APUSH Unit 6 ID Terms

**Homestead Act**

1862 law gave free land (160 acres) to encourage settlement in the west; the land had to be developed within 5 years. Unintended reality: 160 acres not enough to survive on (dry soil; arid climate)

Importance of the Homestead Act

led to  population boom in the west; conflict with natives; poor farming practices

**Plessy vs. Ferguson**

Court case that ruled segregation as okay, “separate but equal”

Importance of Plessy v Ferguson

led to the systemic use of segregation throughout the south.

**Laissez-Faire**

An emphasis on free market economy with less government restriction.

Importance of Laissez-Faire

tied to pro-capitalist ideas that many argued were beneficial for the nation and would lead to competition, wealth, and innovation. Conflict between free market people and government-controlled production e.g. communism

**Assembly Lines**

1st in 1913 by Ford, allowed for mass production of goods for cheaper

Importance of Assembly Lines

Led to more efficient production; middle managers (higher paying jobs), and mass production

**Supply & Demand**

Law of economics, determines prices and quantities of goods

Importance of Supply & Demand

Influenced production and justified business practices; encouraged consumerism (buying shiz)

**Tenements & Skyscrapers**

Type of apartment building, in major cities, usually packed with families and unsanitary; Built predominantly in Chicago and New York City

Importance of Tenements & Skyscrapers

an innovative solution to population boom in cities; showed American progress; led to questions of safety and sanitation

**Jane Addams**

 a progressive, feminist, and social reformer who started the Hull House (settlement house) in Chicago

Importance of Jane Addams

Part of the Settlement House movement, private charities meant to help Immigrants settle and assimilate; alternatives to Political Machines.

**Monopolies & Trusts**

Businesses that have total control over a sector of the economy, including prices; several business joining forces in the same industry

Importance of Monopolies & Trusts

Gave tons of power to huge corporations. By 1904, 318 trusts (monopolies) held 40% of U.S. manufacturing

**Jacob Riis**

Wrote “How the Other Half Lives” and photographed living conditions in tenements.

Importance of Jacob Riis

As a Progressive reformer and muckraker, Riis used his writing to highlight social issues that he wanted to be changed.

**Interchangeable Parts**

Developed by Eli Whitney, system that used standardized parts which are all identical and thus, interchangeable; mastered by Ford.

Importance of Interchangeable Parts

Led to mass production and cheaper prices (supply and demand)

**Child Labor**

1 out of 8 children employed in 1870, common for kids to have jobs especially those whose families were poor

Importance of Child Labor

Showed the priorities of the country: money and profits over safety. The idea of a protected childhood was not fully developed; most Americans saw children as capable of contributing. Progressive photographer John Spargo brought attention to this issue. Plus, if kids didn’t work (but parents did), where would kids go? Ahem, this is ONE reason for the spread of public education.

**Horizontal & Vertical Integration**

Business grows by acquiring a similar company in their industry at the same point of the supply chain; business expands by acquiring another company that operates before or after them in the supply chain

Importance of Horizontal & Vertical Integration

these business practices led to the growth of monopolies and led to massive wealth created for a few.

**Thomas Edison**

Inventor, automatic telegraph, incandescent lightbulb, phonograph

Importance of Thomas Edison

improved city life! Made the workday longer, often times unhealthier b/c working conditions overall was still poor

**Sherman Antitrust**

1890, outlawed monopolies and conspiracy to monopolize  

Importance of Sherman Antitrust

a symbolic victory: the government didn’t do much to enforce the law, so monopolies remained.

**Political Machines**

a party organization, headed by a single boss or small autocratic group; traded votes for jobs, housing, and favors. CORRUPT b/c of open ballot system

Importance of Political Machines

exploited immigrants b/c immigrants needed help, turned to Political Machines, and P.M. would take immigrant votes in exchange for favors.

**American Federation of Labor**

Sought higher wages, shortest hours, and better conditions. Hostile to women workers but did seek to get equal pay for women who were working.

