APUSH p6

Second Industrial Revolution

A phase of rapid industrial growth in the late 19th century characterized by technological innovations like steel, electricity, and mass production.

Gilded Age

A period from the 1870s to the early 1900s marked by economic growth, political corruption, and stark social inequality in the U.S.

Panic of 1893

A severe economic depression triggered by the collapse of railroad companies and bank failures that led to widespread unemployment.

Union Pacific Railroad

A major railroad company responsible for constructing the transcontinental railroad from the east.

Central Pacific Railroad

The railroad company that built the western portion of the transcontinental railroad from California.

Pacific Railway Act of 1861

Legislation that provided federal support for the construction of the first transcontinental railroad.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

A wealthy businessman who monopolized the railroad and shipping industries during the 19th century.

Jay Gould

A controversial financier and railroad magnate known for his manipulative stock market practices.

Alexander Graham Bell

The inventor of the telephone, which revolutionized communication in the late 19th century.

Thomas Edison

An American inventor best known for developing the electric light bulb and founding the electric power industry.

George Westinghouse

An inventor and entrepreneur who developed the alternating current (AC) electrical system.

Nikola Tesla

A pioneering inventor and electrical engineer who contributed to the development of AC power systems.

John D. Rockefeller

The founder of Standard Oil, he monopolized the oil industry and became one of the wealthiest men in history.

Andrew Carnegie

A steel magnate who led the U.S. steel industry and later became a philanthropist.

J. Pierpont Morgan

A powerful financier who played a major role in the consolidation of industries and the banking system.

Sears, Roebuck and Company

A major American retailer that revolutionized shopping with mail-order catalogs in the late 19th century.

Molly Maguires

A secretive Irish-American group of coal miners who used violence to protest poor working conditions.

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

A nationwide strike by railroad workers protesting wage cuts, which led to widespread violence and federal intervention.

The Sand-Lot Incident

A violent confrontation in San Francisco during the 1870s, where anti-Chinese sentiments led to riots.

The Geary Act

An 1892 law that extended the Chinese Exclusion Act and required Chinese residents to carry certificates of residence.

National Labor Union

The first large-scale labor organization in the U.S., formed to advocate for workers' rights in the late 19th century.

The Knights of Labor

A broad labor organization advocating for the eight-hour workday, equal pay, and an end to child labor.

The Haymarket Affair

A violent confrontation during a labor rally in Chicago in 1886, leading to a crackdown on labor movements.

Samuel Gompers

The founder of the American Federation of Labor, which focused on improving conditions for skilled workers.

American Federation of Labor

A national organization formed to represent skilled workers and advocate for better wages and working conditions.

Homestead Steel Strike of 1892

A violent strike at Carnegie Steel over wage cuts that resulted in several deaths and a loss for labor.

Pullman Strike of 1894

A nationwide railroad strike led by Eugene V. Debs that shut down rail traffic and was broken up by federal troops.

Eugene V. Debs

A labor leader and founder of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), who was a key figure in the Pullman Strike.

Mother Jones

A prominent labor and community organizer known for her work advocating for miners' rights and child labor laws.

The New South

The economic transformation of the post-Civil War South, focusing on industrialization and a more diversified economy.

Redeemers

Southern Democrats in the late 19th century who aimed to restore white supremacy and reduce African American political power.

Bourbons

Conservative Southern leaders who opposed radical Reconstruction and sought to maintain white dominance.

The New West

Refers to the expanding western territories of the U.S. in the late 19th century, characterized by economic development and conflict with Native Americans.

Benjamin Pap Singleton

A former enslaved man who promoted African American migration to Kansas in the late 19th century as part of the Exoduster movement.

Panning

A method of gold mining where individuals use a pan to sift gold from sediment, commonly used during the Gold Rush.

George A. Custer

A U.S. Army officer famous for his defeat and death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

Great Sioux War

A series of conflicts between the U.S. Army and Native American groups, primarily the Sioux, over land rights in the 1870s.

Demise of the Buffalo

The near extinction of buffalo herds in the late 19th century, due to overhunting and habitat destruction, which hurt Native American cultures dependent on them.

Range Wars

Conflicts between farmers, ranchers, and land speculators in the West over land use and resources during the late 19th century.

Frederick Jackson Turner

A historian who argued that the American frontier experience shaped the nation's democratic institutions and values.

Ghost Dance Movement

A religious movement among Native Americans in the late 19th century that hoped to restore Native lands and cultures through ritual dances.

Ellis Island

A major immigration station in New York Harbor where millions of immigrants passed through from 1892 to 1954.

Chinese Exclusion Act

An 1882 law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the U.S., reflecting growing anti-Asian sentiment.

Nativist

A person who favors the interests of native-born Americans over those of immigrants and often advocates for restrictions on immigration.

Frederick Law Olmsted

A landscape architect who designed Central Park and many other public spaces in the U.S.

