The Great Upheaval and Social Changes in America (1877-1915)

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to significant events, movements, and ideologies in America from 1877 to 1915.

The Great Upheaval (1877)

A pivotal event in which striking workers across the United States protested against drastic wage cuts following an economic downturn, highlighting the increasing tensions between labor forces and industrial leaders.

Taylorism

A scientific management approach developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor, focused on optimizing work processes by analyzing and breaking down tasks to improve efficiency and productivity among workers.

Cyrus McCormick

An influential inventor and entrepreneur known for his development of the mechanical reaper, which revolutionized farming practices and significantly increased agricultural output during the late 19th century.

Cutthroat Competition

An intense market scenario where businesses aggressively lower their prices to outcompete rivals, often resulting in financial instability, industry consolidations, and unhealthy market dynamics.

The Great Merger Movement

A significant historical phase during the late 19th century when around 4,000 corporations combined into larger entities, leading to monopolistic practices and the domination of various industries by a handful of firms.

Social Darwinism

A socio-political theory that applies Charles Darwin's concepts of natural selection to societies, suggesting that human societies evolve through competition, which rationalized social inequality and justified the dominance of certain groups.

Knights of Labor

An influential labor organization founded in 1869 that advocated for broad social reforms, supported the rights of both skilled and unskilled workers, and reached a membership peak of approximately 700,000 in 1886.

Haymarket Incident (1886)

A violent clash in Chicago during a labor rally advocating for an eight-hour workday, which resulted in deaths and injuries, leading to a negative public perception of labor unions and the movement.

The 1862 Homestead Act

U.S. legislation that granted male citizens 160 acres of public land for agricultural development, while specifically excluding women and non-citizens from claiming this opportunity.

Bison Slaughter

The devastating and systematic hunting of bison populations in the 1880s, aimed at undermining the economic foundations of Native American tribes who relied on the bison for their livelihoods.

Grant's Peace Policy

An initiative under President Ulysses S. Grant, aimed at assimilating Native Americans into American society by placing reservations under the supervision of Protestant churches, promoting cultural integration.

Dawes General Allotment Act (1887)

Legislation that divided communal tribal lands into individual plots for Native Americans, undermining tribal sovereignty and leading to significant alterations in their traditional ways of life.

Ghost Dance

A spiritual revival movement among Native American tribes in the late 19th century, calling for the return of deceased ancestors and a restoration of traditional ways and cultures.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local statutes enacted in the Southern United States after the Reconstruction era that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities under the doctrine of 'separate but equal,' effectively legitimizing systemic discrimination.

Lynching

A form of extrajudicial punishment prevalent in the United States, particularly targeting African Americans, characterized by public executions that were often public spectacles designed to instill fear.

Ida B. Wells

A pioneering African American journalist, educator, and activist who campaigned against lynching and sought to expose the realities of racial violence in America, advocating for civil rights.

Lost Cause Mythology

A post-Civil War narrative that romanticizes the Confederacy and portrays the Southern cause as noble, minimizing slavery's role in the conflict, and influencing cultural and historical interpretations.

Convict Leasing

A practice in the post-Civil War Southern United States where imprisoned individuals, primarily African Americans, were sold to private companies for labor under brutal and exploitative conditions.

Labor Day

A federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the first Monday in September, honoring the American labor movement and the contributions of workers to the nation’s economic development.

Industrial Revolution

A transformative period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries marked by the shift from agrarian economies to industrialized ones, characterized by advancements in technology, manufacturing, and transportation.

Upton Sinclair

A prominent American writer and social activist whose novel, 'The Jungle,' exposed the harsh conditions of the meatpacking industry, leading to public outrage and reforms in food safety regulations.

The New Deal

A series of programs and reforms implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression, aimed at economic recovery, social welfare, and regulatory reform.

Women's Suffrage Movement

A social and political movement advocating for women's right to vote, culminating in the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, ensuring women’s suffrage in the United States.

Prohibition Era

A nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933, leading to significant legal and societal challenges.

The Civil Rights Movement

A pivotal movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s aimed at ending racial discrimination and securing legal recognition and protections for African Americans, leading to landmark legislation.