Chapter 7 Gilded Age Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards created from lecture notes covering Gilded Age immigration, urbanization, politics, and key individuals.

Immigrants

People who came over to the U.S. for jobs due to the industry boom.

Immigration act of 1882

Act specifying no idiots, no lunatics, no convicts, and no troublemakers allowed into the U.S.

Ellis Island

Location in New York Harbor where immigrants entered the U.S.

Europeans

Group that made up 65% of immigrants entering the U.S.

Angel Island

Location in San Francisco Bay (California) where immigrants entered the U.S.

Asians

Group that made up the largest percentage entering the U.S. via the west coast during the gold rush.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Act lasting 10 years that stopped Chinese labor immigrants due to the Chinese taking up too many jobs.

Urbanization

Growth of cities.

Urbanization Problems

Issues arising in growing cities, specifically housing, water, transportation, crime, fire, and sanitation.

Tenements

Cheap housing apartments that were very unsanitary.

Nativists

People who didn't want any more immigrants and felt like the ones here needed to assimilate.

Political machine

Organization that controlled politics in a city.

Graft

Illegal use of political influence for personal gain, such as stealing tax, kickbacks, bribery, over-billing, and immoral employment process.

Boss Tweed

Notoriously corrupt politician who built a courthouse for 2 million, charged 13 million, and engaged in kickbacks, employment contracts, embezzlement, and promises for votes.

Pendleton Civil Service reform

Reform that replaced a corrupt political system with a merit based system.

Jane Adams

Figure who led movements for social reforms and women's sufferage.

Rutherford B Hayes

19th president who tried to reform politics and was hated by business men.

James Garfeild

Politician who started corrupt, tried to be good, followed up Hayes reform, and was assassinated for it.

Robber Barron

Wealthy business man who got rich by being unethical (a criminal).

Immigrants

Came over to the U.S. for jobs due to industry boom.

Immigration act of 1882

Law specifying no idiots, no lunatics, no convicts, no troublemakers.

Ellis Island

Location in New York Harbor where immigrants entered the U.S.

Europeans

Made up of 65% of immigrants entered in the U.S.

Angel Island

Location in San Francisco Bay (California) where immigrants entered the U.S.

Asians

Largest % entering the U.S. via the west coast during the gold rush.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Stopped chinese labor immigrants and lasted 10 years, due to the Chinese taking up too many jobs.

Urbanization

Growth of cites.

Urbanization Problems

Issues including housing, water, transportation, crime, fire, and sanitation.

Tenements

Cheap housing apartments, very unsanitary.

Nativists

Didn't want anymore immigrants, felt like the ones here needed to assimilate.

Political machine

Controlled politics in a city.

Graft

Illegal use of political influence for personal gain, such as stealing tax, kickbacks, bribery, over-billing, and immoral employment process.

Boss Tweed

Notoriously corrupt politician who built a court house for 2 million, charged 13 million, kickbacks, employment contracts, embezzlement, and promises for votes.

Pendleton Civil Service reform

Replaced corrupt political system with a merit based system.

Jane Adams

Lead movements for social reforms and women's sufferage.

Rutherford B Hayes

19th president who tried to reform politics and was hated by business men.

James Garfeild

Followed up Hayes reform and was assassinated for it; started corrupt, tried to be good.

Robber Barron

Wealthy business man who got rich by being unethical (a criminal).