The Gilded Age and the Rise of Racism

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the Gilded Age, racism, and the early civil rights movement as discussed in the lecture notes.

Gilded Age

The period in the United States from the 1870s to the early 1900s characterized by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and social issues hidden beneath a facade of prosperity.

Fault Lines

Underlying social issues and divisions within a society that are often obscured by outward appearances.

Nativism

A policy or belief that favors native-born inhabitants over immigrants, often leading to discrimination against those perceived as outsiders.

Jim Crow

A system of laws and social practices that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans, named after a stock character from minstrel shows.

Minstrel Shows

A form of entertainment featuring white performers in blackface who caricatured African American culture, which perpetuated racial stereotypes.

Aunt Jemima

A character based on stereotypes of African American women; used in advertising, particularly in pancake mix, derived from minstrel show depictions.

Buffalo Soldiers

African American cavalry regiments in the U.S. Army that served in the western frontier during the post-Civil War period.

Exodusters

A term for African Americans who migrated from the South to the West in search of greater freedoms and opportunities following the Civil War.

New South

A term used to describe the southern United States' post-Civil War economic shift towards industrialization and urban growth.

Group Economies

Self-sufficient African American communities that developed in urban areas during the New South era, often featuring their own businesses and institutions.

Separate but Equal

The legal doctrine established by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson that sanctioned racial segregation as long as facilities were deemed equal.

Talented Tenth

A term coined by W.E.B. Du Bois to refer to the top ten percent of educated and skilled African Americans who would lead the charge for civil rights.

Vocational Training

Education focused on teaching skills for specific trades or occupations, advocated by Booker T. Washington as a pathway to economic independence.

The Souls of Black Folk

A seminal book written by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1903 that critiques racism and advocates for civil rights and educational advancement for African Americans.