Importance of American Federation of Labor

Most enduring labor group in America.

**Progressives**

Worked to make America a better and safer place, Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, Jane Addams, Upton Sinclair, Jacob Riis, Ida B. Well, WEB DuBois

Importance of Progressives

Progressives were the response to the problems of the Gilded Age. They attempted social and political reforms meant to empower the government to help the people.

**Knights of Labor**

Union that pressed for 8hr workday, end of child labor, and end of convict labor. Open to “all who toil,” incl. Women.

Importance of Knights of Labor

Declined in influence by 1900 when strikes were being broken. Known as having most extremist (communist and anarchist) members.

**17th, 18th, 19th Amendments**

Progressive reforms; Direct election of senators, prohibition, womens’ suffrage

Importance of 17th, 18th, 19th Amendments

Progressive Reforms now protected in the Constitution

**Haymarket Riot (1886)**

Chicago; Violent meeting between police and labor protesters.

Importance of Haymarket Riot (1886)

lead to the forming of the American Federation of Labor.

**Initiative-Referendum-Recall**

Voters can push to have an issue on the ballot, disapprove a law passed by the Legislature, or remove an elected official from office

Importance of Initiative-Referendum-Recall

Progressive Reforms to challenge Political Machines. These combined with closed ballots ended power of Political Machines

**Homestead Strike**

Carnegie Steel strike, hired Pinkerton security killed 16 and caused injuries

Importance of Homestead Strike

PA National Guard restored order and showed the gov. willingness to involve itself in labor disputes; public opinion turned against using hired guns (the Pinkertons); steel union membership declined until after WWI; Carnegie’s reputation took a hit

**New South voting & sharecropping**

Attempt to modernize and industrialize the South; Redeemers prevented freedmen from voting; a system where the landlord/planter allows a tenant to use the land in exchange for a share of the crop.

Importance of New South voting & sharecropping

growth in industries like tobacco production, steel (Birmingham), lumber (Memphis), and textile production; Black people in the south faced new forms of oppression (no slavery, but segregation and poverty prevailed)

**Pullman Strike**

Pullman Palace Car Company, in protest of low wages, wage cuts, layoffs, and increased workload, mass strike that led to a massive drop in profits

Importance of Pullman Strike

the outbreak of violence led to the public NOT supporting Unions

**Sandcreek Massacre**

1864, US Army attacked unarmed Cheyenne and Arapaho camp, killing many.

Importance of Sandcreek Massacre

Early skirmish between U.S. Army and Sioux; led to further conflict.

**Social Darwinism**

Idea that people are subject to Darwinian ideas of “survival of the fittest.” The idea that if you’re born ‘low’ in society, that’s just science.

Importance of Social Darwinism

Lead to eugenics and racist policies; e.g. Rockefeller

**Dawes Act**

Broke up tribal land and redistributed it between natives

Importance of Dawes Act

led to millions of tribal acres being lost (sold to white men)

**Gospel of Social Wealth**

Idea that wealthy Americans had a responsibility to use wealth for the greater good

Importance of Gospel of Social Wealth

a response to Social Darwinism; contributed to the City Beautiful Movement e.g. Carnegie

**Carlisle Indian School**

“Kill the native, save the man”, meant to assimilate natives and end their culture

Importance of Carlisle Indian School

seen as a compassionate policy but included violence, intimidation, and disrespect of diversity

**Grange**

social and educational organization to support farmers and their families; attempted to defend farmers against huge RR prices being charged to more crops to market

Importance of Grange

part of the new push of populism to support those struggling and being forgotten by society; not super successful; farmers flocked to cities, disillusioned with farm life

**Chief Joseph**

Lead his band of Nez Perce natives on a trek through the Rocky Mountains to escape being put on a reservation

Importance of Chief Joseph

Form of passive resistance. Seen as an admirable and sacrificial figure for his people; symbolized Native strength.

