APUSH Unit 6: The Gilded Age (1865-1898)

Large-scale industries

Industries such as railroads, steel mills, and mining that required significant capital investment.

Advancements in technology

Technological innovations and improved transportation systems that transformed American society and increased productivity.

Expansion of markets

The growth of domestic and international markets connected by railroads, steamships, telegraphs, and telephones.

Pro-growth government policies

Government policies that protected property rights, refrained from regulating business operations, and supported domestic manufacturers with high tariffs and subsidies.

Migration and urbanization

The movement of people from rural areas and foreign countries to industrialized cities, leading to urban growth and cultural diversity.

Reform movements

Social and political movements that emerged in response to rapid economic and cultural changes, advocating for changes in economic, political, and cultural institutions.

Westward expansion

The government's investment in transportation and communication systems, particularly the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, which connected the East and West coasts of the United States.

Mining frontier

The significant role of mining in attracting people to the West, the creation of boomtowns, and the impact of large corporations on small-scale miners.

Chinese Exclusion Act

The discriminatory act passed by Congress in 1882 that suspended immigration of Chinese laborers and restricted the rights of Chinese immigrants.

Agricultural frontier

The impact of the Homestead Act and technological innovations on the growth of agriculture in the West, as well as the challenges faced by small farmers.

Cattle frontier

The dominance of cattle ranching in the open range and the role of railroads in transporting cattle to eastern markets.

Grange movement

A farmers' organization that aimed to provide a sense of community and resist monopolistic practices of large corporations.

Ocala Platform

The political initiatives established by farmers' alliances, including direct election of US senators, lower tariff rates, and a new banking system regulated by the federal government.

One Big Reservation Policy

The US government's policy of concentrating Native American tribes on specific reservations to clear the way for white settlement in the West.

Sand Creek Massacre

The 1864 attack on Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes by Colorado military forces, resulting in the killing and scalping of tribe members, including women and children.

Battle of Little Bighorn

The 1876 battle between US Army forces led by Custer and Sioux warriors, resulting in the defeat and death of Custer and his men.

Ghost Dances

A religious movement among Native American tribes in the late 19th century, believed to bring back deceased ancestors and restore Native American lands and way of life.

Ghost Dance Movement

A religious movement among Native American tribes in the late 1800s that promised to restore Native American lands and bring back the bison, while causing the white settlers to disappear.

Wounded Knee Massacre

The killing of about 200 men, women, and children of the Sioux tribe by the US Army in 1890, during their attempt to stop the Ghost Dance movement.

Assimilation

The US government's policy of forcing Native Americans to adopt white American culture and breaking up tribal sovereignty through means such as boarding schools and violating treaties.

Dawes Act

A federal law passed in 1887 that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by redistributing their lands and confining them to reservations, resulting in the loss of much of their land and population.

Hardships of the Farming Frontier

The difficulties faced by settlers in the West, particularly farmers, due to falling prices for agricultural goods, rising railroad rates, and the dominance of monopolistic trusts.

New South

A vision for a self-sufficient southern economy built on modern capitalist values, industrial growth, and improved transportation, promoted by some southerners after the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Sharecropping

An agricultural system in which landowners provide resources to farmers in return for a portion of the profits made from their crops, often leaving former slaves with no choice but to work as tenants for white landowners.

Voter Suppression

Various political and legal devices, such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses, used to prevent African Americans from voting in the South.

Booker T

An influential African American educator and leader who advocated for vocational education and accommodation as a means to improve the economic status of African Americans.

WEB DuBois

A contemporary of Booker T. Washington who advocated for immediate civil rights and higher education for African Americans, co-founded the NAACP, and wrote influential works such as "The Souls of Black Folk."

Technological Innovation

The use of new technologies, such as steam engines, kerosene, and electricity, in manufacturing and production, leading to increased output power and efficiency during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Telegraph

A communication device invented by Samuel F.B. Morse in 1844 that allowed for faster and more efficient communication over long distances.

Telephone

An invention by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 that allowed people to speak to each other directly over long distances, revolutionizing communication.

High speed spindle

A technological innovation that transformed the clothing industry in the late 19th century, allowing for increased efficiency and productivity in clothing manufacturing.

Automatic looms

Technological advancements in the clothing industry that made it possible to produce ready-made clothes for the masses, increasing the affordability and accessibility of clothing.

