Key Concepts of Industrial America and Labor Movements

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to industrial America and labor movements.

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.

Adam Smith

Economist who wrote The Wealth of Nations, promoting capitalism and free markets.

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.

Railroads

Key transportation system that fueled industrial growth and connected markets.

Skyscraper

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

Thomas Edison

Inventor of the light bulb and other technologies that transformed daily life.

Henry Bessemer

Developer of the Bessemer process for making steel cheaply and efficiently.

Alexander Graham Bell

Inventor of the telephone, revolutionizing communication.

George Westinghouse

Innovator in electricity and railroads, improving safety and efficiency.

Old Immigrants

Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe who came before 1880.

New Immigrants

Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe who arrived after 1880.

Ethnic neighborhoods

Urban areas where immigrants lived together, preserving culture.

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.

U.S. v. EC Knight Co.

Supreme Court case that limited the Sherman Antitrust Act by ruling manufacturing was not commerce.

Political machines

Organizations that controlled city politics through patronage and corruption.

Tammany Hall

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

High Protective Tariffs

Taxes on imports to protect U.S. industries from foreign competition.

Cross of Gold Speech

Speech by William Jennings Bryan supporting free silver to help farmers.

Omaha Platform

Populist Party platform calling for reforms like income tax and railroad regulation.

Panic of 1893

Severe economic depression caused by railroad failures and bank collapses.

Jane Addams

Founder of Hull House, a settlement house helping immigrants.

Knights of Labor

Labor union that welcomed all workers and pushed for broad reforms.

AFL (American Federation of Labor)

Union focused on skilled workers and better wages.

Craft Unions

Labor groups organized by specific trades or skills.

Collective Bargaining

Negotiation between workers and employers for better conditions.

Pullman Strike

1894 strike against wage cuts in Pullman Company towns.

Homestead Strike

Violent steelworker strike against Carnegie Steel in 1892.

Eugene Debs

Labor leader who organized strikes and founded the Socialist Party.

Samuel Gompers

Leader of the AFL, promoting practical labor goals.

William Jennings Bryan

Populist leader and Democratic candidate who supported farmers.