Gilded Age Essential Terms & Westward Expansion

Interstate Commerce Act

1887 law that established the federal government's right to supervise railroad activities and created a five-member enforcement board

Dawes Act

1887 law that distributed reservation land to individual Native American owners, aiming to assimilate them into mainstream American culture

Free Enterprise System

An economic system where private businesses operate with minimal government interference

Homestead Act

1862 law offering 160 acres of free land to any citizen or intended citizen who was head of the household

laissez-faire

An economic theory advocating minimal government intervention in the economy

Steel Plow

Invention by John Deere that greatly improved farming efficiency by cutting through tough soil

Americanization Movement

Movement during the early 20th century to assimilate immigrants into American culture by teaching English, American history, and citizenship

Andrew Carnegie

Industrialist and philanthropist who led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century

Bimetallism

A monetary system using both gold and silver as a basis for currency and was supported by farmers and debtors

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States

Klondike Gold Rush

1896-1899 gold rush in the Yukon region of Canada, attracting prospectors in search of gold

monopolies

The exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service

Morrill Act

1862 law that granted public lands to states to establish agricultural and mechanical colleges

Nativism

A policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born ones

Political Machine

A political group in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses who receive rewards for their efforts

Populism

Political approach that seeks to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups

Sherman Antitrust Act

1890 law banning any trust that restrained interstate trade or commerce

Social Darwinism

A social theory that individuals or groups achieve advantage over others as the result of genetic or biological superiority

Social Gospel Movement

A Protestant Christian intellectual movement that was most prominent in the early 20th century United States and Canada

Urbanization

The process of making an area more urban

William Jennings Bryan

American orator and politician who advocated for the

William McKinley

25th President of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901

Manifest Destiny

19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable

Exodusters

A name given to African Americans who migrated from states along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the late nineteenth century

Charging really high rates

Problem faced by farmers with railroads

Join together in groups

Solution for farmers to get government support in regulating railroads

High loan/lots of debt

Problem faced by farmers with banks

Inflation and Bimetalism

Solution for farmers to inflate money supply and pay back loans with cheaper money

Crop Prices Kept dropping

Problem faced by farmers

Causes of the Cattle Industry Boom

High demand for beef on the east coast and increase in population, leading to cattle drive trails and railroad expansion

Effects of the Cattle Industry Boom

Development of cattle drive trails and push to expand railroads

What ended the cattle drives?

Railroads

Need to pump water from the ground

Invention of Windmill due to the different consistency of soil in the Midwest and Great Plains

Housing - no trees

Invention of Soddy for small machine operation

Bimetalism

Plan to put more money into circulation backed by silver and gold

Populist Platform

Includes Increase in money supply, graduated income tax, federal loan program, election of US senators by popular vote, single terms for the President & Vice President, secret ballot, 8-hour work day & restrictions on immigration

Who supported the Populist Party? Why?

Farmers and other workers supported the Populist Party for its solutions to their problems

What brought an end to Populism?

1896 election where William Jennings Bryan was defeated by William McKinley

Plight of the farmers in a cartoon

Depicts corruption of RR companies taking advantage of farmers and being ignored by business/government officials

Economic, political, and social impact of the growth of railroads

Analyze the impact of the growth of railroads, specifically the construction of the Transcontinental railroad and the close of the frontier

Government Action

Contributed to the growth of railroads by providing land grants and money to lay railroad tracks

Immigration

Chinese immigrants helped build railroads, and immigrants looking to move westward worked on railroads

Money

People could make money building railroads, leading to the growth of towns along the railroad route

Transcontinental Railroad

Linked the East Coast to the West Coast, significant for its completion at Promontory Point Utah with the golden spike

Economic impact of the growth of railroads

Efficient movement of people, goods, and communication, facilitating industry growth and westward migration

Contribution of RR to the Close of the frontier

Completion of the West's development by moving people and goods through the expansion of railroads

Causes of the Industrial Revolution

New sources of power, government aid to transcontinental railroad, foreign investment, new inventions, unrestricted immigration, new entrepreneurs, growing market, government support, abundant natural resources, and new business culture

Free enterprise

Freedom of private businesses to operate competitively for profit with little government regulation, leading to the growth of American business

Impact of industrial revolution, free enterprise, and entrepreneurship

Urbanization, philanthropy, new products and services, worker abuse, rise of big business, monopolies, increased profits, billionaires, and business influence over government

Pros and cons of big business during the Gilded Age

Pros include economic growth and innovation, cons include worker exploitation and monopolistic practices

Robber Barons

Business leaders who engaged in corrupt practices, monopolies, and exploited workers for personal gain.

Captains of Industry

Business leaders who used innovative strategies, created wealth, and contributed positively to society.

electric power

Stimulates the economy, improves the standard of living, and enables production at night.

telephone & telegraph

Stimulates the economy, improves the standard of living, and facilitates communication over long distances.

steel production

Positions the US as a world leader in steel, boosts profits for American companies, and supports the growth of skyscrapers, bridges, and railroads.

technological innovations

Enhance the standard of living by promoting competition, lower prices, and increased choices in transportation and communication industries.

Vertical integration

Process by which a company buys out all of its suppliers.

Horizontal integration

Process by which a company controls resources, manufacturing, and delivery.

Monopoly

A corporation that buys out the stock of other companies.

trust

A corporation made up of many companies that receive certificates entitling them to dividends on profits earned.

Bessemer process

Leads to the development of cheaper steel, making the US a world leader and increasing profits for American companies.

Labor Unions

Organized groups of workers, often in a specific industry, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.

Political Machines

Control of city governments usually by a boss or small group with the promise of jobs and other incentives in exchange for political support.

Boss Tweed

The most famous political machine leader associated with Tammany Hall in New York City.

Patronage

The power to control appointments to office or the right to privileges.

Pendleton Act

Civil Service Reform requiring persons to take a test to prove they are qualified for a job in government.

Graft

Any type of unethical or illegal use of political influence for personal gain.

Monopolies

A situation in which a single company or group owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service.

Standard Oil Monopoly

A monopoly created by John D. Rockefeller in the oil industry.

Gilded Age

The period in U.S. history around the end of the 19th century known for its political corruption and economic inequality.