Electric sewing machines

Innovations in the clothing industry that improved the efficiency and productivity of clothing manufacturing, making it more affordable for people to purchase clothes.

Bessemer process

A new process of mass-producing steel developed by Henry Bessemer, which led to the rise of the steel industry.

Vertical integration

A business practice used by Andrew Carnegie in which a company controls every stage of the industrial process, from mining raw materials to transporting the finished product.

Standard Oil

A large corporation founded by John D. Rockefeller that controlled a significant portion of the oil refinery business, becoming a monopoly.

Trust

An organization or board that manages the assets of other companies, such as the Standard Oil Trust.

Laissez-faire capitalism

An economic philosophy that argues for minimal government intervention in business, based on the idea that businesses will be motivated by their own self-interest to offer improved goods and services at low prices.

Industrialization

The rapid growth of large factories and big businesses during the Gilded Age, leading to economic inequality.

Economic inequality

The significant gap between the wealthy and the poor that resulted from industrialization and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a small group of industrialists and business leaders.

Labor unions

Organizations formed by workers to improve their working conditions, wages, and labor rights.

Anti-Union Techniques

Strategies used by management to suppress worker strikes, including lockouts, blacklists, yellow-dog contracts, private guards and state militia, and court injunctions.

National Labor Union

The first attempt to organize all workers in all states, fighting for better rights and working conditions for all workers.

Knights of Labor

A labor union that accepted all workers regardless of skill, race, or gender, advocating for the 8-hour workday, abolishing child labor, and settling labor disputes through arbitration.

Haymarket Riot

A violent labor protest in Chicago that led to a backlash against labor unions and weakened the Knights of Labor.

American Federation of Labor

One of the most influential labor unions, focused on better wages and working conditions.

Homestead Strike of 1892

A strike by workers at Carnegie's Homestead Steel Mill, resulting in a violent clash between workers and private guards.

Pullman Strike of 1894

A strike by railroad workers protesting wage cuts and poor working conditions, which was broken up by federal troops.

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

A nationwide strike by railroad workers that spread to other industries and led to the government taking a more aggressive stance towards labor unions.

Immigration

The movement of people from one country to another.

Push Factors

Negative factors or conditions that drive people to leave their home country and migrate to another country.

Pull Factors

Positive conditions or factors that attract people to migrate to a particular country.

Old Immigrants

Immigrants who came to the US primarily before the 1890s, mostly from Northern and Western Europe.

New Immigrants

Immigrants who came to the US beginning in the 1890s, primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Asian Immigrants

Immigrants from Asia, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Filipino immigrants.

Urbanization

The process of the growth of cities and the shift of people from rural to urban areas.

Americanization

The process of assimilating immigrants into American society and promoting national unity.

Nativism

The opposition to immigration, fueled by economic and cultural factors.

Social Darwinism

The belief that the wealthy and powerful are naturally superior and deserve their success, often used to justify the exploitation of immigrants and marginalized groups.

Opposition to Immigration

Various groups that supported efforts to restrict immigration, including labor unions, employers, nativists, and social Darwinists.

Restrictions on Chinese & Other Immigrants

The first major laws limiting immigration based on race and nationality, targeting Chinese immigrants in particular.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Legislation passed in 1882 that banned all new immigration from China until 1965.

Contract Labor Law

Law passed in 1885 that restricted temporary workers to protect American workers from competition.

Political Machines

Tightly organized groups of politicians in cities that gained the loyalty of newly arrived immigrants and provided government jobs in exchange for votes.

Settlement Houses

Places where young reformers lived and worked in immigrant neighborhoods to provide social services and help immigrants assimilate.

Ethnic Enclaves

Neighborhoods where people of a particular ethnic or national background lived together, providing a sense of community and support.

Dumbbell Tenement

Type of apartment building built in response to the Tenement House Act of 1870, characterized by a narrow shape and air shaft between buildings.

Muckrakers

Journalists and reformers who exposed the realities of life in slums and tenements to bring about urban reform.

Nativists

Individuals who believed in the superiority of native-born Americans and spoke out against unregulated immigration.

Middle Class

Social class composed of white-collar workers, small business owners, and professionals who had increased purchasing power and contributed to consumer culture.

Gospel of Wealth

Belief held by wealthy individuals during the Gilded Age that they had a moral obligation to use their wealth for the greater good.

