Review of U.S. History: Native Americans, Labor Movements, and Progressivism

These flashcards cover key concepts, events, and figures from the history of Native Americans, labor movements, and the Progressive Era.

What was the importance of the buffalo to Plains Indians?

The buffalo was central to their survival, providing food, clothing, shelter, and tools.

What impact did the destruction of the buffalo have on the Blackfeet Indians?

It devastated their economy, culture, and independence.

Who was William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody?

A frontier scout and showman who popularized the myth of the Wild West.

How did U.S. government policies towards Indians change in the late 1800s?

They shifted from removal and reservations to forced assimilation.

What was the Battle of Sandy Creek?

An 1864 massacre in Colorado where U.S. troops killed hundreds of peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho.

Who was George Armstrong Custer?

A U.S. cavalry officer killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

What significant event occurred at Little Bighorn in 1876?

Sioux and Cheyenne forces defeated Custer’s troops.

What was the Carlisle Indian School?

An off-reservation boarding school aimed at assimilating Native American children into white culture.

What did the 1887 Dawes Severalty Act do?

Divided tribal lands into individual allotments to promote assimilation and weaken tribes.

What was the Ghost Dance movement?

A religious movement promising the return of buffalo and Native lands.

Who was Sitting Bull?

A Sioux leader who resisted U.S. expansion and supported the Ghost Dance movement.

What happened at Wounded Knee, South Dakota in 1890?

The massacre of Sioux by U.S. troops, marking the end of major Native resistance.

What was the Mining Frontier?

The western region where gold and silver strikes led to boomtowns and rapid settlement.

Who promoted Abilene, Kansas as a major railhead for cattle drives?

Joseph G. McCoy.

Who was Nat Love?

A famous Black cowboy who wrote about life on the cattle frontier.

What were range wars?

Violent conflicts between cattle ranchers and farmers over land use.

What fueled the growth of industrialization in the U.S.?

Abundant resources, labor supply, railroads, new technology, and government support.

What were common railroad abuses?

Unfair rates charged and rebates given to large corporations.

What were the Grange and Granger laws?

Organizations of farmers aimed at regulating railroad rates through state laws.

What was the significance of Munn v. Illinois?

It upheld state regulation of private industries serving the public.

What did Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Co. v. Illinois establish?

It limited states’ ability to regulate interstate commerce.

What did the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 do?

It created federal regulation of railroads.

What was the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)?

The first federal regulatory agency created to oversee railroads.

What are the differences between pre-modern and modern labor forces?

Pre-modern labor was skilled and independent; modern labor is specialized and factory-based.

What problems did the modern labor force face?

Low wages, long hours, unsafe conditions, and job insecurity.

Who developed scientific management to increase factory efficiency?

Frederick W. Taylor.

How did industrialization change relationships between labor and management?

It created conflict as workers organized and owners resisted unions.

What was the Haymarket Riot?

An 1886 labor protest in Chicago that turned violent and harmed the labor movement.

What was the Pullman Strike?

A railroad strike in 1894 crushed by federal troops.

What is a blacklist?

A list of workers denied employment for union activity.

What was a boycott?

A protest tactic refusing to buy goods to force change.

What was the Knights of Labor?

A broad labor union advocating for worker reforms.

Who was Terence V. Powderly?

Leader of the Knights of Labor.

What was the American Federation of Labor (AFL)?

A union of skilled workers focused on wages and working conditions.

Who was Samuel Gompers?

Founder and president of the American Federation of Labor.

What is socialism?

An ideology advocating public ownership of industry and wealth redistribution.

Who was Eugene V. Debs?

A socialist leader and five-time presidential candidate.

What caused the growth of urban populations?

Immigration and industrial jobs.

What are push vs. pull factors regarding city migration?

People were pushed by poverty abroad and pulled by job opportunities in America.

What is social mobility?

The ability of individuals or families to move between social strata, often promoted by hard work, as depicted in Horatio Alger's stories.

What was the response to city problems?

Reformers pushed for sanitation laws, housing codes, and social services.

What was Tammany Hall?

A New York political machine known for corruption and immigrant support.

What are party systems?

Organized political party structures competing for power.

Who won the election of 1884?

Democrat Grover Cleveland defeated Republican James G. Blaine.

Who won the election of 1888?

Republican Benjamin Harrison won despite losing the popular vote.

Who won the election of 1892?

Grover Cleveland won again, while the Populists gained support.

What did Republicans generally support?

Business, industry, and high tariffs.

What did Democrats often support?

Farmers, immigrants, and lower tariffs.

What was the nature of the presidency during this era?

Presidents had relatively weak executive power.

What was the rise of Populism about?

Farmers organized politically to fight debt and railroad monopolies.

What did the 1862 Homestead Act do?

Granted 160 acres of western land to settlers who improved it.

What was the crop lien system?

Farmers borrowed against future crops, leading to debt cycles.

What was the Texas Alliance?

A farmers’ organization advocating economic reforms.

Who proposed the sub-treasury plan for farmers?

Charles Macune.

What was the sub-treasury system?

A plan for government warehouses to loan money to farmers.

Who was James B. Weaver?

Populist presidential candidate in 1892.

What did the Populist Party's Ocala Platform call for?

Free silver, government control of railroads, and direct election of senators.

Who won the election of 1896?

Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan.

Who was William Jennings Bryan?

A Democrat who supported free silver in the 1896 election.

Why did Populism decline?

Economic recovery and absorption into the Democratic Party weakened the movement.

What is Progressivism?

A reform movement seeking to address problems caused by industrialization and urbanization.

Who were muckrakers?

Journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices.

Who was Lincoln Steffens?

A muckraker who exposed political corruption in cities.

Who was Ida Tarbell?

A muckraker who investigated and criticized Standard Oil’s monopoly.

Who was Upton Sinclair?

The author who wrote about harsh conditions in the meatpacking industry.

What is The Jungle?

A novel exposing unsanitary conditions in meatpacking plants.

What are settlement houses?

Community centers providing services to the urban poor.

Who founded Hull House?

Jane Addams.

What were political machines?

Organizations that controlled city politics through patronage and corruption.

What was the Purity Crusade?

A movement promoting moral reform and temperance.

What groups worked to ban alcohol during the Progressive Era?

WCTU, Anti-Saloon League, and activists like Carry Nation.

Who was Theodore Roosevelt?

Progressive president known for trust-busting and conservation.

What was the Anthracite Coal Workers Strike?

A 1902 strike settled by Roosevelt through federal mediation.

What did the Meat Inspection Act require?

Federal inspection of meat products.

What did the Pure Food & Drug Act ban?

Harmful food and medicine ingredients.

What did Theodore Roosevelt do for conservation?

Expanded national parks and protected natural resources.

Who was William Howard Taft?

Roosevelt’s successor who continued trust-busting but split the Republican Party.

Who won the Election of 1912?

Democrat Woodrow Wilson won after Republicans split between Taft and Roosevelt.

Who was Woodrow Wilson?

Progressive president who expanded federal economic regulation.

What did the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 create?

A central banking system to stabilize the economy.

What is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?

An agency established to prevent unfair business practices.

What did the Clayton Anti-Trust Act do?

Strengthened antitrust laws and protected labor unions.

What was the goal of progressive reformers concerning child labor?

To seek laws limiting child labor in factories.