Reconstruction, Gilded Age, and Populist Movements: Key U.S. History Concepts

What did the Thirteenth Amendment accomplish?

It abolished slavery, making it illegal except as punishment for a crime.

Who became president after Lincoln's assassination and what was his approach to Reconstruction?

Andrew Johnson became president and followed a lenient approach, pardoning many southerners and allowing states back into the Union with minimal requirements.

What were Black Codes and their purpose?

Black Codes were laws passed in southern states to restrict the rights of African Americans, effectively maintaining antebellum social order.

What rights did the Fourteenth Amendment grant?

It granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., excluding Native Americans.

How did Ulysses S. Grant's presidency relate to African American voting?

Grant was elected with significant support from African American voters, enabled by the Reconstruction Acts that allowed them to vote.

What was the role of black officeholders during Reconstruction?

Black officeholders emerged due to the Reconstruction Acts, serving at various government levels, often coming from previously free African communities.

What was the Freedmen's Bureau and its main functions?

The Freedmen's Bureau was established to aid African Americans by managing schools, supervising contracts, and overseeing land distribution.

How did black churches contribute to the African American community post-Civil War?

Black churches served as community centers, providing education, leadership, and support, while also becoming involved in political matters.

What was the American Equal Rights Association and why did it split?

Founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, it aimed for universal suffrage but split over whether to prioritize black male suffrage or women's suffrage.

What does the Fifteenth Amendment state?

It prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

What was the National Woman Suffrage Association's focus?

It focused on women's rights and opposed the Fifteenth Amendment for not including gender as a criterion for suffrage.

What were the Ladies Memorial Associations and their significance?

These associations were formed by white women to honor Confederate soldiers and promote a narrative that downplayed slavery's role in the Civil War.

What was the nature of racial violence during Reconstruction?

Racial violence included attacks on African Americans and their supporters, often perpetrated by groups like the KKK, aiming to intimidate and suppress black political power.

What was the Ku Klux Klan and its impact during Reconstruction?

The KKK was a white supremacist group that used terror and violence against African Americans and their allies, leading to federal responses like the Enforcement Acts.

What were black towns and their significance?

Black towns, or Freedmen's towns, were communities established by African Americans post-Civil War, symbolizing independence and self-sufficiency.

What is sharecropping and its economic implications?

Sharecropping was a system where landowners allowed tenants to farm land in exchange for a share of the crops, often leading to a cycle of debt and economic dependency.

What was the Republican economic policy during Reconstruction?

The policy aimed for a high protective tariff to support northern industries by discouraging imports.

What was the Republican economic policy after the Civil War?

They wanted a high protective tariff, a national banking system, government support for railroads, and homestead actions to encourage business growth and diversify the southern economy.

Who were the Redeemers?

A political group of southern white democrats, former confederate leaders, and wealthy planters who aimed to restore white supremacy and remove federal troops from southern states.

What triggered the Depression of 1873?

The bankruptcy of Jay Cooke and Company after over-investing in railroads, which led to bank failures and a national depression lasting five years.

What was the Compromise of 1877?

An agreement where Democrats allowed Rutherford Hayes to become president in exchange for the removal of federal troops from the South, which led to increased violence against African Americans.

What was the significance of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?

It was the first major multi-state railroad strike in the U.S., triggered by wage cuts, highlighting the power of industrial labor and the need for institutional labor unions.

What economic shift occurred during the Gilded Age?

A transition from an agrarian to an industrial economy, characterized by urbanization and job creation in industries due to new technologies.

What is Taylorism?

A scientific organization of production developed by Frederick Taylor, which emphasized dividing labor into small tasks for increased efficiency.

What are economies of scale?

A situation where the cost of producing each additional product decreases as production volume increases, allowing for greater profits.

How did corporations influence the economy during the Gilded Age?

Corporations allowed businesses to raise vast amounts of capital needed for industrialization, benefiting from limited liability laws that protected investors.

What was the Great Merger Movement?

A trend where corporations merged or formed trusts to stabilize profits in a competitive market, often leading to lower-priced goods.

Who were the 'Robber Barons'?

Wealthy industrialists of the Gilded Age, such as Cornelius Vanderbilt and John D. Rockefeller, whose wealth contrasted sharply with the poverty of many workers.

What is Social Darwinism?

A belief that justified extreme wealth by suggesting that the wealthy were naturally superior and entitled to their success.

What were the working conditions like during the Gilded Age?

Workers faced low pay, harsh conditions, long hours, and dangerous environments, leading to the involvement of children and women in the workforce.

What role did unionization play during the Gilded Age?

