UIL Social Studies 2026-2027 (TENTATIVE)

Adams, Charles Francis

Political writer, historian, and leading intellectual who was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1919 for The Education of Henry Adams. The son of the diplomat Charles Francis Adams Sr., Henry edited the North American Review, taught at Harvard, and authored The History of the United States of America, Democracy and Esther

Akerman, Amos T.

Attorney General under Ulysses Grant for just over a year (1870-71). He served in the Confederate Army from Georgia, but after the war supported the end of slavery and joined the Republican Party. As Attorney General he aggressively prosecuted the KKK via the Enforcement Acts as the leader of the newly created Department of Justice before being asked to resign.

Alger, Horatio

One of the most widely read authors of the Gilded Age. His first book Ragged Dick: Street Life in New York with the Bootblacks was published as a serial in 1867 and was a runaway hit that he would imitate in over 100 subsequent books with similar rags-to-riches themes.

Ames, Adelbert

Senator and then Governor of Mississippi during Reconstruction. Ames was a general during the Civil War that became the provisional governor of Mississippi in 1868. He guided the state through Reconstruction but fought a losing battle against Redemption forces after being elected governor.

Ames, Oakes

U.S. Representative from Massachusetts known as the “King of Spades” who was largely responsible for the Union Pacific being completed. He infamously was censured by Congress in 1873 for his role of providing cash and Crédit Mobilier stock to support Union Pacific legislation and he died soon after.

Arthur, Chester A.

Republican president of the U.S. from 1881, after the death of James A.Garfield, to 1885. Arthur was a New York Stalwart under the guidance of Roscoe Conkling that held the lucrative Collector of the Port of New York position before being replaced by President Hayes due to party infighting. He was placed on the 1880 ticket as a sop to the Stalwarts after the Half-Breed Garfield became the presidential nominee. Arthur would act more independently as president and signed significant legislation such as the Immigration Act of 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Edmunds Act, and the Pendleton Act, but his new-found independence spurned his traditional political base and cost him any real chance for being nominated for president in 1884.

Beecher, Henry Ward

Prominent clergyman and reformer whose career was rocked by a sensational adultery scandal.

Bell, Alexander Graham

Teacher of the deaf and patent holder for the telephone and other advancements. Bell was born in Scotland and followed his father into deaf education. His telephone was premiered at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and eventually birthed the Bell Telephone Company. Bell would also improve upon many existing items including the phonograph. He also developed a bullet detector used on the ailing President Garfield amongst other advances.

Bellamy, Francis

Baptist minister with socialist beliefs that popularized the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States in 1892 while working for The Youth’s Companion. The pledge came out of an effort to promote the magazine through nationwide public school celebrations centered on the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s travels to the Americas.

Blaine, James G.

Republican politician from Maine that served as Secretary of State in the Garfield and Harrison administrations and was defeated in the presidential election of 1884. He was known as the “plumed knight” of the GOP and was often considered for the presidential nomination. He served as Speaker of the House from 1869-1875 and was one of the most prominent politicians of the Gilded Age despite never fully controlling his party due to his general association with the Half-Breeds. The Mulligan Letter controversy attached the hint of scandal to his name without definitive proof of corruption. He served in the Senate from 1876 to1881 and championed the continuation of a federal military presence in the South. His foreign policy efforts helped foster the Pan-American movement and push U.S. influence across the Pacific and into Asia.

Bly, Nellie

Journalist born as Elizabeth Cochran(e) that began work for the Pittsburgh Dispatch writing about working and living conditions in the city. She moved to the New York World in1887 and wrote an undercover expose of conditions in a mental asylum. She was the most widely read female writer of the era and famously reported her efforts to successfully beat the fictional feat from Around the World in Eighty Days in 1890 (she finished in 72 days).

Borden, Lizzie

Daughter of a well-off Massachusetts family that was accused of murdering her overbearing father and stepmother with an axe. She was acquitted of the murders and her story, and the legend surrounding it, inspired numerous books and dramatizations.

Brady, James Buchanan

An opulent U.S. businessperson known as “Diamond Jim” who embodied the Gilded Age stereotype of excess with his penchant for jewelry, massive meals, and very lavish and public spending. He made his fortune in railroads and eventually railroad supplies such as steel.

Bradley, Aaron Alpeoria

Civil rights activist during Reconstruction in Georgia and South Carolina who was one of the leading voices in calling for full rights and equal treatment. Bradley was born into slavery in South Carolina before escaping to Massachusetts and becoming an attorney in 1856 (the 3rd-ever Black lawyer in the state). After the war he relocated to Savannah, Georgia but was denied admission to the state bar. He briefly served in the state senate in 1868and was one of the most strident speakers for what would later be called “Black Power.”

