NW Period 6 Flashcards: 1865-1898

Homestead Act

1862 law offering 160 acres of free land in the West to settlers who improved the land within five years, encouraging westward migration and homesteading.

Massacre at Wounded Knee

1890 Violent confrontation between U.S. troops and Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Native Americans, marking the end of Native American resistance on the Great Plains.

Dawes Act (1887)

Law aimed at assimilating Native Americans by allotting communal tribal lands to individual Native American households, leading to loss of land and cultural identity.

Farmer's Alliances

Rural organizations formed in the late 19th century to address farmers' economic concerns, advocating for agricultural cooperatives, currency reform, and government regulation of railroads and banks.

Populist Party

Political party formed in the 1890s representing agrarian interests and advocating for free coinage of silver, government ownership of railroads, and other reforms to benefit farmers and workers.

Turner Thesis

Theory proposed by historian Frederick Jackson Turner (1893) suggesting that the frontier experience shaped American identity, democracy, and institutions, emphasizing the importance of westward expansion

Morrill Land-Grant Act

1862 law granting federally controlled land to states to establish colleges specializing in agriculture and mechanical arts, expanding educational opportunities and promoting scientific agriculture.

Exodusters

African Americans who migrated from the South to the Great Plains in the late 19th century seeking landownership and freedom from racial oppression

Battle of Little Bighorn

1876 battle in Montana Territory between U.S. cavalry led by George Custer and Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, resulting in a decisive Native American victory.

Ghost Dances

Spiritual movement among Plains Indians in the late 19th century, prophesizing the return of ancestral lands and the disappearance of white settlers, suppressed by the U.S. government

Gold Standard

Monetary system in which the value of currency is directly linked to a fixed quantity of gold, providing stability but limiting flexibility in monetary policy

Farmer's Alliance

Rural organizations formed in the late 19th century to address farmers' economic concerns, advocating for agricultural cooperatives, currency reform, and government regulation of railroads and banks

The Grange

Farmers' organization founded in 1867 to provide social and educational opportunities, as well as political advocacy, for rural communities, advocating for regulation of railroads and grain elevators.

Interstate Commerce Act of 1887

Federal law regulating railroad rates and prohibiting discrimination against shippers, marking the first attempt to regulate private industry in the United States.

Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890

Federal law aimed at preventing monopolies and promoting competition by prohibiting anti-competitive practices, although initially ineffectively enforced.

William Jennings Bryan

Democratic politician and orator, known for his "Cross of Gold" speech advocating for bimetallism and representing agrarian interests, three-time presidential candidate.

1848 California Gold Rush

Period of mass migration to California following the discovery of gold, leading to rapid population growth, economic development, and social change.

Transcontinental Railroad

Railroad connecting the East and West coasts of the United States, completed in 1869, facilitating transportation and communication and promoting western settlement.

Buffalo Bill

William F. Cody, American showman and frontier scout, known for his Wild West shows featuring cowboys, Native Americans, and reenactments of frontier life.

Horizontal Integration

Business strategy of consolidating firms in the same industry to eliminate competition and control a larger share of the market, exemplified by John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company.

Vertical Integration

Business strategy of controlling all aspects of production, from raw materials to distribution, to increase efficiency and reduce costs, exemplified by Andrew Carnegie's steel empire.

Gospel of Wealth

Idea popularized by Andrew Carnegie, advocating for wealthy individuals to use their wealth for philanthropy and the betterment of society.

Knights of Labor

Labor union founded in 1869, advocating for workers' rights, including an eight-hour workday, equal pay for women, and the abolition of child labor.

American Federation of Labor

Labor union founded in 1886, representing skilled workers in specific trades and advocating for higher wages, better working conditions, and collective bargaining.

Industrial Workers of the World

Radical labor union founded in 1905, advocating for the overthrow of capitalism and the organization of all workers into one big union.

Gilded Age

Period in American history (late 19th century) characterized by rapid industrialization, urbanization, and wealth accumulation, but also social inequality, political corruption, and labor unrest.

Tammany Hall

Democratic political machine in New York City, known for its corruption and control of local politics through patronage and graft.

Laissez-faire economics

Economic philosophy advocating for minimal government intervention in the economy, allowing free market forces to determine prices and production

New South

Post-Civil War vision for the South promoting industrialization, economic diversification, and reconciliation, but often perpetuating racial inequality and exploitation of labor.

Ford Motor Company

American automaker founded by Henry Ford in 1903, known for its mass production techniques and introduction of the assembly line

Fordism

Production system pioneered by Henry Ford, emphasizing mass production, standardized products, and high wages for workers, revolutionizing manufacturing.

Trusts

Large corporations or monopolies formed by consolidating multiple firms under a single board of trustees to eliminate competition and control prices.

John D. Rockefeller

American industrialist and philanthropist, founder of the Standard Oil Company, pioneering horizontal integration and becoming one of the wealthiest individuals in history.

Standard Oil

Oil company founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870, dominating the oil industry through aggressive business tactics and horizontal integration.

Andrew Carnegie

Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist, founder of Carnegie Steel Company, pioneering vertical integration and becoming one of the wealthiest individuals in history.

Social Darwinism

Ideology applying Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection to society, justifying social inequality and laissez-faire capitalism as natural and inevitable.

Consumer society

Society characterized by mass consumption of goods and services, driven by advertising, credit, and mass production, shaping modern consumer culture.

New immigrants

Wave of immigrants arriving in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Mexico, facing discrimination and cultural assimilation challenges.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Federal law prohibiting Chinese immigration to the United States, reflecting anti-immigrant sentiment and racial discrimination.

Annexation of Hawaii:

U.S. acquisition of Hawaii in 1898, leading to its eventual statehood, driven by economic interests and American expansionism in the Pacific.

Bessemer steel

Process for mass-producing steel developed by Henry Bessemer in the 1850s, revolutionizing steel production and enabling rapid industrial growth.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

1883 law establishing a merit-based civil service system to replace the spoils system, reducing political patronage and corruption in government appointments.

Grover Cleveland

22nd and 24th President of the United States (1885-1889, 1893-1897), known for his commitment to fiscal conservatism and limited government intervention.

Political machines

Organized groups within political parties in cities, controlling local government through patronage, corruption, and voter manipulation.

Upton Sinclair

American author and muckraker, known for his novel "The Jungle" (1906), exposing the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry and leading to food safety reforms.

Jacob Riis

Danish-American journalist and social reformer, known for his photojournalism exposing the living conditions of the urban poor in his book "How the Other Half Lives" (1890).