Post-Civil War Expansion and Social Movements

Homestead Act

Provided 160 acres of land for settlers.

Pacific Railroad Act

Established route for the Transcontinental Railroad.

Conservationist Movement

Advocated for preservation of natural resources.

Department of the Interior

Manages and conserves federal lands and resources.

U.S. Fish Commission

Created to preserve fisheries and prevent overfishing.

John Muir

Founded Sierra Club to promote conservation efforts.

Theodore Roosevelt

Championed federal conservation efforts in Period 7.

Sand Creek Massacre

Colorado militia killed over 100 Native Americans.

Battle of Little Bighorn

Sitting Bull's forces defeated Colonel Custer.

Ghost Dance Movement

Cultural revival among Sioux to restore their way of life.

Battle of Wounded Knee

Last major battle, U.S. Army killed over 200 Native Americans.

Dawes Severalty Act

Aimed to dissolve tribal land ownership and structures.

Assimilation Policies

Efforts to integrate Native Americans into American society.

Horizontal Integration

Consolidating competitors to monopolize an industry.

Vertical Integration

Controlling all production aspects from raw materials to finished products.

Monopolies

Market dominance by a single company or entity.

Trusts

Legal entities to reduce competition among businesses.

Pools

Agreements between companies to fix prices.

Social Darwinism

Belief that wealth reflects hard work and superiority.

Laissez-faire policies

Government non-interference in business regulations.

Industrialization

Significant technological change and large-scale production.

Regional Differences

Economic and population growth in the West.

Tenant Farming

Labor system involving African Americans and poor whites.

Sharecropping

Agricultural labor system with shared crop profits.

Labor Movement

Workers organized for better wages and conditions.

Knights of Labor

Inclusive union founded in 1869 by Terrence Powderly.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Union founded in 1886 focusing on skilled workers.

Bread and Butter Issues

Basic worker concerns: wages, conditions, hours.

Homestead Strike (1892)

Failed strike at Carnegie Steel; workers defeated.

Pullman Strike (1894)

Strike ended by Army intervention; Eugene Debs jailed.

Grange Movement

Farmers' organization for social activities and reforms.

Farmers Alliance

Political movement for farmers' rights in the 1870s.

Colored Farmers Alliance

African-American farmers' group split from Farmers Alliance.

Populist Party

Political party advocating for farmers and workers.

Government Ownership of Railroads

Populist demand for public control of rail transport.

Free Silver

Populist policy to increase money supply via silver.

Income Tax

Tax structure proposed by Populists for wealthier citizens.

Direct Election of Senators

Populist reform for more democratic senatorial elections.

Granger Laws

Laws protecting farmers from railroad abuses.

Munn vs. Illinois

Court ruling allowing state regulation of railroads.

Wabash Case (1886)

Overturned Munn, limiting state regulation of interstate commerce.

Laissez-faire Philosophy

Economic approach minimizing government intervention.

Corruption in Gilded Age

Era marked by political corruption and business ties.

Interstate Commerce Act

Regulated trade between states, setting a precedent.

Sherman Antitrust Act

Outlawed monopolies that restrained trade and fixed prices.

Great Migration

African-Americans moved North to escape segregation.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Ended Chinese immigration to the U.S. effectively.

American Protective Association

Anti-Catholic group restricting Catholic immigration.

Literacy tests

Excluded undesirable immigrants based on literacy.

Conspicuous consumption

Wealth displayed publicly to show economic power.

Tenement housing

Poor living conditions documented by Jacob Riis.

Gospel of Wealth

Wealthy have a moral obligation to help others.

Settlement house movement

Assisted immigrants and alleviated urban poverty.

Social Gospel Movement

Christians addressing urban poverty and social justice.

Socialist Party

Challenged capitalism, advocating for social reforms.

National American Woman Suffrage Association

Sought women's right to vote, led by Stanton.

Booker T. Washington

Promoted vocational skills for African-American self-respect.

Tuskegee Institute

Established by Washington for vocational training.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Key figure against lynching and women's rights.

Internal Migration

Settlers moved west for opportunities post-Homestead Act.

External Migration

Immigrants from Europe settled in urban job markets.

Political machines

Corrupt organizations trading services for political support.

Class divisions

Separation between rich and poor in cities.

Racial and ethnic divisions

Formation of ethnic communities like Little Italy.

Child labor

Exploitation of children in dangerous working conditions.