Unionization emerged as a response to economic changes and harsh conditions, with workers organizing to challenge the power of capital.

What was the Knights of Labor?

A labor organization that united skilled and unskilled workers, advocating for labor rights and practical gains, but declined after being linked to the Haymarket riot.

What was the American Federation of Labor?

An alliance of craft unions focused on practical gains like higher wages and safer conditions, advocating for conservative trade unionism.

What was the Homestead Strike?

A violent strike by Carnegie steel workers against wage cuts, involving clashes with the Pinkertons and the National Guard, which hindered the labor movement.

What was the Pullman Strike?

A strike against wage cuts at Pullman's company that escalated into a nationwide sympathy strike, leading to federal intervention and arrests of union leaders.

What was the Farmers' Alliance?

An organization formed to restore economic power for farmers through shared resources and cooperative bargaining, laying groundwork for the Populist Party.

What was the People's Party (Populists)?

A political party that evolved from the Farmers' Alliance, advocating for a cooperative commonwealth and addressing the needs of farmers.

What was the People's Party also known as?

The Populists

What platform did the People's Party use?

The Omaha platform

What was a significant issue that divided the People's Party?

Their relationship with William Jennings Bryan

What did the Omaha Platform propose?

Government policies designed to aid the people in the populist vision.

Who was William Jennings Bryan?

A Democratic congressman who promoted free unlimited coinage of silver to alleviate farmers' debts.

What was the core idea of the Free Silver movement?

Bimetalism, basing American currency on both gold and silver to inflate currency and alleviate farmers' debts.

What was the outcome of the Free Silver policy?

It was not adopted, and the gold standard act was passed.

Who was Eugene Debs?

A leader of the American Railway unions and a prominent figure in the American socialist movement.

What was the significance of the Homestead Act?

It allotted 160 acres of land to male citizens, encouraging westward movement.

What were Independent Indians?

Native American groups who resisted US control and lived by their own authority.

What triggered the Dakota War (Sioux Uprising) in 1862?

White settlers' encroachment on Sioux lands and the US failure to provide promised food.

What was the Sand Creek Massacre?

An attack on Cheyenne groups by military forces, leading to national scandal and further conflict.

What was the Long Walk?

The forced relocation of the Navajo to Bosque Redondo under harsh conditions.

Who was Chief Joseph?

Leader of the Nez Percé who resisted relocation and surrendered after a long pursuit.

How did railroads impact the West?

They fueled economic expansion, connected the West and East, and facilitated the movement of resources.

What was the significance of the transcontinental railroad?

It connected the continent and accelerated westward settlement, leading to conflicts with Native Americans.

What role did Chicago play in the western economy?

It became a hub city for meatpacking, connecting ranchers to eastern markets.

What were cattle drives?

The movement of cattle from Texas to railroad towns, crucial for beef supply to eastern markets.

What was the Dawes Act?

Legislation that broke up Native American reservations into individual family farms, aiming to assimilate Native Americans.

What did the Ghost Dance symbolize for Native communities?

It represented hope during despair, suggesting that if people danced nicely, buffalo would return and white people would disappear.

What event marked the end of major Native resistance on the plains?

The Wounded Knee massacre, where US troops surrounded a group performing the Ghost Dance, resulting in the deaths of 150-300 Lakota women and children.

How did the West get romanticized in popular culture?

Through novels, stories, and movies that exaggerated the lives of cowboys and sheriffs, ignoring the hardships faced by Native Americans.

What were Wild West Shows?

Traveling performances that featured cowboys, sharpshooters, and real Native Americans, popularizing the myth of the Wild West.

Who was Buffalo Bill Cody?

A former scout and buffalo hunter who created Wild West Shows, shaping American perceptions of the frontier as a story of conquest.

What was Annie Oakley known for?

She was a sharpshooter in Buffalo Bill's shows, known for her skill and modesty, challenging gender roles of her time.

What is the Frontier Thesis proposed by Frederick Jackson Turner?

It argued that the frontier was crucial in shaping American democracy, emphasizing independence and innovation while ignoring the impact on Native Americans.

What role did railroads play in American expansion?

They connected the eastern US to the west, facilitated industrial growth, and displaced Native American communities.

What is the national market?

An economy that connects different regions of the US through trade, transportation, and communication, encouraging mass production.

How did electricity impact society during the Gilded Age?

It transformed industry by increasing production capabilities and improving safety, fueling urban growth and industrialization.

What does urbanization refer to?

The growth of cities and the shift from rural to urban living, leading to industrial jobs but also social challenges like overcrowding.

What was the significance of immigration from 1880 to 1920?

