APUSH UNIT 6 (GILDED AGE)

Bessemer process

A method for producing steel cheaply by removing impurities from iron, allowing mass steel production.

Growth of Steel Industry

Rapid expansion of steel production in the late 1800s that fueled railroads, skyscrapers, and industrial growth.

Henry Ford

An industrialist who revolutionized manufacturing by using the assembly line to mass-produce affordable automobiles.

Taylorism

A system of scientific management that increased efficiency by breaking tasks into simple, timed steps.

Assembly line

A production method where workers perform repetitive tasks as products move along a conveyor, greatly increasing output.

Railroad expansion

Massive growth of railroads that connected markets, transported goods, and stimulated industrial and economic growth.

Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Steel

Industrialist who dominated the steel industry and became one of the wealthiest men in America.

John D. Rockefeller & Standard Oil

Oil tycoon who built a monopoly by controlling refining, transportation, and distribution of oil.

Robber Baron vs. Captain of Industry

Debate over whether industrial leaders exploited workers for personal gain or helped grow the economy.

Horizontal and vertical integration

Business strategies where companies control competitors (horizontal) or all stages of production (vertical).

Trusts & Monopolies

Large business organizations that reduced competition by controlling entire industries.

"Self Made" men

Industrial leaders who claimed success through hard work, often ignoring inherited advantages and worker exploitation.

Social Darwinism

The belief that economic success reflected natural superiority and justified wealth inequality.

Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie's belief that the wealthy had a moral duty to use their money to benefit society.

Deteriorating working conditions

Poor factory conditions including long hours, low wages, unsafe environments, and child labor.

Labor Unions

Organizations formed by workers to protect their rights through collective bargaining.

Knights of Labor

A labor union open to all workers that sought broad reforms such as higher wages and shorter hours.

The AFL/Samuel Gompers

A labor union focused on skilled workers and practical goals like higher pay and better conditions.

Railroad Strike of 1877

A nationwide strike protesting wage cuts that was crushed by federal troops.

Haymarket Bombing

A labor protest in Chicago that turned violent after a bomb exploded, damaging the labor movement's reputation.

Homestead Strike

A violent strike at Carnegie's steel plant where workers protested wage cuts and lost after state intervention.

Pullman Strike/Eugene Debs

A nationwide railroad strike led by Debs that was ended by federal troops, weakening labor unions.

Rapid urban growth

Expansion of cities due to industrial jobs and immigration during the late 19th century.

Immigrant pressure to assimilate

Expectation that immigrants abandon native cultures and adopt American language and customs.

Attempts to limit immigration

Laws and movements aimed at restricting immigration, especially from Southern and Eastern Europe and Asia.

Tenement Housing

Overcrowded, poorly maintained apartment buildings that housed urban working-class families.

Jacob Riis & How the Other Half Lives

A reformer who exposed urban poverty through photography and writing, promoting social reform.

Political Machines

Powerful city organizations that provided services in exchange for political loyalty.

Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall

A corrupt political leader and organization that controlled New York City politics through bribery and fraud.

Growth of the Middle Class

Expansion of clerical, professional, and managerial jobs due to industrialization.

Gilded Age Democrats v. Republicans

Political divide where Democrats favored limited government and Republicans supported business interests.

Sherman Antitrust Act

A federal law banning monopolies and practices that restrained trade.

Interstate Commerce Act

Law that regulated railroad rates and established the first federal regulatory agency.

Grangers/Grange Movement

Farmers who organized to protest railroad rates and unfair business practices.

Farmers' Alliance

A movement that sought government action to help farmers through regulation and monetary reform.

Populist Party

A political party that represented farmers and workers, calling for reforms like income tax and direct election of senators.