APSUH Unit 6 ID Terms

Political machine

A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity.

Boss Tweed

A prominent political figure and head of Tammany Hall, known for corruption in New York City during the late 19th century.

Urbanization

The process by which rural areas become urbanized as a result of economic development and population growth.

Homestead Act

A 1862 law that granted 160 acres of public land to settlers, provided they live on and improve the land for five years.

Pacific Railway Act

Acts passed by Congress in the 1860s that promoted the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

The first significant law restricting immigration to the United States, which specifically prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country.

The Long Drive

The herding of cattle over long distances to railheads in Kansas, Texas, and other states in the late 19th century.

Dawes Severalty Act

A law enacted in 1887 that aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society by allotting them individual plots of land.

Massacre at Wounded Knee

The 1890 killing of hundreds of Lakota Sioux by U.S. troops, marking the end of an era of armed conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. government.

Battle of Little Big Horn

The 1876 battle in which General Custer and his troops were defeated by an alliance of Native American tribes.

Exodusters

African Americans who migrated to Kansas in the late 19th century to escape racial oppression in the South.

Social Darwinism

The belief that societies progress through natural selection, and that the wealthy are superior to the poor.

Gospel of Wealth

An idea promoted by Andrew Carnegie that the wealthy have a moral obligation to distribute their wealth for the benefit of society.

Laissez-faire

An economic theory that opposes government intervention in business affairs.

Andrew Carnegie

A Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who led the expansion of the steel industry in the late 19th century.

John D. Rockefeller

An American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Standard Oil Company and became one of the richest men in history.

Standard Oil

A monopoly established by John D. Rockefeller that controlled the oil industry and dominated U.S. petroleum production.

Trust

A large business entity or conglomerate that often has significant control over a market, typically formed to limit competition.

American Federation of Labor

A national federation of labor unions in the United States founded in 1886, focusing on skilled labor and collective bargaining.

Horatio Alger Myth

The belief that anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination, often attributed to the works of Horatio Alger.

Knights of Labor

An influential labor organization in the late 19th century that sought to unite all workers, regardless of skill level.

Samuel Gompers

The founder of the American Federation of Labor and a key figure in the labor movement in the United States.

Eugene Debs

A labor leader and socialist who founded the Industrial Workers of the World and ran for president multiple times.

Great Railroad Strike 1877

A series of violent rail strikes in July 1877 that were sparked by wage cuts and resulted in significant unrest.

Homestead Strike

A 1892 strike against the Homestead Steel Works, leading to violent clashes between strikers and private security.

Scientific Management

A management theory developed by Frederick Taylor that analyzes workflows to improve efficiency.

Frederick Taylor

An American engineer and management consultant known as the father of scientific management.

Populist Party

A political movement in the late 19th century advocating for the rights and power of farmers and laborers.

The Grangers

A group of farmers organized in the late 19th century to advocate for agricultural interests and regulate railroad rates.

Election of 1896

A pivotal election in U.S. history where William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan, highlighting tensions between urban and rural interests.

William Jennings Bryan

A political figure known for his advocacy for populist causes and charismatic speeches, particularly during the 1896 presidential campaign.

The “New” Immigration

The wave of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe that arrived in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

US vs. Won Kim Ark

A landmark Supreme Court case that affirmed birthright citizenship for those born in the United States, regardless of their parents' nationality.

Jim Crow

Laws enacted in the South that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans after the Civil War.

Plessy vs. Ferguson

The 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Grandfather Clause

A law that allowed individuals to bypass literacy tests and poll taxes if their grandfathers had the right to vote prior to 1867.

Literacy Tests

Tests requiring reading and writing skills, used to disenfranchise racial minorities and poor voters in the South.

Poll Taxes

Fees required to be paid before one can vote, used primarily to restrict voting among African Americans and poor whites.

The “New South”

A term used to describe the transformed Southern economy following the Civil War, focusing on industrialization and economic diversification.

WEB DuBois

An African American sociologist, historian, and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for the rights of black Americans.

Booker T Washington

An African American educator and civil rights leader who promoted vocational training and economic self-reliance for black Americans.

Ida B. Wells

An African American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade and worked for civil rights.

Atlanta Exposition

A 1895 address by Booker T. Washington that emphasized the importance of vocational education for African Americans.

NAWSA

The National American Woman Suffrage Association, founded in 1890 to advocate for women's suffrage.

WCTU

The Women's Christian Temperance Union, an organization that campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol and social reform.

Jane Addams

A social reformer and activist who co-founded Hull House and was a leader in the Settlement House Movement.

Settlement House Movement

A reform movement that sought to improve the lives of the urban poor by providing services such as education and healthcare.

Social Gospel

A religious movement that emerged in the late 19th century, emphasizing social justice and the application of Christian ethics to social problems.