Bryan, William Jennings

Three-time presidential candidate for the Democratic Party (1896, 1900, 1908) and perhaps the most prominent orator of the era. Bryan represented Nebraska in the House for two terms and gained the monikers “Boy Orator” for his relative youth and “the Great Commoner” for championing the needs of farmers and workers. He famously pushed for silver coinage at the 1896 Democratic Convention in Chicago in his “Cross of Gold Speech.” Though never successful as a presidential candidate he was extremely popular on the lecture circuit and continued to be the face of his party for two decades. He volunteered for service in the Spanish American war and then served as Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson before resigning in opposition to the U.S. 's movement toward joining WWI. At the end of his life, he joined in the prosecution of John Scopes for teaching about evolution in Tennessee and famously was cross examined by Clarence Darrow. He wanted to build a national movement based on his involvement, but died the week after the end of the trial.

Carnegie, Andrew

Scottish immigrant that became one of the most prominent industrialists and philanthropists in U.S. history known for his Carnegie Steel Company in and around Pittsburgh. Carnegie began work as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill at age 13 before working for a telegraph company and earning a job as the assistant of railroad tycoon Thomas Scott. Scott’s connections and insider information allowed Carnegie to profit and begin his own business career. He invested in bridge construction before focusing on steel production in the mid-1870s. Carnegie focused on technological innovation and efficiency to under sell and over produce competitors. He considered himself a writer and put substantial efforts into books and articles where he gained a reputation as a friend of labor. However, his Spencerian beliefs with which he justified his wealth also justified whatever action was necessary to create more wealth. He was of the opinion that his superior traits let him best apply his philanthropy and so acquiring more of that wealth was in the public’s best interest. This included his support for breaking unions at his plants and aggressively targeting competitors. He published “Wealth” in 1889 which was later published as the Gospel of Wealth to outline his ideas concerning the obligation upon the rich to donate their resources while alive. He also supported an income tax and estate tax to help transfer wealth. Carnegie donated over $300 million to charitable causes during his life most famously in the form of around 3,000 libraries worldwide. Carnegie was also active as an anti imperialist despite generally supporting most Republican candidates. In 1901, he sold his interests in steel and iron to an investment group led by J.P. Morgan to form the largest company in the world at that time, U.S. Steel.

Catto, Octavius

A political organizer and civil rights advocate that was also a pioneer for professional baseball. Catto was born free in South Carolina before moving to Philadelphia where he founded the intellectual Banneker Institute. He served during the Civil War and as a civil defense organizer and afterwards organized the Pythians baseball team which played a role in the development of the Negro Leagues. He fought for equal rights as part of the Pennsylvania Equal Rights League and by 1870 was mobilizing Black voters to take advantage of the 15th Amendment. On Election Day in 1871, intimidation of Black voters led to beatings and murders in the Fourth Ward and as part of the violence Frank Kelly shot Catto several times in the street.

Cleveland, Grover

President of the U.S. for two non-consecutive terms (elected in 1884 and 1892) who represented the conservative wing of the Democratic Party. Cleveland began as an attorney in Buffalo before becoming mayor in 1881 and the Governor of New York in 1883. He was the only Democrat elected to the White House from 1860 until 1912. He supported the creation of the Interstate Commerce Act and the Dawes Act during his first term, but lost the electoral vote to Benjamin Harrison in 1888. Returning to the presidency in 1893, his support for gold, federal intervention against the Pullman Strike, and a restrained approach to the Panic of 1893 led to him becoming unpopular within his party and with most of the country.

Cody, William

Buffalo hunter and western scout that parlayed his knowledge of the western United States and the public’s fascination with it into a successful travelling performance. His Wild West show produced under the moniker “Buffalo Bill” was world famous and dramatized stories based on his exploits in the Pony Express, working for railroads, and historical occurrences. The Medal of Honor recipient grew wealthy from the traveling event that started touring in 1883. He would adapt it later to include figures such as Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley to add authenticity.

Colfax, Schuyler

Former newspaper editor who became GOP Speaker of the House from 1863 69 and Vice President during the first term of Ulysses Grant. Colfax was a prominent Radical during Reconstruction from Indiana and pushed for the 13th Amendment and opposed amnesty for former Confederates. He was defeated for a second VP nomination after some efforts for his own presidential nod. He also became embroiled in the Crédit Mobilier scandal in late 1872 and was threatened with impeachment.

