custer

U.S. army general killed at Little Bighorn

Populist Party Platform

supported farmers and workers;

wanted:

• bimetallism

• 8 hour workday

• secret ballot

• government regulation of railroads, income tax, and direct election of senators

Bimetallism

monetary system using both gold and silver; supported by farmers to increase money supply

Goldbugs

supported gold-only standard; favored by bankers and wealthy

William Jennings Bryan

politician who supported bimetallism and farmers

Cross of Gold Speech

speech by Bryan arguing against gold standard and supporting free silver

Farmers and Railroads

railroads charged high shipping costs, hurting farmers

Farmers and Banks

banks charged high interest rates, causing farmer debt

Grange

farmers’ organization that pushed for railroad regulation and helped farmers unite

W.E.B. Du Bois

African American leader who wanted immediate equality and higher education; co-founded NAACP

Booker T. Washington

believed in gradual progress and vocational training for African Americans

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court case that legalized segregation under “separate but equal”

Social Darwinism

idea that the strongest survive in society; used to justify inequality and laissez-faire capitalism

Gilded Age

term meaning “covered in gold but flawed underneath”; period of wealth alongside corruption and poverty

Mass Immigration Problems

overcrowding, job competition, poor sanitation, rise of nativism

Immigrant Challenges

discrimination, low wages, dangerous jobs, poor living conditions

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law banning Chinese immigration

Debt Peonage

system where workers are trapped in debt and forced to keep working

New Immigrants

people from Southern and Eastern Europe such as Italians, Poles, and Jews

Labor Unions

groups of workers organized to improve wages, hours, and working conditions

Labor Unions Perception

often seen as radical or dangerous by the public and government

Monopolies

businesses that control an entire industry and eliminate competition

Trusts

groups of companies that work together to reduce competition

Strikebreaking Methods

hiring scabs, using police or military, and lockouts to stop strikes

Robber Barons

wealthy business leaders accused of exploiting workers

Captains of Industry

business leaders seen as helping economic growth

Andrew Carnegie

steel industry leader and philanthropist

John D. Rockefeller

oil industry leader who created Standard Oil monopoly

Cornelius Vanderbilt

railroad and shipping tycoon

Political Machines

organizations that controlled politics by trading services for votes

Tammany Hall

powerful political machine in New York City known for corruption

Boss Tweed

leader of Tammany Hall known for corruption

Sherman Antitrust Act

1890 law intended to break up monopolies and trusts