Women's Roles in the Workforce

Limited opportunities for women in managerial positions, but some succeeded in business and industry, such as Madam C.J. Walker, Lillian Dickson, and Carrie Catt.

Mary Elizabeth Garrett

American philanthropist and women's suffrage supporter, played a key role in founding Bryn Mawr College and Johns Hopkins Medical School.

Clerical Jobs

Jobs primarily held by single, middle-class women, such as stenographers, typists, and bookkeepers, who faced discrimination and lower pay compared to men.

Reform in the Gilded Age

Period of rapid industrialization and urbanization in the United States, marked by economic growth, political corruption, and social reform movements.

Muckrakers

Journalists and writers who exposed social and economic problems of the Gilded Age, contributing to calls for reform.

Religion & Society

Roman Catholicism grew due to European immigration, and religious figures like Cardinal James Gibbons and Dwight Moody played prominent roles in advocating for social reform.

Women's Suffrage

Movement advocating for women's right to vote, led by organizations like the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and influenced by court cases like Minor v. Happersett.

Temperance Movement

Advocated for the prohibition of alcohol, led by organizations like the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Anti-Saloon League (ASL).

Social Workers

Individuals who worked in settlement houses, providing services to the urban poor and contributing to the progressive movement.

Literature & Arts

New Realism and Naturalism emerged in literature, with authors like Mark Twain, Jack London, and Stephen Crane depicting realistic aspects of American society.

Role of Government in the Gilded Age

Government played a role in promoting economic growth, regulating business, and providing subsidies to industries like railroads, while also adhering to a laissez-faire ideology.

Federal Land Grants

Government subsidies provided to railroad companies through the granting of land, leading to both positive economic growth and negative consequences such as corruption and environmental damage.

Interstate Commerce Act of 1887

Legislation aimed at regulating the railroad industry and preventing discrimination and unjust rates.

Interstate Commerce Act

The federal law passed in 1887 to regulate railroad rates and establish the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to enforce the act and investigate complaints.

Wabash v Illinois (1886)

The Supreme Court case that declared individual states could not regulate commerce, leading to the passage of the Interstate Commerce Act.

Sherman Antitrust Act

The federal law passed in 1890 to prohibit any contract, combination, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce among the several states or with foreign nations, aimed at breaking up monopolies and promoting competition.

Pendleton Act

The federal law passed in 1881 to establish the Civil Service Commission and implement a system of merit-based appointments for federal government jobs, reducing political patronage.

Easy money vs Hard money

The debate over the appropriate monetary policy during the late 19th century, with advocates of "easy" money supporting an increase in the money supply and advocates of "hard" money supporting a currency backed by gold.

Greenback Party

A political party that emerged in the late 19th century, opposing the shift from paper money to a specie-based monetary system and advocating for government control of the monetary system.

Crime of 1873

Refers to the decision by Congress to stop coining silver, leading to demands for the unlimited coinage of silver and the passage of the Bland-Allison Act in 1878.

Tariff Issue

The debate over protective tariffs in the late 19th century, with Southern and Northern Democrats opposing the tariffs and other countries raising their tariffs in response, leading to economic tension between different regions of the country.

Stalwarts, Mugwumps, & Halfbreeds

Political factions within the Republican Party during the Gilded Age, with Stalwarts supporting the patronage system, Halfbreeds opposing it, and Mugwumps sitting on the fence.

Presidential Politics

Key presidents during the Gilded Age, including Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, and Grover Cleveland.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

The federal law passed in 1883 to reform the civil service by creating the Civil Service Commission and appointing officeholders based on merit.

Silver

The debate over the use of silver as a monetary standard, with demands for the unlimited coinage of silver and the passage of the Bland-Allison Act in 1878.

Populist Party

A political party that emerged in the late 19th century, advocating for political and economic reforms such as the direct popular election of US senators, unlimited coinage of silver, and public ownership of railroads.

Panic of 1893

A severe economic depression that began with a stock market panic and led to widespread business failures, unemployment, and bank closures.

Coxey's Army

A protest march led by Jacob Coxey in 1894, calling for government intervention to create jobs during the Panic of 1893.

Coxey Good Roads Bill

Legislation proposed by Jacob Coxey to authorize the printing of $500 million in paper money for financing road construction and providing jobs for the unemployed.