APUSH Period 6 Vocab

Second Industrial Revolution

a late‑19th‑century surge in industrial growth driven by steel, electricity, and new technologies. It transformed the U.S. into a global industrial leader and accelerated urbanization and corporate power

Gilded Age

a period of rapid economic growth paired with political corruption and extreme wealth inequality. It exposed deep social tensions and set the stage for Progressive Era reforms

Panic of 1893

a major economic depression caused by railroad overbuilding, bank failures, and unstable financing. It intensified labor unrest, boosted Populism, and reshaped debates over monetary policy

Union Pacific Railroad

built the eastern half of the first transcontinental railroad from Omaha westward. Its completion helped unify national markets and accelerate western settlement

Central Pacific Railroad

constructed the western half of the transcontinental railroad using extensive Chinese immigrant labor. Its work connected California to the national economy and symbolized industrial expansion

Pacific Railway Act of 1861

granted land and loans to railroad companies to build a transcontinental line. It spurred massive railroad growth and encouraged settlement of the West

Homestead Act

offered 160 acres of free land to settlers who improved it for five years. It encouraged mass migration to the Great Plains and reshaped western agriculture

Dawes Severalty Act

divided tribal lands into individual plots to force Native Americans into private landownership. It resulted in huge losses of Native land and weakened tribal sovereignty

Assimilation

the policy of pressuring Native Americans and immigrants to adopt mainstream American culture. It justified government programs that suppressed Indigenous traditions and reshaped cultural identities

Battle of Wounded Knee

a massacre in which U.S. troops killed hundreds of Lakota Sioux. It marked the end of the Indian Wars and symbolized the destruction of Native resistance

Cornelius Vanderbilt

a railroad and shipping magnate who consolidated major rail lines. His empire represented the rise of powerful Gilded Age industrialists

Jay Gould

a railroad speculator known for stock manipulation and ruthless business tactics. He became a symbol of Gilded Age corruption and unregulated capitalism

Alexander Graham Bell

invented the telephone in 1876. His invention revolutionized communication and expanded national business networks

Thomas Edison

an inventor who created the light bulb, phonograph, and electrical power systems. His innovations transformed daily life and fueled industrial growth

Nikola Tesla

an inventor who championed alternating current (AC) electrical systems. His work enabled long‑distance power transmission and shaped modern electricity

John D. Rockefeller

founded Standard Oil and dominated the oil industry through aggressive business strategies. His monopoly inspired antitrust laws like the Sherman Act

Andrew Carnegie

built a steel empire using efficient production and vertical integration. His rise highlighted industrial opportunity and sparked debates about wealth and philanthropy

J. Pierpont Morgan

a powerful banker who consolidated industries and stabilized financial markets. His influence demonstrated the growing power of finance and pushed the government toward regulation

Vertical Integration

when a company controls all stages of production from raw materials to distribution. It increased efficiency and allowed industrial giants like Carnegie to dominate markets

Horizontal Integration

when a company buys out or merges with competitors to control an industry. It enabled monopolies like Standard Oil and led to antitrust reforms

Bessemer Process

a method for cheaply mass‑producing steel. It fueled the growth of railroads, skyscrapers, and heavy industry

Sears, Roebuck and Company

a mail‑order business that sold goods nationwide through catalogs. It expanded consumer culture and connected rural Americans to national markets

“laissez-faire”

the belief that government should interfere as little as possible in the economy. It justified minimal regulation during the Gilded Age and allowed big business to grow unchecked

Protestant Work Ethic

emphasized hard work, discipline, and moral responsibility as paths to success. It reinforced support for capitalism and shaped cultural attitudes toward wealth and poverty

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

a nationwide labor uprising triggered by wage cuts during an economic depression. It marked the first major national strike and showed the growing tensions between labor and big business

National Labor Union

the first large-scale national labor federation in the U.S., formed in 1866. It pushed for an eight-hour workday and inspired later labor movements despite its short lifespan

Knights of Labor

was a broad labor organization that welcomed skilled and unskilled workers, women, and African Americans. It grew rapidly but declined after the Haymarket Affair damaged its reputation

The Haymarket Affair

a labor protest in Chicago that turned violent after a bomb exploded, killing police officers. It fueled anti-labor sentiment and weakened the Knights of Labor

Samuel Gompers

the founder and longtime leader of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). He promoted skilled labor, collective bargaining, and practical economic goals, shaping the direction of American unionism

American Federation of Labor

a national labor union focused on skilled workers and bread-and-butter issues like wages and hours. It became the most influential labor organization of the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Homestead Steel Strike of 1892

a violent labor conflict at Carnegie Steel after wage cuts and a lockout. It ended in defeat for workers and weakened union power in the steel industry

Pullman Strike of 1894

a nationwide railroad strike sparked by wage cuts and high rents in a company town. Federal intervention broke the strike and set a precedent for government siding with business

Eugene V. Debs

a labor leader who founded the American Railway Union and later became a prominent socialist. His role in the Pullman Strike and later political activism made him a major figure in labor history

George A. Custer

a U.S. Army officer best known for his defeat and death at the Battle of Little Bighorn. His loss intensified U.S. military campaigns against Native Americans

Great Sioux War

a series of conflicts between the U.S. Army and the Lakota Sioux over Black Hills land. It ended with Native defeat and further loss of tribal territory

Range Wars

violent conflicts in the West between cattle ranchers, farmers, and sheepherders over land and grazing rights. They reflected tensions caused by western expansion and unclear land ownership.
Ellis Island

Chinese Exclusion Act

banned Chinese labor immigration to the United States. It was the first major federal law restricting immigration based on race and set a precedent for future exclusionary policies

