APUSH Unit 6 Terms Quiz

Homestead Act

gave free land (160 acres) to settlers who lived on and farmed it for 5 years; encouraged westward expansion

Wounded Knee Massacre

U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Lakota Sioux, marking the end of major Native American resistance on the Plains

Dawes Severalty Act (1887)

divided Native American tribal lands into individual plots to force assimilation; weakened tribes and took land from Native Americans

Turner’s Frontier Thesis

historian Frederick Johnson Turner argued that the American frontier shaped democracy, independence, and American identity

Andrew Carnegie

steel industry leader who used vertical integration and later gave away much of his wealth to charity

John D. Rockefeller

oil industry leader who founded Standard Oil and used horizontal integration to dominate the market

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation as legal under the “separate but equal” doctrine

Robber Barons

wealthy industrialists accused of exploiting workers and corrupting politics to build their fortunes

Social Darwinism

belief that economic and social success is due to “survival of the fittest,” used to justify inequality

Gospel of Wealth

Carnegie’s idea that the rich should use their wealth to benefit society through clarity

Horatio Alger Myth

the belief that anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination

Chinese Exclusion Act

law that banned Chinese immigration and showed growing anti-immigrant sentiment

Political Bosses & Machines

political organizations that controlled cities by trading favors and services for votes

Patronage

the practice of giving government jobs to supporters as a reward for political loyalty

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

a nationwide strike by railroad workers in response to repeated wage cuts; showed the federal government’s willingness to intervene on behalf of big businesses

Pullman Strike (1894)

a nationwide railroad strike caused by wage cuts at the Pullman Company without reduced living costs; confirmed federal support for business interests and limited the power of labor unions

National Grange Movement

an organization of farmers that promoted cooperation and regulation of railroad rates; marked one of the first organized efforts by farmers to challenge corporate power

Wabash Case (1886)

a Supreme Court decision that ruled states could not regulate interstate railroad commerce; highlighted the need for federal regulation and led to the Interstate Commerce Act

Farmers Alliance

a farmers’ organization that supported economic reforms such as railroad regulation and monetary change; laid the foundation for the Populist movement in the 1890s

Pendleton Act (1881)

a federal law that required civil service exams for certain government jobs; reduced patronage and corruption in the federal government

Interstate Commerce Act (1886)

a federal law that regulated railroad practices and rates; represented the first attempt by the federal government to regulate big businesses

Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

a federal law that prohibited monopolies and restraints on trade; established the principle that the federal government could limit corporate power

McKinley Tariff (1890)

Panic of 1893

Coxey’s Army

The Populist Party

Cross of Gold Speech

Knights of Labor

a national labor union open to skilled and unskilled workers that advocated for broad economic reforms; represented early efforts to unite workers, but lost public support

Haymarket Bombing (1886)

a bombing at a labor protest in Chicago that resulted in the deaths of police officers; increased fear of labor radicalism and weakened public support for labor unions

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

a labor union of skilled workers focused on practical goals such as higher wages and shorter hours; became the most successful labor union due to its moderate approach

Homestead Strike (1892)

a violent labor strike at Carnegie Steel following wage reductions; showed the power of industrial management over labor unions and weakened organized labor