Madison Brown - Review Sheets for Closing of Frontier, Industrialization. Labor Unions, Immigration - 2025

Homestead Act

A 1862 law that granted 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, provided they improved the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops. The act was intended to encourage westward expansion and boost settlement in the American frontier, and it applied primarily to land west of the Mississippi River. Additionally, the law stipulated that settlers had to live on the land for at least five years before they could claim ownership.

Homestead Act

A 1862 law that granted 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, provided they improved the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops.

Destruction of Native Americans

Refers to the impact of European settlement on Native American populations, including violence, disease, and loss of land.

Transcontinental Railroad

A railroad that connected the eastern U.S. to the western U.S., completed in 1869, greatly facilitating westward expansion.

Telegraph

A communication system that used electrical signals to transmit messages over long distances, revolutionizing communication in the late 19th century.

Reservation System

A policy that designated specific areas of land for Native American tribes, often leading to loss of their traditional lands.

Helen Hunt Jackson, A Century of Dishonor

An influential book published in 1881 that documented the injustices faced by Native Americans and criticized U.S. policies.

Dawes Act

A law enacted in 1887 aimed at assimilating Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land and granting them U.S. citizenship.

Robber Barons

A term used to describe unscrupulous business leaders who used exploitative practices to amass wealth during the Gilded Age.

Social Darwinism

A social theory that applied the concept of 'survival of the fittest' to human society, justifying imperialism and inequality.

Laissez-Faire

An economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in business and a free market.

Horatio Alger

An American author known for his novels about impoverished boys who achieve success through hard work and determination.

Gilded Age

A period in U.S. history (late 19th century) characterized by economic growth, industrialization, and rampant political corruption.

Vertical Integration

A business strategy where a company acquires control over multiple stages of production or supply for a product.

Horizontal Integration

A business strategy that involves merging with or acquiring other companies at the same level of production to reduce competition.

Trusts

A combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement, especially to reduce competition and control prices.

Monopolies

Market structures where a single seller controls the entire market for a product or service, eliminating competition.

Knights of Labor

A significant labor organization in the U.S. during the late 19th century that sought better working conditions and rights for workers.

Haymarket Square Riot

An 1886 labor protest in Chicago that turned violent, leading to the arrest of several labor leaders and a backlash against unions.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A national federation of labor unions in the U.S. founded in 1886, focused on skilled workers and collective bargaining.

Samuel Gompers

The founder and long-time president of the American Federation of Labor, advocating for the rights of organized labor.

Collective Bargaining

The process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at reaching agreements on working conditions.

Pull Factors for Immigration

Positive factors that attract immigrants to a new country, such as economic opportunities, freedom, and safety.

Nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants.

Assimilation

The process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture of another group, often losing their original identity.

Chinese Exclusion Act

A federal law passed in 1882 that prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States.

Ellis Island

The main entry point for millions of immigrants to the U.S. from 1892 to 1954, located in New York Harbor.

Urbanization

The population shift from rural to urban areas, often associated with industrialization.

Political Machines

Corrupt political organizations that influenced elections and government through patronage and bribes.

Boss Tweed

A corrupt political leader of the Tammany Hall Democratic Party in New York City in the 19th century.

Pendleton Act

A law established in 1883 that sought to eliminate the spoils system by instituting a merit-based system for federal employment.