Vocab test list

New South

Refers to the post-Civil War South that aimed for economic diversification and modernization.

Sharecropping

A system where farmers work land owned by someone else in exchange for a share of the crops.

Redeemers

Southern Democrats who aimed to regain control of the South after Reconstruction.

Civil Rights Cases of 1883

A group of cases in which the Supreme Court ruled against the Civil Rights Act of 1875, limiting the federal government's ability to stop discrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Jim Crow Laws

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

Literacy Tests

Examinations required to be eligible to vote, often used to disenfranchise Black voters.

Poll Taxes

Fees required for voting, often used to restrict access for low-income individuals, particularly African Americans.

Grandfather Clauses

Laws that allowed individuals to bypass literacy tests and poll taxes if their grandfathers had been eligible to vote before the Civil War.

Ida B. Wells

African American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States.

Exodusters

African Americans who moved to Kansas in the late 19th century to escape the South.

Booker T. Washington

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

Tuskegee Institute

Vocational college founded by Booker T. Washington to educate African Americans.

Atlanta Compromise

Agreement that Black people would work and submit to white political rule in exchange for basic education and due process.

W.E.B. Du Bois

African American scholar who opposed Booker T. Washington and advocated for civil rights.

Talented Tenth

W.E.B. Du Bois's concept of the leadership class of African Americans who should have access to higher education.

Bessemer Process

A process for making steel by blowing air through molten iron to remove impurities.

Thomas Edison

Inventor known for developing the electric light bulb and many other inventions.

George Westinghouse

Industrialist who developed the alternating current (AC) electrical system.

Gustavus Swift

Pioneer in the meatpacking industry known for developing refrigerated railroad cars.

Consumer Economy/Culture

An economy that emphasizes the consumption of goods and services.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Business magnate who made his wealth in railroads and shipping.

J.P. Morgan

Financier and banker who helped to consolidate industries and was a major player in the banking sector.

Andrew Carnegie

Industrialist who led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century.

John D. Rockefeller/Standard Oil Trust

Founder of the Standard Oil Company, known for monopolizing the oil industry.

Monopoly

Market structure characterized by a single seller, selling a unique product.

Trust

A combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement.

Horizontal Integration

The acquisition of a company at the same level of the supply chain.

Vertical Integration

The combination of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate companies.

Holding Company

A company created to buy and own the shares of other companies.

Laissez-faire Capitalism

Economic system where the government has minimal intervention in the economy.

Adam Smith

Economist known for his work 'The Wealth of Nations' and the concept of the invisible hand.

Social Darwinism

The application of Darwinian concepts of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues.

William Graham Sumner

Sociologist who promoted the idea of Social Darwinism.

Horatio Alger

Author known for his young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise to middle-class society.

Gilded Age

Period of American history from the 1870s to about 1900 characterized by economic growth and widespread corruption.

Iron Law of Wages

Economic theory that wage levels tend to stabilize around a subsistence level.

Unions (Organized Labor)

Associations of workers formed to protect and advance their rights and interests.

Collective Bargaining

Negotiation process between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working conditions.

Knights of Labor/Terence Powderly

An early labor union that sought to organize all workers regardless of skill level, gender, or race.

American Federation of Labor/Samuel Gompers

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

Great Railroad Strike, 1877

A nationwide railroad strike that began in response to wage cuts.

Haymarket Square Bombing, 1890

A bombing that took place during a labor rally in Chicago, leading to a backlash against labor movements.

Homestead Steel Strike (Lockout), 1892

A violent labor dispute at Carnegie's steel plant in Pennsylvania.

Pullman Strike, 1894

A nationwide railroad strike that resulted from wage cuts and high rents in company-owned housing.

Eugene V. Debs

Labor leader and socialist who was a key figure in the Pullman Strike.

Old Immigrants

Immigrants arriving in the United States before the 1880s, primarily from Northern and Western Europe.

New Immigrants

Immigrants arriving in the United States after the 1880s, primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Streetcar Suburbs

Residential areas that developed near streetcar lines in cities.

Tenements

Poorly built, overcrowded housing where many immigrants lived.

Ethnic Enclaves

Communities where people of the same ethnic background live and work.

Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882

Federal law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers.

Ellis Island

An immigration station in New York Harbor where millions of immigrants entered the United States.

Political Machines/Bosses

Politically organized bodies that control electoral outcomes, often associated with corruption.

Tammany Hall

A New York City political organization known for its influence over local politics.

William 'Boss' Tweed

Leader of Tammany Hall who was convicted of corruption.

Settlement Houses

Community centers established in poor urban areas to provide social services.

Jane Addams/Hull House

Founder of Hull House, a pioneer settlement house in Chicago.

Americanization (melting pot)

The process of assimilating immigrants into American culture.

White Collar Workers/Middle Class

Professionals and office workers who typically earned a salary rather than wages.

Gospel of Wealth

The idea that wealthy individuals have a responsibility to use their wealth for the greater good.

City Beautiful Movement

A movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that aimed to introduce beautification and monumental grandeur in cities.

Henry George/Progress and Poverty

An economist known for his book 'Progress and Poverty' that argued for land value taxation.

Edward Bellamy/Looking Backward

Author of the utopian novel 'Looking Backward', which envisioned a future society.

Social Gospel Movement

A religious movement that emphasized the role of Christianity in addressing social issues.

Walter Rauschenbusch

A leading figure of the Social Gospel Movement who sought to apply Christian ethics to social problems.

Crédit Mobilier Scandal

A political scandal involving the Union Pacific Railroad and its associated grant recipients.

Interstate Commerce Act, 1887

Federal law designed to regulate the railroad industry and prevent monopolistic practices.

Sherman Antitrust Act, 1890

A landmark federal statute that aimed to prevent monopolies and promote competition.

Pendleton Civil Service Act, 1883

Legislation that mandated that government jobs be awarded on merit rather than political affiliation.

Soft Money/Free Silver

Term referring to policies favoring more money in circulation and the use of silver as currency.

Hard Money/Gold Standard

Economic term referring to currency backed by gold, restricting the money supply.

Greenbacks

Paper currency issued during the Civil War that was not backed by gold or silver.

Crime of 1873

Refers to the act that ended the minting of silver coins and placed the U.S. firmly on the gold standard.

Bland-Allison Act

Federal law requiring the U.S. Treasury to buy and mint silver.

Party Patronage

The practice of giving government jobs to supporters in return for political support.

Mugwumps

Republican reformers who supported Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland in the 1884 election.

Waving the 'Bloody Shirt'

A political tactic used by Republicans to remind voters of the Civil War and the Democrats' role in it.

The 'Solid South'

Refers to the electoral support of Southern states for Democratic candidates after Reconstruction.

People’s Party (Populists)

A political party formed in the 1890s representing the interests of farmers and laborers.

Omaha Platform

The 1892 platform of the People's Party that advocated for various reforms including direct election of Senators.

Panic of 1893

A serious economic depression that began in 1893.

Coxey’s Army

A protest march by unemployed workers from the United States that took place in Washington, D.C. in 1894.

Election of 1896

A presidential election where William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan.

William Jennings Bryan

Democratic candidate who ran for president in 1896 and was known for his 'Cross of Gold' speech.

'Cross of Gold' speech

A famous speech by William Jennings Bryan advocating for free silver.

William McKinley

Republican candidate who won the 1896 presidential election and supported the gold standard.