6.2-6.13 APUSH Vocab

Transcontinental Railroads

Railroads connecting the east and west coasts, enabling westward expansion and economic growth.

Great Plains

Vast grassland region in central North America, central to farming and ranching during western expansion.

Great American Desert

A term used in the 19th century to describe the arid region west of the Mississippi River.

100th Meridian

Longitudinal line marking the division between the humid east and the arid west in the U.S.

Buffalo Herds

Large groups of bison that roamed the Great Plains, critical to Native American life but nearly eradicated by settlers.

Vaqueros

Mexican cowboys who influenced cattle herding traditions in the American West.

Longhorn Cattle

Hardy cattle breed raised in the Southwest, central to the cattle industry.

Cattle Drives

Movement of cattle from Texas to northern railheads for transport to markets.

Barbed Wire

Fencing material invented by Joseph Glidden that revolutionized land management and ended open-range cattle grazing.

Homestead Act

1862 law granting 160 acres of public land to settlers who improved it over five years.

Joseph Glidden

Inventor of barbed wire, which helped settlers fence land cheaply.

Dry Farming

Agricultural techniques used in arid regions, including deep plowing and drought-resistant crops.

Oregon Territory

Region jointly occupied by the U.S. and Britain until divided in 1846.

“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”

Slogan demanding U.S. control of the Oregon Territory up to latitude 54°40′.

James K. Polk

Expansionist U.S. president who oversaw the annexation of Texas and acquisition of Oregon and California.

Cash Crops

Crops grown for sale rather than local consumption, such as cotton and wheat.

Deflation

Decline in prices that harmed farmers by reducing crop profits.

Middlemen

Individuals or businesses that profited by managing the sale of farmers' goods.

National Grange Movement

Farmers’ organization advocating for economic and political reforms, including regulation of railroads.

Granger Laws

State laws regulating railroads and grain storage, supported by the Grange.

Munn v. Illinois

1877 Supreme Court case upholding states’ rights to regulate businesses affecting public interest.

Ocala Platform

1890 political platform advocating for direct election of senators, lower tariffs, and banking reforms.

Frederick Jackson Turner

Historian who argued the frontier shaped American democracy and culture.

Little Big Horn

1876 battle where Sioux and Cheyenne warriors defeated General Custer’s forces.

Ghost Dance Movement

Spiritual movement among Native Americans seeking to restore their lands and way of life.

Assimilationists

Advocates for integrating Native Americans into white society by abandoning their cultures.

Helen Hunt Jackson

Author of A Century of Dishonor, criticizing U.S. policies toward Native Americans.

Dawes Act of 1887

Law dividing tribal lands into individual plots to assimilate Native Americans.

Indian Reorganization Act

1934 law reversing assimilation policies by restoring tribal self-government.

Santa Fe Trail

Trade route connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, central to economic exchange and settlement.

Deforestation

The clearing of forests for agriculture and development, leading to environmental degradation.

Yosemite

Valley in California protected as a national park, central to the preservation movement.

Forest Reserve Act of 1891

Law allowing the president to set aside forest lands for conservation.

Forest Management Act of 1897

Act providing regulations for forest reserves, promoting sustainable use.

Conservationists

Advocates for the responsible management and use of natural resources.

Preservationists

Advocates for protecting nature from any human use, such as John Muir.

John Muir

Naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club, promoting preservation of wilderness.

Sierra Club

Environmental organization advocating for conservation and preservation of natural areas.

“New South”

Vision for a modernized southern economy based on industrial growth and diversified farming.

Henry Grady

Journalist who promoted the “New South” and industrial development.

Birmingham (steel)

Southern city emerging as a steel production hub.

Memphis (lumber)

Key city in the timber industry.

Richmond (tobacco)

Center of tobacco production and industry in the South.

National Rail Network

Expansion of railroads connecting the South to national markets.

Tenant Farmers

Farmers who worked land owned by others in exchange for a share of crops.

Sharecroppers

Laborers who rented land in exchange for a portion of their harvest, often trapped in debt.

George Washington Carver

African American scientist who promoted crop rotation and alternative crops like peanuts.

Tuskegee Institute

Educational institution founded by Booker T. Washington to provide vocational training to African Americans.

White Supremacists

Individuals advocating for white racial dominance, often through violence and laws.

Civil Rights Cases of 1883

Supreme Court decisions limiting federal protection of African American rights.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court case upholding racial segregation under 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

Literacy Tests

Voting restrictions requiring proof of literacy, disproportionately affecting African Americans.

Poll Taxes

Voting fees used to disenfranchise African Americans and poor whites.

Grandfather Clauses

Voting restrictions allowing only those whose ancestors could vote to bypass other barriers.

Lynch Mobs

Groups that violently attacked and killed African Americans to enforce racial hierarchy.

Economic Discrimination

Denial of jobs, credit, and economic opportunities to African Americans.

Ida B. Wells

Journalist and activist who exposed lynching and advocated for racial justice.

International Migration Society

Organization encouraging African Americans to emigrate to Africa for better opportunities.

Booker T. Washington

Leader advocating for vocational education and economic self-reliance for African Americans.

W.E.B. Du Bois

Scholar and activist advocating for immediate civil rights and higher education for African Americans.

Atlanta Compromise

Speech by Booker T. Washington advocating racial cooperation and gradualism in civil rights.

Economic Cooperation

Strategy encouraging collective economic progress for marginalized communities.