Feb 20 APUSH SAQ DUMAS

Key info on the three topics the SAQ will be about: monopolies, westward expansion, and political corruption.

What is a monopoly?

A monopoly occurs when a single company dominates an industry, eliminating competition and controlling prices and production.

Who created Standard Oil and what was it?

John D. Rockefeller built Standard Oil, a massive oil monopoly using horizontal integration and trusts to control most U.S. oil refining.

How did Rockefeller eliminate competition?

He used price wars, secret railroad rebates, and buyouts to absorb or destroy rival companies.

Who built the steel monopoly and how?

Andrew Carnegie built a steel empire using vertical integration to control raw materials, transportation, and production.

What role did J.P. Morgan play in monopolies?

Morgan consolidated industries and created large corporations like U.S. Steel, the first billion-dollar company.

What was the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)?

The first federal law aimed at limiting monopolies and promoting competition, though it was weakly enforced at first.

How did monopolies affect workers and consumers?

They lowered prices through efficiency but also reduced wages, eliminated competition, and increased economic inequality.

What was the “Gospel of Wealth”?

Andrew Carnegie’s belief that the rich had a responsibility to use their wealth for public good through philanthropy.

What criticism existed against monopolies?

Critics argued they concentrated too much power, exploited workers, and threatened democracy.

How did monopolies contribute to economic inequality?

Industrial leaders accumulated enormous wealth while most workers remained in poverty.

What motivated westward expansion in the 1800s?

Economic opportunity, land availability, railroad expansion, mining booms, and the belief in Manifest Destiny.

How did the Homestead Act (1862) encourage settlement?

It offered 160 acres of free land to settlers who farmed it for five years.

How did railroads promote western settlement?

Railroads sold cheap land, advertised opportunities, and transported settlers and goods.

How did westward expansion affect Native Americans?

It caused loss of land, destruction of resources, forced relocation, and military conflict.

What was the significance of the Dawes Act?

It attempted to assimilate Native Americans by breaking up tribal lands into individual farms.

What was the result of the buffalo’s destruction?

It eliminated a key Native food source, forcing tribes onto reservations.

What role did mining and cattle industries play?

Gold and silver rushes and open-range cattle ranching attracted migrants and shaped western economies.

What conflicts occurred between settlers and Native Americans?

Conflicts such as the Battle of Little Bighorn and later suppression at Wounded Knee reflected resistance and defeat.

What was the purpose of reservations?

To isolate Native Americans and open more land for white settlement.

How did westward expansion contribute to national economic growth?

It increased agricultural production, resource extraction, railroad profits, and market expansion.

What was political corruption during the Gilded Age?

The misuse of government power for personal or political gain through bribery, patronage, and fraud.

What was the spoils system?

A practice of giving government jobs to political supporters rather than qualified individuals.

What was the Credit Mobilier scandal?

A railroad construction company overcharged the government and bribed members of Congress to hide the fraud.

What was the Whiskey Ring scandal?

Government officials and distillers conspired to avoid liquor taxes, stealing millions in revenue.

Who was Boss Tweed?

The corrupt leader of Tammany Hall who embezzled millions from New York City through inflated contracts.

How did political machines maintain power?

They exchanged services, jobs, and aid for votes, especially from immigrants.

What was the Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)?

A reform law requiring some federal jobs to be filled based on merit rather than political connections.

Why did corruption thrive during the Gilded Age?

Rapid economic growth, weak regulation, close ties between business and government, and low voter oversight.

How did business influence politics?

Industrialists used campaign donations and lobbying to secure favorable laws and weak regulation.

How did political corruption affect public trust?

Repeated scandals and machine control reduced confidence in government and fueled reform movements.