Gilded Age, Imperialism, and Progressive Era: Key Concepts for U.S. History

What was the Second Industrial Revolution?

A time of rapid industrial growth using steel, oil, electricity, and machines.

What is laissez-faire economics?

Government stays out of business.

What helped cause U.S. industrialization?

Natural resources, railroads, cheap labor, and new technology.

Why was the Transcontinental Railroad important?

It connected the East and West and boosted trade.

Who were robber barons?

Rich business leaders who used unfair practices.

Name the Big Three businessmen.

Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan.

What is vertical integration?

A company controls every step of production.

What is horizontal integration?

A company buys out competitors.

What is a trust?

A group of companies joined to limit competition.

Why were unions created?

To protect workers' rights.

How did the government usually react to strikes?

They sided with business owners.

What are push factors of immigration?

Poverty, war, lack of jobs.

What are pull factors of immigration?

Jobs, freedom, opportunity.

What is nativism?

Dislike of immigrants.

What are political machines?

Groups that controlled cities through favors.

What is Social Darwinism?

Belief that the strongest survive in society.

What did the Sherman Anti-Trust Act do?

Tried to limit monopolies.

Who were the Populists?

Farmers who wanted economic reform.

What happened in the Election of 1896?

Republicans won and big business gained power.

What were Jim Crow laws?

Laws enforcing racial segregation.

What did Plessy v. Ferguson decide?

"Separate but equal" was legal.

How did Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois differ?

Washington favored gradual change; Du Bois wanted immediate equality.

What is imperialism?

When a country takes control of others.

Why did the U.S. want Hawaii?

Sugar trade and naval base.

What caused the Spanish-American War?

Sinking of the USS Maine.

What did the U.S. gain from the war?

Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines.

What was the debate over the Philippines?

Whether the U.S. should keep them or not.

What was the Platt Amendment?

Gave the U.S. control over Cuba.

What was the Open Door Policy?

Free trade in China.

What was the Boxer Rebellion?

Chinese uprising against foreign control.

What is Big Stick Diplomacy?

Use force if needed (TR).

Why did the U.S. build the Panama Canal?

Faster trade and navy movement.

What is Dollar Diplomacy?

Using money to influence countries (Taft).

What is Moral Diplomacy?

Supporting democracy (Wilson).

What is Roosevelt's Corollary?

U.S. can intervene in Latin America.

What was Progressivism?

Movement to fix social and political problems.

What did the 16th Amendment do?

Income tax.

What did the 17th Amendment do?

Direct election of senators.

What did the 18th Amendment do?

Prohibition.

What did the 19th Amendment do?

Women's suffrage.

Who was Alice Paul?

Leader of women's suffrage.

What were muckrakers?

Journalists who exposed corruption.

How did TR feel about trusts?

Good trusts okay, bad trusts broken up.

What was the Bull Moose Party?

Progressive Party led by TR.

What are the four main causes of WWI?

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism.

What started WWI?

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Why did the U.S. enter WWI?

Submarine attacks and Zimmerman Telegram.

What was propaganda?

Information used to influence opinions.

What was the Great Migration?

African Americans moved north for jobs.

What did the Espionage and Sedition Acts do?

Limited free speech.

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

Peace treaty ending WWI.

Why did the U.S. reject the League of Nations?

Didn't want foreign involvement.

What were the Palmer Raids?

Arrests of suspected radicals.

What was laissez-faire in the 1920s?

Little government regulation.

Who were the presidents of the 1920s?

Harding, Coolidge, Hoover.

Who improved mass production?

Henry Ford.

What was buying on margin?

Borrowing money to buy stocks.

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

African American cultural movement.

What happened to women in the 1920s?

More freedom and jobs.