Untitled Flashcards Set

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A federation of craft unions founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers, focused on skilled workers, higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions.

Battle of the Little Bighorn

An 1876 battle where the combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes defeated U.S. Army troops led by General George Custer.

Billion Dollar Congress

Nickname for the 51st United States Congress (1889-1891) known for extensive spending on pensions, rivers, and harbors.

Buffalo Soldier

African American soldiers serving in segregated units in the U.S. Army after the Civil War.

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law prohibiting Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for ten years, later extended indefinitely.

Collective Bargaining

The process by which workers negotiate terms of employment through representatives.

Comstock Lode

Discovered in 1859, one of the richest silver mines, leading to economic booms in Nevada.

Convict Lease System

Southern states leased convicts to private companies for labor, reminiscent of slavery.

Corporate Capitalism

Economic system where large corporations dominate the economy.

Corporation

A legal entity separate from its owners, allowing for limited liability.

Coxey’s Army

An 1894 march to Washington led by Jacob Coxey to protest unemployment.

Dawes Act

1887 legislation aimed at assimilating Native Americans by breaking up tribal lands.

Deflation

An economic condition characterized by a general decline in prices.

Eugenics

A movement advocating for selective breeding to improve the human population.

Farmers’ Alliance

Organizations formed by farmers to combat economic difficulties.

Frontier Thesis

Theory positing that the American frontier shaped national character and democratic institutions.

Ghetto

Urban areas where immigrants settled, often living in poor conditions.

Ghost Dance

A late 19th-century religious movement among Native Americans aimed at restoring traditional ways of life.

Gilded Age

Term for the period from the 1870s to about 1900, marked by economic growth and inequality.

The Gospel of Wealth

An essay by Andrew Carnegie advocating that the wealthy should use their fortunes for society.

Grange

The Patrons of Husbandry, founded in 1867 to advance the interests of farmers.

Great Plains

Expansive region west of the Mississippi River that became settled due to various advances.

Gross Domestic Product

The total economic output of a country, growing significantly during this era.

Haymarket Riot

An 1886 labor protest in Chicago that turned deadly, impacting the labor movement's progress.

Holding Company

A firm that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management.

Homestead Act

Legislation of 1862 providing settlers with 160 acres of public land.

Homestead Strike

A violent labor strike at Andrew Carnegie's steel plant in 1892.

Horizontal Integration

Business strategy where a company acquires or merges with similar companies.

Interlocking Directorate

A practice where board members serve on the boards of other companies.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

Established in 1887 to regulate railroad rates and practices.

Jim Crow Law

Laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Knights of Labor

A significant labor organization in the 1880s aiming to unite all workers.

Labor Union

Organizations formed by workers to negotiate better conditions, wages, and hours.

Laissez-faire

Economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in the economy.

Land Rush

Events where settlers claimed public land made available by the government.

Long Drive

Herding cattle over long distances from ranches to market.

Melting Pot

Concept suggesting immigrants assimilate into American society.

Mormon

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who migrated to Utah.

Nativism

An anti-immigrant sentiment leading to political movements and legislation.

New South

A post-Civil War concept promoting industrial development in the South.

Panic of 1893

A severe economic depression caused by various financial factors.

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act

1883 law establishing a merit-based system for federal employment.

Pinkerton Agency

A private security firm often used to combat labor unions.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court decision upholding racial segregation under 'separate but equal'.

Political Boss

Leaders of political machines controlling votes and patronage.

Political Machine

Organizations controlling local politics through patronage.

Poll Tax

A tax levied as a requirement for voting, disenfranchising many.

Populists

The People's Party advocating for farmers and laborers through government reforms.

Pullman Strike

Nationwide railroad strike in 1894 in response to wage cuts.

Robber Baron

Term for industrialists criticized for unethical business practices.

Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company

1886 case granting corporations personhood rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Scientific Management

Taylorism aimed at improving industrial efficiency.

Segregation

Legalized racial separation reinforced by laws and customs.

Settlement House

Community centers aimed at helping immigrants and the poor.

Sherman Antitrust Act

1890 law intended to curb monopolies and trusts.

Sherman Silver Purchase Act

1890 law requiring increased federal purchases of silver.

Social Darwinism

Justifying wealth disparities as natural outcomes based on Darwinian concepts.

Social Gospel

A movement applying Christian ethics to social issues.

Socialist Party of America

Formed in 1901, promoting socialist reforms.

Subtreasury System

A Farmers' Alliance plan allowing farmers to store crops and borrow money.

Sweatshop

Factories with poor conditions and low pay for workers.

Tammany Hall

Democratic Party political machine in New York City known for corruption.

Tenement

Overcrowded urban apartments where many immigrants lived.

Transcontinental Railroad

The first completed railroad linking eastern and western U.S., aiding expansion.

Treaty of Fort Laramie

An 1868 agreement establishing a large reservation for the Lakota, later violated.

Treaty of Medicine Lodge

1867 treaties to move Plains Indians onto reservations.

Trust

A way for businesses to combine operations without merging, often criticized.

United States v. E. C. Knight Company

1895 Supreme Court case limiting the Sherman Antitrust Act's scope.

Vertical Integration

Business strategy where a company controls all production stages.

Williams v. Mississippi

1898 Supreme Court case upholding Mississippi's literacy test and poll tax.

Wounded Knee Massacre

1890 event where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Lakota, ending armed resistance.

Ellis Island

Primary immigration station processing millions of European immigrants from 1892 to 1954.

Angel Island

Main immigration station in San Francisco for those arriving from Asia, 1910 to 1940.

Alexander Graham Bell

Inventor of the telephone, significantly impacting communication.

Henry Bessemer

Developer of the Bessemer process for steel production.

William Jennings Bryan

A Democrat known for his advocacy for free silver.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel magnate known for his rags-to-riches story and philanthropy.

Grover Cleveland

Only president to serve non-consecutive terms with conservative policies.

Jacob Coxey

Led Coxey's Army to demand action on unemployment.

George Armstrong Custer

Officer killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Eugene V. Debs

Labor leader and presidential candidate for the Socialist Party.

W. E. B. Du Bois

Scholar advocating civil rights, co-founder of the NAACP.

Thomas Alva Edison

Inventor of the electric light bulb and phonograph.

Geronimo

Apache leader symbolizing Native resistance against expansion.

Samuel Gompers

Founder of the AFL advocating for workers' rights.

Jay Gould

Railroad tycoon known for aggressive business practices.

Henry Grady

Journalist promoting the 'New South' concept.

Chief Joseph

Nez Perce leader known for his eloquent surrender speech.

William McKinley

President favoring high tariffs, assassinated in 1901.

J. P. Morgan

Banker consolidating industries, shaping American corporate structure.

Terence V. Powderly

Leader of the Knights of Labor advocating for broad worker unity.

George Pullman

Inventor of the Pullman sleeping car, central to the Pullman Strike.

Jacob Riis

Social reformer exposing slum conditions in New York.

John D. Rockefeller

Founder of Standard Oil, a prime example of vertical integration.

William Tecumseh Sherman

Civil War general involved in pivotal campaigns.

Sitting Bull

Lakota leader who played a crucial role in Custer's defeat.

Frederick W. Taylor

Developer of scientific management for industrial efficiency.

Frederick Jackson Turner

Historian influencing American views of history and identity.

Boss Tweed

Political boss notorious for corruption at Tammany Hall.