Conkling, Roscoe

New York U.S. Representative and Senator that dominated GOP politics in the state and nationally for a large part of the Gilded Age. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction that opposed civil service reform and supported Ulysses Grant vociferously. He also held a deep-seated dislike for party rival James Blaine who had insulted him on the House floor. His break with the party leadership during the Garfield administration led to a loss of office and influence. The ensuing rift with his acolyte, Chester Arthur, further diminished his clout.

Conwell, Russell

Baptist Minister that founded Temple University and delivered the “Acres of Diamonds” lecture. Conwell wrote several books and delivered lectures before becoming a minister in1880 in Massachusetts and then in Philadelphia. He delivered his “Diamonds” lecture over 6,000 times. He claimed that riches come to people honestly and were available to anyone who tried hard enough while people suffered poverty due to their own shortcomings.

Cooke, Jay

One of the most significant financiers of the U.S. war effort during the Civil War that focused on railroads after the war. Cooke is one of the first major investment bankers in U.S. history and his Jay Cooke and Company of Philadelphia helped promote the sale of over $1 billion in U.S. bonds. He used his wealth from war financing to try and turn the Northern Pacific Railroad into a major transit route with Duluth, MN as a competitor to Chicago. He overextended himself and helped deepen the Panic of 1873 when he was forced into bankruptcy. He was able to regain much of his wealth via mining investments by the time of his death in 1905.

Croker, Richard

Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall from 1886-1902 that ran the Tammany political machine as “Boss Croker.” He held numerous positions in the New York City government from council member to coroner to fire commissioner. He became wealthy through kickbacks and deals that George Plunkitt termed as “honest graft.” He justified his riches with his efforts to help those in his constituency that would otherwise be overlooked. After losing political control of the city he returned to Ireland in 1905.

Debs, Eugene

A five-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party that was one of the most prominent labor leaders in U.S. history. He began by organizing railroad workers near his home of Terre Haute, Indiana before becoming a national union organizer in 1880. In 1893, he was elected president of the American Railway Union and created the first industrial union in the country. He successfully struck against the Great Northern in 1894 before being jailed for his role in supporting the Pullman strike in 1895. He first ran as a Socialist in 1900 and by his final run in 1920 he garnered nearly 1 million votes while in prison for speaking out against the WWI draft.

Dodge, Grace Hoadley

One of the leading philanthropic organizers and financial supporters in New York during the Gilded Age. Dodge focused on creating protections and assistance for young working women via the Association of Working Girls’ Societies, developing the YWCA, and a Traveler’s Aid Society. She donated well over $1 million of her personal fortune to charitable organizations.

Dodge, Grenville

Civil War general and leading force behind the engineering of many of the massive railroad projects in the U.S. after the war. Dodge served in the U.S. House representing Iowa after the election of 1866 and was the chief engineer for the Union Pacific. In 1873, he continued his railroad career as a partner with Jay Gould in the Southwest and became a political lobbyist in Congress during the contested election of 1876.

Douglass, Frederick

Icon of the abolitionist movement that championed civil rights through his work as a publisher and writer. Douglas was famously the most photographed American of the 1800s due to his long tenure in the public sphere pushing for the end of slavery followed by rights for Blacks, women, and other groups. He was originally named Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey while enslaved in Maryland. He escaped in 1838 around the age of 20 and eventually moved to Massachusetts where he became a sought after speaker for the American Anti-Slavery Society. His 1845 autobiography (the first of three) was very popular and gained him fame in Europe. By the time of the Civil War, he was able to call on President Lincoln to counsel him on the treatment of Blacks in the military and in the country’s future. He became president of the Freedman’s Savings & Trust in 1874, but it soon failed due to the preceding years of corrupt leadership. He was named the first Black U.S. marshal in 1877 and then the recorder of deeds in Washington in 1881. Under the Harrison administration he was the U.S. minister to Haiti, but resigned to protest the U.S. attempt to control the port of Môle Saint Nicolas. He continued to lecture and write about negating stereotypes, improving conditions, and protecting civil rights in the U.S. until his death in 1895.

