Industrial and Gilded Ages Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the Industrial and Gilded Ages.

Alexander Graham Bell

Invented the telephone, transforming long-distance communication for businesses and people.

American Dream

Belief that anyone can achieve success and upward mobility through hard work and determination.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

National labor union founded in 1886; focused on higher wages, shorter hours, and better conditions for skilled workers.

Andrew Carnegie

Industrialist and philanthropist who expanded the steel industry and promoted the Gospel of Wealth.

Angel Island

Immigration station in San Francisco Bay processing mostly Asian immigrants; harsh questioning and conditions.

Assimilation

Process by which immigrants or minority groups adopt the language, customs, and culture of the dominant society.

Bessemer Process

Method that made steel production faster, cheaper, stronger, and more efficient.

Big Business

Large-scale corporations in key industries that influenced government policy.

Boss Tweed

Corrupt political boss of New York's Tammany Hall who used political machines to defraud the city.

Boycotts

Organized refusals to buy or use goods and services to protest or force change.

Capitalism

Economic system with private ownership of production and a profit motive, with minimal government interference.

Captains of Industry

Positive label for business leaders whose innovations and philanthropy spurred growth.

Child Labor

Children working in mines and factories under dangerous conditions and low pay.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Federal law prohibiting Chinese labor immigration; first major nationality-based immigration restriction.

City Services

Public services provided by cities, such as sanitation, water, and fire protection.

Collective Bargaining

Negotiations between employers and unions to determine wages, hours, and conditions.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Industrialist who built wealth through railroads and shipping, influencing transportation.

Electricity

Power source for factories and lighting, boosting efficiency and production.

Ellis Island

Major immigration processing center near NYC for European immigrants.

Entrepreneurs / Entrepreneurship

Individuals who organize, manage, and assume risks of starting a business.

Ethnic Neighborhoods

Urban areas where immigrants from the same culture lived together, preserving traditions.

Factory System

Manufacturing system relying on immigrant labor, long hours, low pay, and dangerous conditions.

Free Enterprise

System where individuals can produce freely with limited government intervention.

Galveston Island

Immigration center in Texas for European immigrants.

Gilded Age

Late 19th-century era of rapid growth with wealth disparity and political corruption.

Gospel of Wealth

Carnegie’s idea that the rich should use wealth to benefit society; funded libraries.

Great Strike of 1877

Nationwide railroad strike triggered by wage cuts; federal troops intervened.

Haymarket Riot/Affair

1886 Chicago protest that turned violent after a bombing, harming the labor movement’s reputation.

Homestead Strike

1892 strike at Carnegie Steel; violent clash between workers and guards.

Horizontal Integration

Merging with competitors to dominate an industry, often leading to monopolies.

Immigrants

People who move from one country to another seeking better opportunities or safety.

Immigration Centers

Facilities like Ellis Island and Angel Island where immigrants were processed.

Industrial Age

Era of 19th–early 20th centuries marked by shift from agriculture to industry.

Industrialization

Large-scale development of industries for mass production.

Jacob Riis

Journalist/photographer who exposed urban poor conditions (How the Other Half Lives).

J.P. Morgan

Influential banker who consolidated industries and stabilized the economy during crises.

John D. Rockefeller

Founder of Standard Oil; built a powerful monopoly in the oil industry.

Knights of Labor

Early labor union welcoming all workers; fought for broad reforms like an eight-hour day.

Labor Unions

Organizations formed by workers to advocate for better wages and conditions; used collective bargaining.

Laissez-Faire

Government remains hands off, not interfering in the economy.

Light Bulb

Edison’s invention that extended working hours by providing reliable electric lighting.

Mines

Sites where minerals are extracted, often dangerous; child labor was common.

Monopoly

Complete control of a product or service by a single company; reduces competition.

Nativism

Belief in preferring native-born citizens over immigrants; led to anti-immigrant policies.

Philanthropy

Charitable giving by wealthy individuals to promote social welfare.

Political Bosses

Leaders who controlled political machines and city governments through bribery.

Political Machines

Organized groups controlling parties in cities, often corruptly securing votes.

Pull Factors

Positive reasons that attract people to a country (jobs, freedom, standards of living).

Pullman Strike

1894 nationwide railroad strike that disrupted traffic and led to federal intervention.

Push Factors

Negative conditions like poverty or persecution that drive emigration.

Railroad

Major transportation advancement connecting regions and supporting westward expansion.

Rapid Urbanization

Rapid city growth due to industry and immigration, with infrastructure challenges.

Robber Barons

Ruthless, unscrupulous industrialists who exploited workers for personal gain.

Rural

Areas with low population density outside cities, usually agricultural.

Samuel Gompers

Labor leader; first AFL president who advocated higher wages and shorter workdays.

Sanitation

Public health systems maintaining cleanliness in growing cities.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

Law aimed at breaking up monopolies and restoring competition.

Social Gospel Movement

Reform movement applying Christian ethics to social problems like poverty.

Spoils System

Rewarding political supporters with government jobs regardless of qualifications.

Strikes

Work stoppages organized by unions to protest conditions or demand better terms.

Sweatshops

Factories with poor conditions, low wages, long hours, often employing vulnerable workers.

Telephone

Bell’s invention enabling long-distance voice communication.

Tenement Homes

Overcrowded, poorly built apartments lacking basic amenities.

Terrence Powderly

Leader of the Knights of Labor who advocated broad reforms.

Thomas Edison

Inventor of the practical electric light bulb.

Trust

Legal arrangement where stock is turned over to a board to reduce competition.

Urbanization

Growth and expansion of cities due to industry and immigration.

Vertical Integration

Company controls all stages of production and distribution of a product.