Period 6: Key Terms from the Gilded Age and Progressive Era APUSH

Gilded Age

A period in U.S. history from the 1870s to about 1900 characterized by rapid economic growth and ostentatious wealth.

Social Darwinism

A theory that applies the concept of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues, often used to justify inequality.

Chester Arthur

The 21st President of the United States, serving from 1881 to 1885.

Mark Twain

An American author known for his novels 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.'

Social Gospel

A religious movement that emerged in the late 19th century advocating for social justice and reform based on Christian ethics.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

A law enacted in 1883 that established a merit-based system for federal employment.

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War during which the Southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union.

Gospel of Wealth

An essay by Andrew Carnegie that argued wealthy individuals have a responsibility to use their wealth for the greater good.

Grover Cleveland

The 22nd and 24th President of the United States, known for his opposition to high tariffs and support for the gold standard.

Postal Service

The governmental agency responsible for mail delivery and related services in the United States.

William Graham Sumner

An American sociologist and advocate of Social Darwinism.

Mudslinger

A person who engages in malicious or slanderous criticism, especially in politics.

Iron Horse

A term used to describe the steam locomotive, symbolizing the expansion of railroads in the U.S.

Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production and the pursuit of profit.

16th Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that allows Congress to levy an income tax.

Union Pacific Railroad

A major railroad company in the United States that built the first transcontinental railroad.

Sherman Antitrust Act

A federal law passed in 1890 aimed at preventing monopolies and promoting competition.

Populist Party

A political party in the late 19th century that represented the interests of farmers and laborers.

Central Pacific Railroad

A railroad company that built a portion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.

Trinity College

An institution of higher education located in Hartford, Connecticut.

Homestead Strike

A violent labor dispute in 1892 between the Carnegie Steel Company and its workers.

Paddies

A term used to refer to Irish laborers, especially those who worked in the United States.

Unions

Organizations formed by workers to advocate for their rights and interests.

Literacy Test

A test administered to determine a person's reading and writing skills, often used to restrict voting rights.

Chinese Laborers

Workers from China who were instrumental in building railroads and working in various industries in the U.S.

Unequal Distribution of Wealth

A situation where wealth is distributed unevenly among a population, leading to economic disparity.

Poll Tax

A tax levied as a prerequisite for voting, often used to disenfranchise poor and minority voters.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

An industrial giant known for his contributions to the railroad and shipping industries.

Lockout

A situation where employers prevent workers from entering the workplace during a labor dispute.

William McKinley

The 25th President of the United States, known for leading the nation during the Spanish-American War.

Captains of Industry

Business leaders whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributed positively to the country in some way.

Walkout

A form of protest where workers leave their jobs to express dissatisfaction with working conditions.

Macy's (Dept. Store)

A prominent American department store chain known for its retail operations.

Pullman Palace (Cars)

Luxury railroad cars manufactured by the Pullman Company, known for their comfort.

Blacklist

A list of individuals or organizations that are denied employment or other opportunities due to their actions or beliefs.

Push/Pull Factor

Factors that drive people away from their home country (push) and attract them to a new country (pull).

Time Zones

Regions of the Earth that have the same standard time, established to aid in scheduling railroads.

Boycott

A protest in which individuals refuse to buy goods or services from a company to express disapproval.

Jane Addams

A social reformer and activist known for founding Hull House and her work in social justice.

Interstate Commerce Act

A law passed in 1887 to regulate railroad rates and practices.

Knights of Labor

An influential labor organization in the late 19th century that sought to unite all workers.

Hull House

A settlement house founded by Jane Addams in Chicago to provide social services to immigrants.

Nativists

Individuals who favor the interests of native-born inhabitants over those of immigrants.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

A regulatory agency created to oversee railroad operations and ensure fair rates.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A national federation of labor unions in the United States, founded in 1886.

Alexander Graham Bell

An inventor best known for inventing the telephone.

Samuel Gompers

A labor leader and founder of the American Federation of Labor.

American Protection Agency (APA)

An organization that sought to limit immigration and promote American nationalism.

Hello Girls

Female telephone operators who played a crucial role in the early telephone industry.

William "Boss" Tweed

A political leader known for his corrupt practices in New York City during the 19th century.

Booker T. Washington

An African American educator and leader who advocated for vocational education and economic self-reliance.

Thomas Edison

An American inventor known for developing the electric light bulb and phonograph.

HGACHC

An acronym that may refer to a specific historical context or organization, requiring further clarification.

W.E.B Du Bois

An African American sociologist and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP.

John D. Rockefeller

An industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Standard Oil Company.

Rutherford Hayes

The 19th President of the United States, known for ending Reconstruction.

NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded to fight for civil rights.

Standard Oil Company

An oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company founded by John D. Rockefeller.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Morrill Land (Grant Act)

A law that provided federal land to states to fund higher education institutions.

Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie, a steel magnate and philanthropist known for his contributions to the steel industry.

The Compromise of 1877

An agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election and ended Reconstruction.

Louis Pasteur

A French biologist known for his discoveries in microbiology and vaccination.

Vertical Integration

A business strategy where a company controls multiple stages of production.

Plessy v. Ferguson

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Yellow Journalism

A style of sensationalist reporting that exaggerates news to attract readers.

Horizontal Integration

A business strategy where a company acquires or merges with competitors to increase market share.

"Separate But Equal"

A legal doctrine that justified racial segregation, established by Plessy v. Ferguson.

Joseph Pulitzer

A newspaper publisher known for establishing the Pulitzer Prizes and promoting investigative journalism.

Trust

A legal arrangement where multiple companies are managed as a single entity to reduce competition.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

A federal law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States.

Emily Dickinson

An American poet known for her unique and introspective poetry.

JP Morgan

A powerful banker and financier who played a key role in the reorganization of several major industries.

James A. Garfield

The 20th President of the United States, assassinated in 1881.

Huckleberry Finn

A novel by Mark Twain that explores themes of race and identity in pre-Civil War America.

Ida B. Wells

An African American journalist and activist known for her anti-lynching campaigns.

Corruption

Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, often involving bribery.

Illegal

Something that is forbidden by law.

(American) Woman Suffrage Association

An organization formed to advocate for women's right to vote.

Millionaire

An individual whose net worth is at least one million units of currency.

Prohibition

A nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages.

South or Eastern Europe

Regions of Europe that were significant sources of immigrants to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

18th Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.

Pittsburg

A city in Pennsylvania known for its historical significance in steel production.

Progressives

A political movement in the early 20th century advocating for social reform and government intervention.

Black Gold

A term used to refer to oil, emphasizing its value as a natural resource.

Jacob Riis

A journalist and social reformer known for his work on urban poverty and living conditions.

James Buchanan Duke

An American tobacco and electric power magnate.

Theodore Roosevelt

The 26th President of the United States, known for his progressive policies and conservation efforts.

Industrial Revolution

A period of major industrialization in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that transformed economies.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices during the Progressive Era.

Colored National Labor Union

A labor organization that sought to represent African American workers.

Ida Tarbell

A journalist known for her investigative reporting on the Standard Oil Company.

Labor Day

A federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor workers.

17th Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that established the direct election of U.S. Senators.

Ulysses S. Grant

The 18th President of the United States and a Union general during the Civil War.

Trustbuster

A person or government official who seeks to break up monopolies and trusts.

Bloody Shirts

A term used to describe the political strategy of using the memory of the Civil War to gain votes.

Hepburn Act (of 1906)

A law that strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission's ability to regulate railroad rates.

Whiskey Ring

A scandal during the Grant administration involving government officials and whiskey distillers.