Edison, Thomas

The Wizard of Menlo Park that held over 1,000 patents via his research laboratory in New Jersey. Edison came up as a gifted telegraph operator starting in 1863. His first innovations involved telegraphy and his stock ticker earned him the capital to expand his independent laboratory. In 1876, he opened his shop at Menlo Park and hired other inventors to develop and improve communication devices and electrical systems. He developed the phonograph in 1877 to record and reproduce sound for the first time. He established the Edison Electric Company after deciding to create a long lasting and safe electric bulb in 1878. He created a generator by 1879 and a working bulb before the year was out. By 1882, He was overseeing the creation of the first permanent central power system. In 1888, his lab began work on a motion picture camera leading to the Kinetoscope. In 1893, he began making motion pictures on his Black Maria stage. He continued to promote his electrical systems and developed advances in battery technology into the 1900s.

Field, Marshall

Pioneer of the U.S. retail industry that created a massive company centered in Chicago. He worked for a mercantile company after moving to Chicago in his twenties and soon became a partner. He soon went into merchandising and opened a department store in 1868. By 1881, he bought out his partner for $2.5 million, created Marshall Field and Company, and used his unique style of customer-oriented practices to create an estate of $125,000,000 by his death in 1906.

Fisk, James

Eccentric financier known as the “Barnum of Wall Street” who played the showman for many of the stock manipulations engineered by his partner, Jay Gould. He conspired with Gould and Daniel Drew to capture control of the Erie Railroad from Cornelius Vanderbilt in the “Erie War” in 1868. He was notorious for watering stock to help his schemes and other behind the scenes schemes such as the attempted gold corner of 1869. He was also known for loud clothing and a flamboyant lifestyle which ended at 36 when he was shot to death by Edward Stokes in the Grand Central Hotel

Frick, Henry Clay

Chairman of Carnegie Steel that converted his coke operations into a key component of what would become U.S. Steel. Frick parlayed his coal holdings to become the leader in the coke industry. He directly managed Carnegie Steel after being made chairman in 1889 and led the controversial response to the Homestead Strike of 1892 which nearly led to his death. He worked closely with Carnegie, but also chafed at his efforts to control him and eventually helped found U.S. Steel.

Gates, John W.

Industrialist known as “Bet-a-Million” Gates that made a fortune off barbed wire before pivoting to railroads and steel. Gates who gained a reputation for risk taking and brashness came up from sales to own his own barbed wire company and then the American Steel and Wire Company in Chicago. Gates sold out to U.S. Steel, but was pushed out of leadership by J.P. Morgan. He would go on to fight Morgan and James Hill for control of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and subsequent lines. He also took part in the development of the Texas oil industry around Spindletop by financing Texaco and building up Port Arthur.

George, Henry

Author of Progress and Poverty and proponent of economic reforms to help the impoverished and increase equality in the United States. George worked at several jobs including mining and as an editor before publishing his seminal work in 1879. He began lecturing and continued writing to expound on the main theme of his book that as wealth in the U.S. increased so did poverty. He proposed a “single tax” on speculation-based land holdings to fund public works to benefit everyone. His ideas and popularity led him to be drafted to run for New York City mayor. He lost in a close race to the Tammany candidate in 1886, but outpolled Theodore Roosevelt.

Glidden, Joseph

Inventor of a popular version of barbed wire. Glidden’s version of barbed wire was patented in 1874 and his Barb Fence Company of DeKalb became the main supplier of the product that organized much of the Great Plains.

Godkin, E. L.

Editor and founder of The Nation from 1865 until 1881 and editor of the New York Evening Post from 1883 to 1900. He used his position to influence politics and intellectual thought in the country. He supported the end of slavery, but quickly tired of federal action to support Reconstruction and preserve civil rights. He was also a classically elitist leader of the Liberal Republicans that helped create the divisive Mugwump movement in the GOP in 1884. He pushed for reform in politics, but staunchly conservative economic policy.

Gompers, Samuel

English immigrant who became the first president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886 and continued until his death in 1924 (except for 1895). After he emigrated to the U.S. in 1863, he became a leader in the Cigar-makers’ Union and then helped nationalize and normalize union activity when he helped found the AFL in 1886. He focused the AFL on “pure and simple” goals i.e., specific worker benefits and improvements instead of overall social change and tried to avoid any radical associations. His more conservative approach included support for a ban on Asian immigration, extreme restrictions on European immigration, and efforts to exclude Blacks from unions.

