APUSH CH. 16 - Gilded Age and Second Industrial Revolution

Transcontinental Railroad

A railroad that connected Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California, established in 1869 to facilitate easier shipment of products and migration to the West.

Gilded Age

A period marked by economic 'explosion,' characterized by a focus on big businesses rather than small farmers and significant industrial growth.

Vertical Integration

A business strategy where a company controls every phase of its production process to increase efficiency and reduce reliance on middle-men.

Horizontal Integration

A business strategy that involves buying out competing companies to control a larger market share.

Thomas Edison

An American inventor known for his work in electricity generation and the invention of the lightbulb.

Andrew Carnegie

Founding a steel company in the 1870s, he is known for practicing vertical integration and engaging in philanthropy.

Jacob Riis

A social reformer who highlighted the poor living conditions of urban residents through his photographs.

Bonanza Farm

Large agricultural farms, employed many wage earners, wheat

Battle of Little Bighorn

A 1876 battle where Sioux and Cheyenne warriors defeated Union forces; a temporary victory for Native Americans.

Federal Indian Policies

Government actions aimed at pushing Native Americans off their land, often resulting in loss of land and culture.

Homestead Act of 1862

Legislation that granted 160 acres of public land to settlers who agreed to live on it for five years.

Social Gospel Movement

A movement aimed at reforming the Protestant church to address social issues and improve living conditions for the lower classes.

Sherman Antitrust Act

A law passed in 1890 that aimed to ban practices limiting free trade, with vague language that made enforcement difficult.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

Established in 1877 to regulate railroad rates and ensure fair pricing in transportation for farmers and merchants.

Labor Uprisings

Movements advocating for workers' rights, often involving protests like the Haymarket Affair.

Knights of Labor

The first significant labor organization that sought to include skilled and unskilled workers, women, and minorities, excluding Asians.

Cattle Boom

A period marked by the transportation of cattle from the West to the East, which ended due to barbed wire and drought.

Social Problems of the Gilded Age

Issues such as economic inequality, with stark contrasts between the upper and lower classes living in slums.

Civil Service Act of 1883

merit system for federal employees, caused by assassination of President Garfield.

Buffalo Extinction

The mass hunting of buffalo, primarily driven by the needs of the railroad, which significantly affected Native American cultures.

Sand Creek Massacre

A violent attack in Colorado where Union soldiers killed many innocent Native Americans, including women and children.

Name Brands and Railroads

Products like Quaker Oats and Ivory Soap became nationally distributed due to the expansion of the railroad system.

Ghost Dance

A spiritual movement among Native Americans hoping for the return of the buffalo and a restoration of their way of life.

What was the real meaning of the Gilded Age term?

Coined by Mark Twain/Charles Dudley Warner; covered with a thin layer of gold masking a core of little value, deceptive

What was the Dawes Act?

Broke up land to be distributed to Native American families: would have to adopt “American” lifestyle

How did the Dawes Act affect Native Americans?

Loss of their land and culture

What happened to the buffalo during the time period?

Hunted to mass extinction across the Plains, people were paid for their hides

What did the loss of the buffaflo do?

Affect Native Americans; unable to get food, forced to go onto reservations, current populations are still low because they have no real habitat anymore, Ghost Dance

Republicans and high tariffs

support Americans having high wages, and protect the American industry, Democrats opposed the high tariff

What was the Haymarket Affair?

Peaceful protest turned violent, bomb killed policeman when someone threw it into the crowd