Time Period 6 (1877-1898) Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover the key historical developments of Time Period 6 (1877-1898), focusing on the rise of industrial capitalism, labor movements, South and West transformations, and critical legal and social reforms from the lecture transcript.

What characterizes the shift in the United States economy shortly after the Civil War during the period from $1865$ to $1898$?

The United States underwent a rapid burst of industrialization, shifting from an agrarian society to a capitalist one, driven by technological advancements and railroad expansion.

According to the transcript, what are holding companies?

Companies that hold other companies’ stock to redesign financial management and maximize profits.

What is the definition of Laissez-faire government policy mentioned in the notes?

A ‘hands off’ policy where the government would not interfere in the economy.

What were the primary drivers for international immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and Asia to the United States?

Seeking better opportunities or being pushed out by poverty, political tensions, or religious persecution.

In the context of the steel industry, what was the result of advanced technology?

It made steel a lot stronger and cheaper, increasing productivity in large scale industries.

Who were the members of the ‘Knotvith of labor’ led by terrace powder?

Skilled and unskilled workers, women and african american; its downfall was the Haymarket Square Riot.

What was the specific focus of the American Federation of labor led by Samuel Gompers?

Skilled workers only, focusing on ‘bread and butter issues’ such as improving working conditions and wages.

What did Henry grady, editor of the Atlantic constitutions, call for regarding the ‘new south’?

Increased industrialization in the South, leading to the appearance of textile factories.

How is a monopoly defined in the transcript?

Occurs when a single company or entity has exclusive control over a market or industry, allowing it to dictate prices and eliminate competition.

What was the purpose of the Pacific Railway Acts?

The government provided $ext{money}$ and land for the construction of railroads (RRS).

What is Taylorism as developed by Frederick Talyor?

A system focused on improving efficiency by using timed tasks and assigned specific tasks for workers.

What policy did the US seek in China in $1899$ regarding trade?

The Open Door policy, which sought to allow the US to trade freely with China.

Which business strategy did Andrew Carnegie use to control every step of the industrial process?

Vertical integrations.

Which strategy did John D Rockfeller use to bring companies of the same industry under a single corporate umbrella?

Horizontal integrations.

What was the first billion dollar corporation in the United States, created by J.P Morgan?

U.S Steel.

What was the goal of the Populist Party, also known as the People's Party?

To represent the interests of farmers and laborers against elites, advocating for reforms like direct election of senators and government ownership of railroads.

How does the transcript describe the sharecropping system?

A system where landowners leased land to farmworkers in return for a portion of their crops, often leading to a cycle of debt with interest rates as high as $$50 ext{\%}$ $.

Who were the ‘redeemers’ in the post-Reconstruction South?

White Democratic Party leaders who sought to save the region from Republican rule and restore a social system based on white supremacy.

What did the Mississippi Plan ($1890$) require citizens to do in order to vote?

Display a receipt proving they paid a poll tax and pass a literacy test by reading and interpreting the Constitution.

What was the ruling in the Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson ($1896$)?

It upheld segregation by approving ‘separate but equal’ railroad facilities, allowing Jim Crow laws to spread.

What was the significance of the Chinese Exclusion Act of $1882$?

It was the first law enacted to exclude a specific ethnic or racial group from immigrating to the U.S., suspending immigration of Chinese laborers.

What event in $1890$ marked the end of the major Native American frontier wars?

The Battle of Wounded Knee, which was really a massacre of over $200$ people by the US Army.

What was the objective of the Dawes Severalty Act ($1887$)?

To ‘civilize’ Native Americans by dissolving tribes and dividing tribal lands into individual homesteads of $160$ acres.

What did Frederick Jackson Turner argue in his $1893$ thesis ‘The significance of the frontier in America history’?

He argued the frontier ended in $1890$ and emphasized its importance on American identity as a ‘safety valve’ for discontent.

How did W.E.B. Du Bois’s philosophy differ from Booker T. Washington’s?

Du Bois advocated for ‘ceaseless agitation’ and immediate political rights, whereas Washington supported gradual progress through vocational education and economic success.

What did the Sherman antitrust act of $1890$ outlaw?

Trusts and other monopolies that fix prices and restrained trade, though it was initially ineffective and used to attack labor unions.

What were ‘Yellow dog contracts’ used by corporations?

Agreements where workers were forced to promise they would not join a union.

What was the first major interstate strike in America that signaled a period of violent labor confrontations?

The Great Railroad Strike of $1877$, which was ended by federal troops under Rutherford B Hayes.