Gould, Jay

A key financier of the Gilded Age that manipulated the stocks of railroads to gain extreme wealth and became one of the prime historic examples of a robber baron. Gould was able to turn around and expand a New York tannery operation in his early twenties. His profits enabled him to begin speculating on stocks just before the Civil War provided immense financial opportunities. His railroad management, investment, and manipulation garnered him huge returns that he then used to try and defeat Cornelius Vanderbilt in the Erie War of 1868. He used bribery, stock watering, intimidation, and, some would argue, outright fraud to perpetuate his schemes. His most famous undertaking was the attempted gold corner in 1869. By 1881, he controlled approximately 15% of U.S. rail lines (nearly 16,000 miles). He moved from the Erie to the Union Pacific to the Missouri Pacific and then forced William Vanderbilt to cede control of Western Union in 1881. He tried increasing his political influence with control of the New York World, but died in 1892 from tuberculosis leaving behind over $70 million.

Grant, Ulysses

Victorious Commanding General of U.S. forces that ended the Civil War and President of the United States for two terms from 1869-1877. Grant served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and until 1854 before transitioning to an unsuccessful private life in St. Louis and then Galena, Illinois. In 1861, he rejoined the military and became a general before the year was out. After success at Vicksburg and then Chattanooga in 1863, Grant became the head of all U.S. forces in 1864. By the time he forced Robert E. Lee’s surrender in April 1865, Grant was considered perhaps the most popular figure in the North with some supporters having already considered him a potential candidate for president in 1864. After the war, he would serve briefly as Secretary of War during the controversy over President Johnson’s ability to remove Edwin Stanton from the position in 1867. When he became president in 1869, Grant was considered to be personally honest, but his cabinet was rife with corruption during his two terms. This led to a split with the Liberal Republicans that launched an unsuccessful coalition effort with Democrats to replace him in the White House with Horace Greeley. Grant won easily, but evidence of corruption began to seep out. Scandals included the Whiskey Ring under the direction of his private secretary Orville Babcock and the impeachment of his Secretary of War William Belknap for receiving bribes. He did have some success with his Peace Policy towards Native Americans under the direction of Ely Parker. He also led an effort to prosecute the actions of the Klan under the KKK Act of 1871, ratify the 15th Amendment, and protect the rights of the formerly enslaved. His monetary policy was fairly conservative as he pushed for tighter currency controls. He was considered as a candidate again in 1876 and in 1880, but ultimately could not muster enough support for an unprecedented third term. He had difficulties finding success after being in office and suffered a massive financial loss due to his son’s firm’s scandalous collapse in 1884. Grant was gifted as a writer and the demand for his memoirs allowed him to eventually support his family through a publishing agreement with Mark Twain. He completed his autobiography just weeks before his death in 1885 due to throat cancer.

Green, Hetty

The wealthiest woman in the U.S. during much of the Gilded Age who was known as the “witch of Wall Street.” Green inherited a fortune of nearly $10 million in 1865 and she parlayed it into an estate worth over $100 million upon her death in 1916. She used the financial literacy learned from her father to invest widely on Wall Street as well as in individual businesses and Chicago real estate. She was the antithesis of the era’s opulence and gained notoriety for penny-pinching.

Hanna, Mark

GOP Senator from Ohio that was the political patron of William McKinley and boss of Republican politics in the state and across the country who innovated how campaigns were run. Hanna grew up in Cleveland as a classmate of J.D. Rockefeller before becoming a wealthy investor in coal, steel, and railroads. He purchased a Cleveland newspaper in 1880 and became more active in politics. He supported John Sherman for president in 1884 and 1888 before becoming enamored with William McKinley as a candidate. He supported his run for governor in 1892 and then as president in 1896. He tirelessly collected campaign contributions amassing a then-record $3.5 million. He also organized the campaign from top to bottom and outspent the Bryan effort by a factor of 20 to 1. He was appointed to the Senate the next year and served until his death in 1904 all the while chairing the Republican Party and advising McKinley until his own death.

Harris, Mary

Labor organizer known as 'Mother Jones' who championed miners and child labor laws.

Harrison, Benjamin

23rd U.S. President who signed the Sherman Antitrust Act and McKinley Tariff.

Harvey, William

Author of 'Coin's Financial School,' a popular pamphlet advocating for free silver.

Hayes, Rutherford B.

19th U.S. President whose controversial election ended Reconstruction in 1877.

Hill, James J.

Empire-building railroad executive who constructed the Great Northern Railway.

Huntington, Collis P.

One of the 'Big Four' industrialists who built the Central Pacific Railroad.

Ingersoll, Robert G.

Orator and political leader famous for his defense of agnosticism and freethought.

Johnson, Andrew

17th U.S. President who clashed with Radical Republicans and was impeached.

Judah, Theodore

Railroad engineer who surveyed and promoted the first Transcontinental Railroad.

