Gilded Age

Philadelphia Centennial Exposition

A world’s fair in 1876 celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, showcasing American industrial advancements.

Panic of 1873

A financial crisis caused by the collapse of major banks and railroads leading to a prolonged economic depression.

Compromise of 1877

An informal agreement that ended the contested 1876 presidential election, allowing Rutherford B. Hayes to become president.

Horatio Alger

A 19th-century author known for 'rags-to-riches' stories that emphasized success through hard work and moral virtue.

Jim Crow Laws

A set of state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Plessy v. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the 'separate but equal' doctrine, legitimizing segregation.

Mass Production

The manufacturing of goods on a large scale using machinery, which significantly increased efficiency and lowered costs.

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals or corporations own and operate businesses for profit with minimal government interference.

Big Business Trusts

Large business combinations or monopolies formed to control markets and eliminate competition.

Vertical Integration

Controlling every step of production from raw materials to distribution to increase efficiency.

Horizontal Integration

Merging or acquiring companies in the same industry to reduce competition.

Robber Barons

Wealthy industrialists criticized for exploiting workers and corrupting the economy for personal gain.

Captains of Industry

Business leaders praised for their contributions to the economy and philanthropy.

J. Pierpont Morgan

A powerful banker who organized major corporations like U.S. Steel and stabilized the economy during crises.

Andrew Carnegie

A steel magnate known for using vertical integration to dominate the steel industry and advocating for wealth philanthropy.

US Steel Corporation

Founded by J.P. Morgan in 1901, it was the world’s first billion-dollar corporation in the steel industry.

John D. Rockefeller

Founder of the Standard Oil Company who used horizontal integration to create a monopoly in the oil industry.

Standard Oil Company

An oil refining company by John D. Rockefeller that became a monopoly and was eventually broken up by antitrust laws.

Rebates

Discounts given to large companies by railroads, disadvantaging small shippers.

Long-Haul Passes

Pricing systems where long-distance freight rates were cheaper than short-distance ones.

Gospel of Wealth

An essay by Andrew Carnegie advocating the wealthy using their riches for social betterment.

Social Darwinism

The application of natural selection theory to society, used to justify economic inequality and imperialism.

Interstate Commerce Act

An 1887 law aimed at regulating the railroad industry and preventing unfair practices.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

An 1890 law prohibiting business practices restraining trade or creating monopolies.

Boss Tweed

The corrupt leader of Tammany Hall, New York City’s Democratic political machine in the late 19th century.

Tammany Hall

A political organization that gained power through patronage and corruption.

Thomas Nast

A political cartoonist known for exposing Boss Tweed's corruption.

George Washington Plunkitt

A Tammany Hall politician who defended the concept of 'honest graft.'

1877 Railway Strike

A national strike protesting wage cuts by railroad workers, leading to violent clashes.

Trade Unions

Organizations formed by workers to collectively bargain for better wages and conditions.

Haymarket Massacre

A violent clash in Chicago during a labor rally in 1886, resulting in deaths and arrests of labor activists.

Knights of Labor

An early labor union advocating for an eight-hour workday and the organization of all workers.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A labor union founded by Samuel Gompers focused on organizing skilled workers.

Samuel Gompers

The founder and leader of the AFL known for his focus on collective bargaining.

Pullman Strike

A nationwide strike in 1894 due to wage cuts at the Pullman Company, leading to federal intervention.

Eugene V. Debs

A labor leader who organized the American Railway Union and led the Pullman Strike.

Socialism

A political and economic system advocating for collective ownership of production to promote equality.

Melting Pot

A metaphor describing immigrants assimilating into a singular American culture.

Salad Bowl

A metaphor describing immigrants maintaining distinct cultural identities within a shared society.

New Immigration

A wave of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Nativism

An anti-immigrant sentiment favoring the interests of native-born Americans.

Literacy Tests

Tests designed to restrict immigration by requiring reading and writing skills, often discriminatory.

Chinese Exclusion Act

A 1882 federal law prohibiting the immigration of Chinese laborers.

Jacob Riis, 'How the Other Half Lives'

A book documenting the harsh living conditions of the urban poor through photographs and journalism.

Jane Addams and Hull House

Jane Addams was a social reformer who founded Hull House to provide services to immigrants and the poor.