U.S. History Study Guide: Industrialization and Global Expansion — Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, people, events, and concepts from the notes on Industrialization and Global Expansion.

Industrialization

The large-scale shift from an agricultural economy to one based on manufacturing, accelerated in the late 1800s.

Mail Order

A system of buying goods through catalogs, made possible by railroads and the postal service, creating a national market.

Chain Stores

Retail outlets with multiple locations selling mass-produced goods at low prices.

Department Stores

Large urban stores offering a vast range of goods and designed to provide a luxurious shopping experience for middle to upper-class customers.

Consumer Culture

A national culture defined by shared consumer goods and brands, spurred by mail order, chain stores, and advertising.

The Gilded Age

A late 19th-century term by Mark Twain highlighting wealth and progress on the surface, masking poverty, corruption, and inequality.

Conspicuous Consumption

Lavish spending by the wealthy to display economic power, such as grand mansions and extravagant parties.

Sears, Roebuck & Co.

A major mail-order company famous for its expansive catalog.

Montgomery Ward

A pioneering mail-order firm and a key competitor to Sears.

Urbanization

The rapid growth of cities as people moved to seek industrial jobs; by the late 1800s, manufacturing was concentrated in urban areas.

New Immigrants

Late 19th-century immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe who largely settled in industrial cities.

Family Chain Migration

Immigrants settling where relatives have already settled, creating ethnic neighborhoods and support networks.

Tenements

Overcrowded, poorly constructed apartment buildings that housed workers and immigrants in unhealthy and unsafe conditions.

City Beautiful Movement

An urban planning movement in the 1890s–early 1900s focused on beautifying cities with grand public buildings, parks, and parkways.

Brooklyn Bridge

Completed in 1883, symbolizing new urban architecture and engineering.

Big Business

Large corporations with massive bureaucracies, professional management, a national banking system, and global marketing.

Vertical Integration

A production strategy where a company controls all parts of its production process from raw materials to final distribution (used by Carnegie in steel).

Horizontal Integration

Gaining control of a single market or product by buying out competitors (exemplified by Rockefeller's Standard Oil).

Monopoly

A situation where a single company or group controls an entire industry, allowing price-setting and reduced competition.

Taylorism

A scientific management system that studied production processes to increase efficiency and speed.

Mass Production

A production method enabling faster, more precise output with a less-skilled labor force.

Sherman Antitrust Act

A federal law (1890) aimed at restoring competition by outlawing restraints of trade; difficult to enforce due to vague wording.

The New South

An ideology after the Civil War promoting Southern industrialization and diversification of its economy.

Sharecropping

A system where landowners allow tenants to use land in return for a share of crops; often trapping farmers in debt.

Tenant Farming

Farmers renting land from landowners; often more economically independent than sharecroppers.

Yeomen Farmers

Independent, small-scale farmers who owned their own land.

Henry Grady

Editor of the Atlanta Constitution and promoter of the New South vision.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation by custom or tradition, not by law.

De Jure Segregation

Segregation enforced by law.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans.

Separate but Equal

The legal doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson allowing racially segregated facilities deemed equal.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

A federal law outlawing discrimination in public accommodations (later weakened by court rulings).

Civil Rights Cases (1883)

Supreme Court decision that struck down the Civil Rights Act of 1875, ruling that the 14th Amendment did not prohibit discrimination by private individuals or businesses.

Plessy v. Ferguson

The 1896 Supreme Court case upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Farmers' Alliance

A major agrarian movement in the late 1800s seeking to improve farmers' economic conditions through collective action and political advocacy.

People's Party (Populists)

A political party formed in the 1890s from the Farmers' Alliance, advocating for farmers and laborers against railroads, banks, and corporations.

Sub-Treasury Plan

A proposal for the federal government to store crops in warehouses and provide low-interest loans using the crops as collateral.

Free Coinage of Silver

A major Populist demand to increase the money supply by coining silver in addition to gold, aiming to inflate crop prices.

Populist Platform of 1892

A document outlining the Populist goals: direct election of senators, a graduated income tax, government control of currency, and low-cost financing for farmers.

James Weaver

Populist presidential candidate in the 1892 election.

Expansionism

The desire to expand markets for American goods abroad, driving late 19th-century expansion.

Imperialism

The practice of extending a country’s political, economic, or cultural power over other peoples or nations.

Open Door Note (1899)

A diplomatic letter urging that trade in China remain open to all nations during imperial competition.

Boxer Rebellion (1900)

An anti-imperialist uprising in China against foreigners and foreign influence.

Yellow Journalism

A sensationalist style of journalism designed to boost newspaper sales and influence public opinion.

