CHAPTER 16 OUTLINE: america’s gilded age, 1870–1890

Second Industrial Revolution

Period of rapid industrial growth in the United States characterized by major technological advances.

Industrial Economy

An economy in which the majority of the workforce is engaged in non-farming jobs, particularly in manufacturing.

Railroads

Key infrastructure that facilitated the second industrial revolution by expanding markets for goods.

Thomas Edison

An inventor known for his innovations with electricity, which transformed American lives.

Vertical Integration

Business strategy used by Andrew Carnegie to control every aspect of steel production.

Horizontal Expansion

Business strategy used by John D. Rockefeller to dominate the oil industry by acquiring competitors.

Social Darwinism

Theory suggesting that the principles of natural selection apply to social, economic, and political issues.

Liberty of Contract

Concept asserting that labor contracts reconcile freedom and authority in the workplace.

Knights of Labor

A labor organization that accepted all workers and sought to improve social conditions for workers.

Dawes Act

An 1887 law that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual plots.

Ghost Dance

A religious movement among Native Americans that sought to restore their way of life through a revitalization of cultural practices.

Wounded Knee

Site of a massacre in 1890 where U.S. soldiers killed many Native Americans during the Ghost Dance movement.

Gilded Age

A period of U.S. history characterized by economic growth, political corruption, and social unrest.

Conspicuous Consumption

Critique of the wealthy class's spending habits, as highlighted by Thorstein Veblen.

Haymarket Affair

A labor protest in 1886 that turned violent, leading to a backlash against the labor movement.

Federal Reserve System

Government agency established to provide stability to the banking system.

Cooperative Commonwealth

A concept popularized by Lawrence Gronlund promoting socialist ideas in America.

Middle-Class Reformers

Social thinkers advocating for political changes due to fears of class conflict and concentrated capital.

Progress and Poverty

A book by Henry George proposing a single tax to address economic disparities.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

A popular entertainment that shaped the myth of the Wild West, emphasizing adventure and lawlessness.

Political Machines

Corrupt organizations that influenced city politics and elections, exemplified by Boss Tweed in New York.