**Chinese Exclusion Act**

1882, signed into law under Arthur, prohibited immigration of Chinese for 10 years

Importance of Chinese Exclusion Act

Would continue to be renewed; Anti-Chinese attitudes rooted in CA (lynchings and laws keeping Chinese out of society). Ignored 14th Amendment

**Buffalo**

Prominent animal on the plains, important to native american tribes, over hunted lead to near extinction

Importance of Buffalo

A cause and effect of Native American Wars b/c buffalo were essential to Plains Indians; gov. hunted buffalo to force natives to accept Reservation life.

**Eugene V. Debs**

Socialist, blamed capitalism for war

Importance of Eugene V. Debs

Popular Union Rep, ran for president 5 times

**Ghost Dance**

Movement that represented attempt by natives to revive their cultures

Importance of

Ghost Dance

Represents passive Native American resistance.

**Populists**

Felt that hardships of ordinary people were ignored by the elites, appeal to ordinary people

Importance of

Populists

Issues like gold-standard, bi-metalism, and presidential elections

**Battle of Wounded Knee**

1890 Massacre of 300 Lakota people by the US army

Importance of

Battle of Wounded Knee

last major massacre of Natives by the U.S. government.

**Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver**

Advocated unlimited coinage of silver

Importance of

Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver

more metal in the economy would lead to more money being printed; free up a struggling economy

**Taos Indian Rebellion**

1847; Revolt by Hispanics and Pueblos against the U.S. government in the southwest

Importance of Taos Indian Rebellion

led to the country being skeptical of people in the New Mexico Territory; also, a pre-Civil War example of conflict between Natives and the U.S. government.

**William Jennings Bryan**

Ran for president three times.

Importance of

William Jennings Bryan

Famous speech “Cross of Gold”

**Cochise**

Apache chief that led the Indians' resistance to the white man's incursions into the U.S. Southwest in the 1860s

**Farmers’ Alliance**

Taught about scientific farming methods→social Darwinism influencing business practices→led to arguments about efficiency in farmers.

Importance of Farmers’ Alliance

More politically focused; tied farming issues to money issues (gold standard)

**Sitting Bull**

Leader of Sioux warriors that defeated Gen. Custer at the battle of Little Big Horn

Importance of Sitting Bull

Seen as a Sioux victory but didn’t yield lasting benefits for the Sioux. U.S. government rallied and forced the Sioux to accept Reservation terms.

**Bimetallism**

System of allowing the unrestricted currency of two metals in production to justify the printing of more paper money.

Importance of Bimetallism

major issue uniting farmers and other populists upset by not having enough money in circulation.

**Timber Culture Act**

1873; Follow up to Homestead Act; allowed homesteaders to get another 160 acres of land if they planted trees on one-fourth of the land

Importance of Timber Culture Act

Meant to provide more timber on the plains and break up strong winds in the Plains territories.

**Pendleton Act**

1883 Government jobs would be given by merit.

Importance of Pendleton Act

The Spoils system had been alive and well (hiring your friends and party loyalists). Grant had especially used the Spoils system. The Pendleton Act attempted to ‘clean up’ the government.

**Timber & Stone Act**

1878; Land that was unfit for farming was sold to those who wanted timber or to mine 

Importance of Timber & Stone Act

The act was manipulated by speculators/investment gamblers who were able to get huge areas of land declared "unfit for farming" allowing them access to tons of cheap land.

**Panic of 1893**

Economic depression that ended in 1897

Importance of Panic of 1893

Railroads were being overbuilt (many traveled to dead ends). Banks couldn’t fund these investments. Led to first major depression.

**Barbed Wire**

Steel wire with sharp points on it

Importance of **Barbed Wire**

Ended free-range cattle; contributed to Range Wars (cowboys vs. farmers). Cut across Native American land.

**Sherman Silver Purchase Act**

1890, required gov to purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver to mint coins and back paper currency

**Telegraph (Samuel Morse)**

Method of communication using wire and an electric current, invented by Samuel Morse, used morse code.

Importance of Telegraph (Samuel Morse)

Further connected the country; sped up communication, news, and information.