Millions immigrated to the US, contributing to urbanization and creating ethnic neighborhoods, while also encouraging further immigration.

What are machine politics?

Political organizations controlled by bosses that provided jobs and services to immigrants in exchange for votes, often leading to corruption.

Who was Henry Grady and what did he advocate for?

A journalist promoting the 'New South,' advocating for industrialization and urban development while maintaining racial segregation.

What did Jim Crow laws enforce?

Legalized segregation and included laws that prohibited interracial marriage, reinforcing racial discrimination in the South.

What was lynching and its social implications?

A mob execution without trial, often used to instill fear and reinforce white supremacy, particularly against African Americans.

Who was Rebecca Latimer Felton?

A women's rights activist and the first woman to serve in the Senate, who controversially endorsed lynching as a means of protecting white women.

What was Ida B. Wells' contribution to anti-lynching efforts?

She documented the lynching culture in the South and exposed the myths surrounding it, becoming a pioneering advocate against lynching.

What is voter suppression?

Laws and practices designed to prevent African Americans and poor whites from voting, including poll taxes and literacy tests.

What was the Lost Cause narrative?

A civic religion glorifying the Confederacy, romanticizing the Old South, and undermining the effects of slavery, justifying racial segregation and Jim Crow laws.

What was the significance of the film 'Birth of a Nation'?

A 1915 silent film that depicted the Civil War and Reconstruction from a white supremacist perspective, popularizing the Lost Cause narrative and influencing public opinion.

What did Andrew Carnegie advocate in 'The Gospel of Wealth'?

The rich have a moral duty to use their wealth for the public good rather than leaving it to heirs, promoting the building of public institutions.

What was the debate surrounding 'Business and Morals' in the late 19th century?

A discussion on whether business leaders had moral responsibilities, with some advocating for ethical donations while others ignored moral concerns.

How did gender norms change in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?

Economic and social changes challenged traditional gender roles, leading many women to become activists and push back against societal expectations.

Who were some notable women activists between 1870-1900?

Women who expressed concerns in literature and fought for reforms such as women's suffrage and labor rights, challenging Victorian-era norms.

What is Muscular Christianity?

A late 19th-century movement promoting physical fitness, moral character, and Christian values aimed at young men, linking religion to social reform.

What role did popular entertainment play from 1870-1920?

Leisure activities like vaudeville and amusement parks became widely accessible, contributing to mass consumer culture and providing more work opportunities for women.

What was the Open Door Policy articulated by John Hay?

A policy that called for equal access to Chinese markets for all western powers to prevent imperial powers from carving China into spheres of influence.

What was the Boxer Rebellion?

An uprising in China opposing foreign businesses and missionaries, leading to American military intervention to protect trade interests.

What events led to American intervention in Mexico under Woodrow Wilson?

The overthrow of Porfirio Diaz, the execution of Francisco Madero, and subsequent tensions that led Wilson to refuse recognition of Huerta's government.

What was the significance of the U.S.S. Maine in the Spanish-American War?

The explosion of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor was a catalyst for the war, leading to the declaration of war against Spain.

What role did yellow journalists play in the Spanish-American War?

They promoted sensational stories that influenced public opinion and pushed for war against Spain following the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine.

What were the outcomes of the Spanish-American War?

The U.S. acquired Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, marking a significant step in American imperialism.

What characterized the Philippine-American War?

A bloody conflict from 1899-1902 that followed the Spanish-American War, highlighting the complexities of American imperialism.

What event marked the beginning of the Spanish American War in the Philippines?

George Dewey engaged the Spanish fleet in Manila, destroying it and blocking the harbor.

What was the outcome for Philippine forces during the capture of Manila?

Philippine forces were not allowed to enter the seat of the Spanish colonial government.

When did the first Philippine republic begin?

In the beginning of 1899.

What was the Treaty of Paris, and when was it signed?

The Treaty of Paris ended the Spanish American War and was signed at the end of 1899 or in April 1900.

What type of warfare characterized the conflict in the Philippines after the Spanish American War?

Guerilla warfare, similar to the Indian wars.

Who was the first governor of the Philippines after the war, and what was his role?

William H. Taft was the first governor, supported by military presence.

What was the American Anti-Imperialist League, and who were some of its prominent members?

A group opposing imperialism, with members like Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie.

What was Theodore Roosevelt's role prior to the Spanish American War?

He was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

What was the 'Big Stick' policy in Roosevelt's foreign policy?

A diplomatic approach that emphasized speaking softly while using military power.

What was the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine?

It proclaimed U.S. police power in the Caribbean to prevent European intervention.