The Gilded Age

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts from the Gilded Age, including significant people, laws, and economic practices relevant to the period.

Social Darwinism

The belief that survival of the fittest applies to society and business, justifying wealth and inequality.

Concentration of wealth

The idea that a small elite controls most of the nation’s wealth during the Gilded Age.

Laissez-Faire

Policy of minimal government interference in business and the economy.

Horizontal Integration

Business strategy where a company buys out competitors in the same industry.

Vertical Integration

Business strategy where a company controls all steps of production, from raw materials to finished goods.

U.S. Steel

Major steel corporation founded by J.P. Morgan, symbolizing industrial power.

Standard Oil

Oil company founded by John D. Rockefeller, known for monopolistic practices.

Monopoly

When one company controls an entire industry, limiting competition.

Skyscraper

Tall building made possible by steel and elevators, symbolizing urban growth.

Tenements

Crowded, poorly built apartment buildings where many immigrants lived.

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law banning Chinese immigration to the U.S.

Sherman Antitrust Act

1890 law aimed at breaking up monopolies and restoring competition.

Political machines

Organizations that controlled city politics through patronage and corruption.

Tammany Hall

Famous political machine in New York City led by Boss Tweed.

Collective Bargaining

Negotiation between workers and employers for better conditions.

Pullman Strike

1894 strike against wage cuts in Pullman Company towns.

Eugene Debs

Labor leader who organized strikes and founded the Socialist Party.

William Jennings Bryan

Populist leader and Democratic candidate who supported farmers.