US History Midterm

Reconstruction

Rebuilding the South after the Civil war,

along with dealing with former confederates and

newly freed slaves

13th amendment

outlawed slavery (except for those in prison)

14th amendment

extended citizenship to all born in US (except Native Americans) and reaffirmed equal protection of the law for all citizens

15th amendment

protected suffrage of citizens regardless of race

The compromise of 1877

Election given to Republicans by

Dems in exchange for:

1) military withdraws from south

2) Fed gov (Congress, courts) halt Reconstruction policies

literacy test

Must be able to read in order to vote

Poll tax

Voter must pay a tax in order to vote

Plessy v Ferguson decision

Separate but equal

Benjamin “Pap” Singleton

Slave from Nashville Encouraged African Americans to move West and form independent communities.

Exodusters

black people moving west in an “Exodus”

Homestead Act

•US Citizen who had never rebelled got 160 acres of govt land live on it for 5 years to “improve it”

Once verified you can get deed of title. Otherwise must pay for land

Andrew Carnegie

American businessman who built a dominant steel company from 1880-1900. (monopoly)

• Made steel -Cheaper -More efficiently -Sold over a wider area

Gospel of Wealth – rich should give fortune away to charity

Cornelius Vanderbilt

• Built a (boats) shipping company

into a regional powerhouse (1810s-

1860s)

• Built the dominant New York Central

Railroad (1860s-1870s)

• Donated $1,000,000 to create Vanderbilt

University

John D. Rockefeller

•Built Standard Oil Company,   a dominant oil refinery   (1860s-1890s)

•Refinery –  factory that   processes crude oil to make   it usable in lamps, cars, etc

•Bought competitors

Madam C.J. Walker

•Started a hair care company catering to black women

•1st self-made female millionaire

•Gave money to NAACP (civil rights)

J. P. Morgan

•Major banker / financier – J.P. Morgan Bank

•Made good investments in companies

•Merged RR, steel companies into monopolies

•Bailed out U.S. economy 2x

Political Machines

an organized group of people that controlled the activities of a political party by giving voters services they needed, the machine won their vote and controlled city government

Used power to:

●Rig elections

●Become wealthy through illegal payments or kickbacks

●Control police force to stay out of trouble

City Boss

head of Political Machines

Controlled:

• Jobs in police, fire, ad sanitation departments

• agencies that granted licenses to business

• money to fund large constructions

William “Boss” Tweed

City Boss of Tammany Hall - Democratic Political Machine in New York City

Patronage System

also known as “Spoils system”- giving government jobs to loyal party members, friends, or family

●Were not qualified

●Often used position to get money from government

Garfield’s Assassination

This President would be assassinated in 1881 by a man named Charles Guiteau, who expected a government job for being a loyal party member

President Chester Arthur would sign the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 to try to end the patronage system

Pendleton Act

• Attempted to end Patronage/Spoils system

1. Creating the Civil Service Commision which required appointed govt. officials to pass the Civil Service Exam to base jobs on merit instead of friendship

2. Federal employees did not have to contribute to campaign funds

3. Federal employees could not be fired for political reasons

Assimilation

minority group comes to assume the values, habits, behaviors, beliefs of a dominant group

Push factor

negative factor about the countries immigrants left that spurred them to leave

1.Poverty of farmers as machines took over

2.Political turmoil

3.Overcrowding and joblessness in European cities

4.Religious persecution (including Pograms against Jews)

pull factor

positive factor about the United states attracting immigrants to come here

1.Political/religious freedom

2.Economic opportunities in the West

3.Many industrial jobs in the Eastern cities

4.Large steamships = cheap boat tickets to USA