“Nativist”

someone who favors native-born Americans over immigrants and supports restricting immigration. Nativism shaped anti-immigrant laws and fueled hostility toward groups like the Irish, Chinese, and southern/eastern Europeans

Social Darwinism

applied the idea of “survival of the fittest” to human society and economics. It justified wealth inequality, imperialism, and laissez-faire capitalism during the Gilded Age

Pragmatism

a philosophical movement arguing that ideas should be judged by their practical effects. It influenced Progressive reformers who sought solutions based on experimentation and results

William James

a philosopher and psychologist who helped develop pragmatism. His work shaped modern psychology and Progressive-era thinking about truth and reform

Reform Darwinism

argued that humans could use intelligence and cooperation to improve society rather than rely on competition. It supported Progressive reforms aimed at addressing inequality and social problems

Political Machine

an organized group that controlled city politics through patronage, favors, and voter mobilization. Machines dominated urban government and often engaged in corruption while providing services to immigrants

Tammany Hall

the most famous political machine, controlling New York City politics for decades. It symbolized both the corruption and the immigrant support networks of urban political machines

William “Boss” Tweed

the corrupt leader of New York’s Tammany Hall political machine. His scandals exposed the depth of urban corruption and fueled calls for political reform

Stalwarts

a Republican faction that supported political patronage and opposed civil service reform. Their influence highlighted deep divisions within the Republican Party during the Gilded Age

Mugwumps

reform-minded Republicans who broke with their party to support Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1884. Their defection showed growing public frustration with corruption and patronage politics

Grover Cleveland

a Democratic president known for his support of limited government and civil service reform. His elections reflected voter backlash against corruption and the shifting politics of the Gilded Age

Election of 1888

a contest between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison centered on tariff policy. Harrison’s victory showed how tariffs dominated national politics and shaped party alignments

Granger Movement

an organization of farmers that sought to regulate railroad rates and grain storage fees. It laid the groundwork for later Populist and Progressive reforms

Farmers’ Alliances

regional organizations that pushed for cooperative buying, lower railroad rates, and political action. They helped create the Populist Party and mobilized rural political power

Populist Party

a political movement of farmers and laborers demanding economic reforms like free silver and government control of railroads. It challenged corporate power and influenced later Progressive policies

Omaha Platform

the Populist Party’s 1892 platform calling for free silver, income tax, and railroad regulation. It became a blueprint for many reforms later adopted in the Progressive Era

Gold Standard

a monetary system in which currency was backed solely by gold. It became a major political issue that divided farmers and workers from business interests

Mary Elizabeth Lease

a fiery Populist speaker who urged farmers to “raise less corn and more hell.” She symbolized the rising political activism of rural Americans

Depression of 1893

a severe economic downturn caused by railroad failures and unstable financing. It intensified labor conflict, strengthened Populism, and reshaped national politics

William McKinley

was a Republican president whose pro-business policies and victory in 1896 marked the decline of Populism. His administration signaled a new era of industrial and imperial expansion

William Jennings Bryan

was a Democratic and Populist leader famous for his “Cross of Gold” speech supporting free silver. His campaigns represented rural and working-class resistance to corporate power

George Washington Carver

was an agricultural scientist who promoted crop diversification and soil restoration. His work improved Southern agriculture and expanded opportunities for Black farmers

“Jim Crow” Laws

state and local statutes enforcing racial segregation in the South. They institutionalized discrimination and shaped racial inequality for decades

Plessy v. Ferguson

was a Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation. It legitimized Jim Crow laws and entrenched racial inequality until the mid‑20th century

“Separate but Equal”

was the doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson allowing segregated facilities if they were supposedly equal. It justified widespread racial segregation and discrimination

Ida B. Wells

a journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching campaign. Her work exposed racial violence and challenged national indifference to Black civil rights

Booker T. Washington

was an African American leader who promoted vocational education and economic self-help. His Atlanta Compromise approach shaped early civil rights debates

WEB Du Bois

a civil rights leader who demanded immediate equality and helped found the NAACP. His ideas challenged Washington’s gradualism and influenced the modern civil rights movement

Dr. Walter Reed

an Army physician who proved that mosquitoes transmitted yellow fever. His discovery revolutionized public health and enabled U.S. projects like the Panama Canal

De Lome Letter

a leaked note in which a Spanish diplomat criticized President McKinley. Its publication inflamed U.S. public opinion and helped push the nation toward the Spanish-American War

Alfred Thayer Mahan

a naval strategist who argued that sea power was key to national greatness. His ideas encouraged U.S. imperial expansion and naval buildup

Social Gospel

a religious movement urging Christians to address social problems like poverty and inequality. It inspired Progressive reforms and settlement house activism

Settlement House

community centers providing services to immigrants and the poor in urban areas. They became hubs of social reform and Progressive activism

Jane Addams

a reformer who founded Hull House, the most famous settlement house. Her work advanced social welfare, women’s activism, and Progressive reform

Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie’s idea that the rich had a duty to use their wealth for social good. It justified philanthropy and shaped debates about inequality

Spectator Sports

sports like baseball and boxing became popular mass entertainment in the late 19th century. They reflected urbanization, leisure culture, and growing national identity

Barnum and Bailey

a famous traveling circus known as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” It symbolized mass entertainment and the rise of national popular culture

Sherman Antitrust Act

the first federal law aimed at limiting monopolies. It became a key tool for regulating big business despite early weak enforcement

Greenback Party

a political movement advocating paper money not backed by gold to help farmers and workers. It influenced later Populist monetary demands and challenged conservative economic policy