APUSH Ch. 10 Terms

Erie Canal

A major artificial waterway completed in 1825 that connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River, dramatically reducing shipping costs and time between the interior and coastal markets while spurring economic growth in New York and the Midwest.

Pennsylvania Railroad

One of the most important railroad companies in the 19th century, connecting Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and eventually expanding westward, facilitating trade and passenger travel across Pennsylvania.

Baltimore-Ohio Railroad

The first common carrier railroad in the United States, chartered in 1827, which connected Baltimore to the Ohio River Valley and played a crucial role in western expansion and economic development.

Magnetic Telegraph

An electromagnetic communication device that transmitted messages via electrical signals over wires, revolutionizing long-distance communication in the 1840s.

Western Union Telegraph Company

A major telegraph company founded in 1851 that became the dominant force in American telecommunications, creating a nationwide network for rapid message transmission.

Irish Immigrants

Large numbers of Irish people, particularly during and after the Great Famine (1845-1852), who came to America seeking economic opportunity and refuge, often facing discrimination and taking low-wage labor jobs. Primarily settled in east coast cities.

German Immigrants

German-speaking peoples who migrated to the United States throughout the 19th century, often settling in the Midwest and bringing skilled trades, farming expertise, and distinct cultural traditions.

Nativism

A political and social movement that favored native-born Americans over immigrants, often characterized by hostility toward foreign-born residents and efforts to limit immigration and immigrant rights.

De Witt Clinton

New York governor and the primary political champion of the Erie Canal project, whose vision and political leadership made the canal's construction possible.

Corporation

A legal business entity with rights and liabilities separate from its owners, allowing for the pooling of capital from multiple investors and limiting individual financial risk.

Lowell System

An early industrial labor system in textile mills that employed young, unmarried women from rural areas, housed them in supervised boardinghouses, and initially offered relatively good wages and conditions.

Factory Girls Association

One of the earliest labor organizations formed by female textile workers in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1830s to protest wage cuts and deteriorating working conditions.

Female Reform Association

A labor organization of female workers who advocated for improved working conditions, shorter hours, and better wages in industrial settings.

Piece Rates

A wage system where workers were paid based on the quantity of goods they produced rather than the time worked, often leading to pressure for faster production and lower effective wages.

Artisans

Skilled craftspeople who produced goods by hand using traditional methods and tools, whose economic position was often threatened by industrialization and factory production.

Commonwealth v. Hunt

An 1842 Massachusetts Supreme Court case that ruled labor unions and strikes were legal, marking an important early victory for the American labor movement.

Cast Iron Stove

An improved heating and cooking device that became common in American homes during the 19th century, making household work more efficient and comfortable.

Godey's Lady's Book

An influential women's magazine published from 1830-1878 that promoted domestic ideals, fashion, literature, and middle-class values to female readers.

Cult of Domesticity

A 19th-century ideology that defined women's proper role as centered in the home, emphasizing piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness as feminine virtues.

Minstrel Show

Racist theatrical entertainment featuring white performers in blackface who caricatured and mocked African Americans through songs, dances, and skits, reflecting and reinforcing racial prejudice.

Sentimental Novel

A popular literary genre that emphasized emotion, morality, and domestic life, often featuring female protagonists and exploring themes of love, family, and virtue.

P.T. Barnum

A famous showman and entrepreneur who created popular entertainment spectacles, museums, and circuses, epitomizing American commercial entertainment culture.

Market Revolution

The fundamental economic transformation in early 19th-century America characterized by the shift from subsistence farming and local trade to commercial agriculture, wage labor, industrial production, and integrated national markets.