APUSH P6

What were the causes of continued westward migration in the late 1800s?

Government policies like the Homestead Act (1862) gave 160 acres of land; the Transcontinental Railroad (1869) made travel easier; gold rushes (Colorado 1859, Klondike 1898) attracted settlers; and new technology like the steel plow and telegraph improved farming and communication.

Why did people migrate to the West?

Economic opportunities (mining, cattle ranching), free land from the Homestead Act, Exodusters fleeing Jim Crow South, religious freedom (Mormons in Utah), and jobs like Buffalo Soldiers in the U.S. Army.

Why was life in the West difficult for settlers?

Harsh weather (Blizzard of 1888), environmental disasters (Locust Plague of 1874), expensive equipment, isolation, and debt from farming led many to fail.

How did farmers respond to the commercialization of agriculture?

The Grange Movement pushed for regulation of railroads (Granger Laws), supported by Supreme Court case Munn v. Illinois (1877), and formed cooperatives.

What were five major effects of westward expansion?

Boomtowns (Comstock Lode), ethnic enclaves (Chinatowns), conflicts with Native Americans (Sioux Wars, Battle of Little Bighorn), cultural resistance (Ghost Dance → Wounded Knee Massacre 1890), and assimilation policies (Dawes Act 1887, Carlisle Indian School).

What factors contributed to increased productivity during the Gilded Age?

Railroads and telegraph connected markets, steel production (Bessemer process), electricity extended work hours, and pro-business policies like tariffs (McKinley Tariff) and land grants.

How did business innovations contribute to economic growth?

Corporations used vertical integration (Carnegie Steel), horizontal integration (Standard Oil), trusts, and holding companies to control industries and maximize profits.

How did people respond to inequality during the Gilded Age?

Farmers’ Alliances and Populists demanded reform; Henry George proposed a single tax; Edward Bellamy promoted utopian socialism; Social Gospel Movement pushed for moral reform.

How did industrialization contribute to U.S. expansion overseas?

U.S. sought new markets and resources (Open Door Policy in China), invested in Hawaii’s sugar industry (annexed 1898), and used the Guano Islands Act to claim resource-rich islands.

What were the ideals vs reality of the “New South”?

Promoted industrial growth (textiles, iron in Birmingham), but remained agricultural with sharecropping and racial inequality enforced by Jim Crow laws.

How did Black reformers push back against racial oppression?

Ida B. Wells exposed lynching, Booker T. Washington promoted vocational education (Tuskegee Institute), and institutions like Spelman College educated Black women.

Why did the labor force expand during the Gilded Age?

Industrial jobs attracted immigrants (Ellis Island), women and children entered workforce, and migrants (including Chinese railroad workers) filled labor demands.

What were the effects of increased immigration?

Ethnic enclaves (Little Italy, Chinatown), nativism led to laws like Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), and court case U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) upheld birthright citizenship.

What were the causes and effects of the rise of labor unions?

Poor conditions led to unions like Knights of Labor and AFL; strikes like Great Railroad Strike (1877) and Pullman Strike (1894) were often crushed by the government.

What were the causes and effects of the growth of the middle class?

Expansion of white-collar jobs and education (Morrill Act); consumer culture (department stores, amusement parks) and ideas like conspicuous consumption reflected rising wealth.

Why did the government pursue laissez-faire policies?

Belief in Social Darwinism and classical liberalism; leaders like Grover Cleveland opposed intervention (vetoed relief bills), supporting free markets.

What were the causes of widespread corruption during the Gilded Age?

Spoils system rewarded political supporters (ended by Pendleton Act), political machines like Tammany Hall controlled cities, and scandals like Credit Mobilier showed corporate influence.

How did Americans try to rein in political corruption?

The Populist Party’s Omaha Platform called for reforms (direct election of senators, income tax, silver coinage); laws like Interstate Commerce Act (1887) and Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) attempted regulation.