Kearney, Denis

Irish-born labor leader in California who led the anti-Chinese movement.

Knight, Margaret

Inventor who patented a machine to fold and glue flat-bottomed paper bags.

Latimer, Lewis

African American inventor who patented carbon filaments for light bulbs.

Lazarus, Emma

Poet who wrote 'The New Colossus' for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

Lease, Mary

Populist orator who urged farmers to 'raise less corn and more hell'.

Lloyd, Henry Demarest

Muckraking journalist whose book 'Wealth Against Commonwealth' attacked the Standard Oil monopoly.

Lockwood, Belva

Attorney and one of the first women to run for U.S. President.

McKinley, William

25th U.S. President who defended the gold standard and led during the Spanish-American War.

Morgan, J. P.

Financier who dominated corporate consolidations, including the creation of U.S. Steel.

Muir, John

Naturalist, preservationist, and founder of the Sierra Club.

Murphy, Isaac

African American jockey who won three Kentucky Derbies during the Gilded Age.

Nast, Thomas

Influential political cartoonist who helped bring down corrupt Tammany Hall boss William Tweed.

Norton, Charles Eliot

Harvard scholar and social critic who advocated for cultural reform and historic preservation.

Olmsted, Frederick Law

Landscape architect who designed New York City's Central Park.

Parker, Ely

Seneca leader and Union officer who served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Parsons, Albert and Lucy

Anarchist labor activists; Albert was executed following the Haymarket Affair.

Powderly, Terence V.

Labor leader who expanded the Knights of Labor into a major national organization.

Pullman, George

Industrialist who designed luxury sleeper cars and built a notorious company town.

Rainey, Joseph

First African American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Reed, Thomas

Republican Speaker of the House who reformed legislative rules to increase efficiency.

Rockefeller, John D.

Founder of the Standard Oil Company, dominating the American oil industry.

Sand, Julia

Letter writer whose correspondence influenced President Chester A. Arthur's reform policies.

Schurz, Charles

German immigrant, Union general, and senator who championed civil service reform.

Scott, Thomas

President of the Pennsylvania Railroad who played a key role in the Compromise of 1877.

Sherman, John

Senator who authored the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.

Spencer, Herbert

English philosopher who applied evolutionary theory to human societies, coining 'survival of the fittest'.

Sprague, Frank

Inventor who developed the electric motor and pioneered electric streetcars.

Stanford, Amasa Leland

Railroad tycoon, California governor, and founder of Stanford University.

Stevens, Thaddeus

Radical Republican leader who fought for freedmen's rights and strict Southern Reconstruction.

Strong, Josiah

Clergyman who argued that Anglo-Saxons had a duty to Christianize and civilize the world.

Sullivan, John L.

Heavyweight boxing champion who became America's first modern sports celebrity.

Sullivan, Louis

Architect known as the 'father of skyscrapers' who pioneered 'form follows function' design.

Sumner, Charles

Radical Republican senator who fiercely advocated for civil rights for newly freed slaves.

Sumner, William Graham

Yale sociologist who popularized Social Darwinism and laissez-faire economic theory in America.

Tarbell, Ida

Muckraking journalist whose investigative reporting exposed the corrupt practices of Standard Oil.

Trumbull, Lyman

Senator who co-authored the Thirteenth Amendment and wrote the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

Twain, Mark

Famous author who co-coined the term 'Gilded Age' to describe post-Civil War America.

Tweed, William M.

Corrupt political boss of New York City's Tammany Hall political machine.

Vanderbilt, Alva

Socialite who used her wealth and lavish balls to force her family into high society.

Vanderbilt, Cornelius

Industrialist who built a massive shipping and railroad empire in the northeast.

Walker, Frances

Economist and statistician who directed the 1870 and 1880 U.S. censuses.

Ward, Montgomery

Merchant who founded the first mail-order business to serve rural consumers.

Weaver, James B.

Populist Party presidential candidate who won over one million votes in 1892.

Weed, Thurlow

New York journalist and Whig/Republican political boss who influenced patronage.

Wells, Ida B.

African American journalist who led a fierce national anti-lynching crusade.

Westinghouse, George

Inventor who developed railway air brakes and championed alternating current (AC) electricity.

Willard, Frances

President of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) who fought for women's suffrage.

Woodhull, Victoria

First female candidate for U.S. President and advocate for women's suffrage and free love.

Pacific Railway Act

1862 legislation authorizing land grants and government bonds to build the transcontinental railroad.

Pan-Americanism

Movement promoting economic and political cooperation among nations of the Americas.