Education

During the Gilded Age, education reform focused on increasing public schooling and vocational training to prepare a growing industrial workforce.

Life & Leisure

The late 19th century saw the rise of consumer culture, sports, and entertainment, with innovations like department stores and amusement parks.

Herbert Spencer

A philosopher who applied Darwin's ideas to social theory, developing the concept of Social Darwinism, which justified inequality and laissez-faire capitalism.

Social Darwinism

The belief that society operates under the same 'survival of the fittest' principles as natural selection, often used to justify social inequality.

Pragmatism

A philosophical movement led by William James that emphasized practical consequences and real-world applications over abstract ideals.

William James

A philosopher and psychologist who was a leading proponent of pragmatism, focusing on how ideas work in practice.

Reform Darwinism

The belief that human progress is shaped by cooperation and social reform, in contrast to the individualistic approach of Social Darwinism.

Political Machine

A political organization, typically associated with urban areas, that controls local politics and offers patronage in exchange for votes.

William Boss Tweed

A corrupt political boss who led New York City's Tammany Hall and exploited political patronage for personal gain.

Stalwarts

A faction of the Republican Party in the late 19th century that supported the political machine system and opposed civil service reform.

James Gillespie Blaine

A Republican politician and presidential candidate known for his influence over party politics during the late 19th century.

Mugwumps

Reform-minded Republicans who opposed political machines and corruption, often supporting Democratic candidates like Grover Cleveland.

Grover Cleveland

The only U.S. president to serve two non-consecutive terms, known for his conservative fiscal policies and commitment to limited government.

Election of 1888

A presidential election where Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland, despite Cleveland winning the popular vote.

Granger Movement

A farmers' movement in the late 19th century that sought to address issues like railroad monopolies and agricultural prices.

Farmers Alliances

Agricultural organizations in the late 19th century that advocated for the interests of farmers, leading to the formation of the Populist Party.

Populist Party

A political party formed in the 1890s that represented farmers and laborers, advocating for bimetallism, government ownership of railroads, and other reforms.

Mary Elizabeth Lease

A prominent Populist speaker and advocate for farmers' rights, known for her calls for economic and political reform.

Depression of 1893

A severe economic downturn that led to widespread unemployment, bank failures, and industrial collapse.

William McKinley

The 25th president of the U.S., known for leading the country through the Spanish-American War and supporting a pro-business agenda.

William Jennings Bryan

A Democratic politician and three-time presidential candidate, known for his support of bimetallism and his 'Cross of Gold' speech.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction.

Mississippi Plan

A strategy used in the 1890s to disenfranchise African American voters in the South through literacy tests, poll taxes, and other methods.

Plessy v. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the doctrine of 'separate but equal'.

Separate but Equal

A legal doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed racial segregation as long as facilities were supposedly equal.

Ida B. Wells

An African American journalist and activist who campaigned against lynching and worked for civil rights.

Booker T. Washington

A leading African American educator and founder of Tuskegee Institute, who advocated for vocational training and economic advancement.

WEB Du Bois

A co-founder of the NAACP and a leading African American intellectual who called for immediate civil rights and higher education for African Americans.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalist journalism that exaggerated news stories to attract readers, often used in the late 19th century.

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine, asserting that the U.S. had the right to intervene in Latin American countries to maintain stability.

Open Door Policy

A policy that promoted equal trade opportunities in China for all nations and opposed foreign spheres of influence.

Dr. Walter Reed

An American physician who helped identify the cause of yellow fever and led efforts to control it in Cuba.

De Lome Letter

A 1898 letter written by the Spanish ambassador that criticized President McKinley, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

A naval strategist whose book, 'The Influence of Sea Power upon History,' influenced U.S. foreign policy and the expansion of the navy.

Social Gospel

A religious movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that sought to apply Christian ethics to social issues like poverty and inequality.

Settlement House

Community centers in urban areas that provided services such as education and healthcare to immigrants and the poor.

Jane Addams

A social reformer and co-founder of Hull House, a famous settlement house in Chicago.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A leading figure in the women's suffrage movement and co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association.

Women’s Christian Temperance Movement

A movement that advocated for the prohibition of alcohol, led by women seeking to protect families and improve society.

National Woman's Suffrage Association

An organization founded by Stanton and Susan B. Anthony that worked for women’s right to vote.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption, inequality, and social problems in society during the Progressive Era.

Upton Sinclair

A muckraker whose novel The Jungle exposed the harsh conditions of the meatpacking industry and led to reforms in food safety.

Taylorism

The application of scientific management principles to increase industrial efficiency and productivity.

Social Justice

The concept of creating a society where individuals are treated fairly and equitably, advocating for reforms to address inequality.

Progressive Movement

A political and social movement in the early 20th century that sought to address problems like corruption, inequality, and industrialization.

Florence Kelley

An advocate for labor rights, especially for women and children, who pushed for reform in working conditions.