APUSH Unit 4

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Labor union that organized skilled workers to improve wages and conditions.

Populist Party

Political party that supported farmers and called for economic reform.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Supreme Court case that legalized segregation under “separate but equal.”

Jim Crow laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

Tweed Ring

Corrupt political organization that controlled New York City politics.

Credit Mobilier Scandal

Railroad corruption scandal involving bribed government officials.

President Grant’s scandals

Series of corruption cases that damaged Grant’s presidency.

Crime of 1873

Government decision to stop using silver, angering farmers and debtors.

Compromise of 1877

Ended Reconstruction by removing federal troops from the South.

Gilded Age

Period of rapid industrial growth with widespread corruption and inequality.

Stalwarts and Half-Breeds

Rival Republican factions divided over political reform.

Interstate Commerce Act

First federal law regulating railroads to ensure fair rates.

Vertical integration

Controlling all stages of production within one company.

Late 19th-century inventions

New technologies like electricity and the telephone boosted industry.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel tycoon who used vertical integration to build a business empire.

Oil industry (1880s)

Industry dominated by monopolies, especially Standard Oil.

Gospel of Wealth

Idea that wealthy individuals should give back to society.

Industrialization of the “New South”

Effort to shift the South from farming to industry.

Social Gospel

Movement applying Christian values to social reform.

Jane Addams’ Hull House

Settlement house providing aid to immigrants and the poor.

Darwinism vs. Fundamentalism

Conflict between evolution theory and literal Bible interpretation.

Post–Civil War literature

Writing that reflected realism and regional experiences.

Plains Indians

Native American tribes living on the Great Plains.

Battle of Little Bighorn

Native American victory over U.S. troops led by Custer.

Great Plains farmers

Farmers who struggled with debt, drought, and low crop prices.

The Grange

Farmers’ organization promoting cooperation and political reform.

“Billion-dollar” Congress

Congress known for high government spending.

President Cleveland

Conservative Democrat who supported limited government.

The Pullman Strike

Major railroad strike crushed by federal troops.

William Jennings Bryan

Populist leader who supported free silver and reform.

William McKinley

Pro-business president elected in 1896.