Spanish-American War (1898)

A four-month war that led to U.S. acquisition of former Spanish territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.

USS Maine

A U.S. battleship whose explosion in Havana Harbor helped spark the Spanish-American War.

Sanford Dole

American leader who became president of Hawaii after a coup orchestrated by U.S. business interests.

World's Columbian Exposition (1893)

A major international fair in Chicago celebrating progress and promoting expansionist ideals.

Frederick Jackson Turner

Historian who gave a famous frontier thesis at the 1893 World’s Fair about the importance of the frontier.

Ida B. Wells

An anti-lynching activist who boycotted the World’s Fair to protest racial segregation.

Transatlantic Cable (1866)

The opening of the transatlantic cable, enabling instantaneous telegraph messages between the U.S. and Europe.

U.S.-Filipino War (1902)

The conflict that formally ended in 1902, part of the broader U.S. imperial project following the Spanish-American War.

Describe how the U.S.’s position in the world changed as a result of the Spanish American war. To fully answer this question, you have to describe the US's position (and foreign policy) before and after the war

Before the Spanish-American War, the U.S. primarily adhered to a policy of isolationism and limited involvement in foreign conflicts. After the war, the U.S. emerged as a global power with increased military presence and influence, marking a shift toward active engagement in international affairs and imperialism.

Why did the US get involved in the Spanish-American war? What did the US gain or lose from its involvement?

The U.S. became involved in the Spanish-American War due to a combination of factors, including the explosion of the USS Maine, rising anti-Spanish sentiment, and desires for territorial expansion. From this involvement, the U.S. gained territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, marking a significant shift toward imperialism.

Describe the nature of racial segregation and inequality and how and why it changed in the late 1800s

Racial segregation in the late 1800s was characterized by systemic discrimination, particularly in the Southern United States, reinforced by Jim Crow laws. This era saw the establishment of separate facilities and services for African Americans, institutionalizing a racial hierarchy, but began to change with the rise of civil rights movements and legal challenges to segregation.

Describe who migrated west in the late 1800s and why they migrated

In the late 1800s, various groups migrated west, including farmers seeking new land, miners during the gold rush, and immigrants looking for economic opportunities. This migration was motivated by the promise of land, wealth, and the chance to build a better life.

Explain how government policies affected native Americans in the late 1800s

Government policies in the late 1800s significantly impacted Native Americans, often resulting in the loss of their ancestral lands, forced assimilation, and relocation to reservations. Legislation such as the Dawes Act sought to promote individual land ownership among Native Americans but ultimately undermined tribal sovereignty and culture.

Describe the desires of the Farmers' Alliance and the subsequent People's Party

The Farmers' Alliance aimed to address the economic struggles of farmers, advocating for cooperative buying and selling, inflation of currency, and regulation of railroads. This movement eventually led to the formation of the People's Party, which sought political representation and reforms to benefit agrarian interests and challenge the established two-party system.

Describe the "crop-lien" system (otherwise known as sharecropping and tenant farming)

The "crop-lien" system was a farming arrangement where farmers, often former slaves, would grow crops on land owned by others. They would borrow supplies and food on credit, using their future crop yields as collateral, which often led to cycles of debt and poverty.

Define the "New South" and explain what was new (and old) about it

The "New South" refers to the economic and social shift in the Southern United States after the Civil War, transitioning from a reliance on agriculture to a more industrialized economy. While new industries and urbanization emerged, traditional aspects such as racial segregation and economic disparities persisted.

Explain how the late 19th century was, at least to some people, a "gilded age"

The "Gilded Age" is characterized by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and the rise of wealthy elites, while masking severe social problems such as inequality, corruption, and poor working conditions for the laboring class.

Explain how and why the money supply became an issue in the late 19th century

During the late 19th century, the U.S. money supply became a contentious issue due to debates over gold standard versus silver currency, which impacted inflation and the economy. Advocates for increasing the money supply argued it would help farmers and the working class by making debts easier to repay.

List political responses to economic and social challenges of the late 19th century

Various political responses included the emergence of labor unions advocating for workers' rights, the Populist movement which aimed to represent farmers and the working poor, and Progressive reforms targeting corruption and social injustices.

Explain how the nature of politics in the Gilded Age contributed to political corruption and stalemate

The nature of politics in the Gilded Age was marked by intense partisanship, the influence of special interests, and a lack of effective oversight, which led to widespread corruption, bribery, and a failure to pass significant reforms.

List ways that the “new immigration” changed America at the end of the 19th century

New immigration brought diverse cultures, languages, and religions to America, transforming urban demographics and labor markets. It contributed to the growth of cities and prompted nativist reactions that sought to limit immigration.