APUSH Period 6 (1865-1898)

Vocab and questions related to Unit 6 of APUSH

Populist Movement

a party dedicated to securing more rights for agricultural workers (farmers)

Naturalist Movement

A literary movement taking place from 1865 to 1900 that argued argued the environment had an inescapable force in shaping human character. To improve life people should improve their environments.

• central park

Social Darwinism

"Survival of the fittest" in society. Took up the language of evolution to frame an understanding of the growing gulf between the rich and the poor. The explanation they arrived at was that businessmen and others who were economically and socially successful were so because they were biologically and socially “naturally” the fittest. Conversely, they reasoned that the poor were “naturally” weak and unfit and it would be an error to allow the weak of the species to continue to breed. Used to argue that some races are superior to others.

Individualism

Argues that one should work harder to improve their life. Rags to Riches is possible.

Salvation Army

An international religious and charitable group organized for evangelizing and social betterment (of the poor). They believed urban areas deserved support through charity and building gyms and libraries. Supported the poor and middle class.

Philanthropy and Gospel of Wealth

The belief that, as the guardians of society's wealth, the rich have a duty to serve society; promoted by Andrew Carnegie; Carnegie donated more than $350 million to libraries, school, peace initiatives, and the arts.

Settlement House movement

Settlement houses were organizations that provided support services to the urban poor and European immigrants, often including education, healthcare, childcare, and employment resources.

Americanization

People should speak English and understand American values to be American citizens — the assimilation movement

societal changes on the rise in the late 1800s

• Industrialism

• Immigration

• Urbanization

• Western Settlement

The Gilded Age (1865 - 1898)

Sas when the American economy grew rapidly and individuals were able to use monopolies to amass great wealth. There was little regulation of business. Farming ↓ Business ↑

Homestead Act (1862)

granted migrants 160 acres westward IF they would farm and settle it

Dawes Act (1887)

The law authorized the President to break up reservation land, which was held in common by the members of a tribe, into small allotments to be parceled out to individuals.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

a set of laws that barred Chinese immigration for 10 years and prevented Chinese already in the country from becoming citizens

Indian Intercourse Act (1790)

Prohibited a white person from entering “Indian Country” without a license — ignored during the period of western expansion

boomtowns and ghost towns

Mining camps grew rapidly in size to become cities almost overnight but were abandoned once the area was cleared out of minerals.

The Grange and Farmers’ Alliance

Cooperative organizations of farmers that provided opportunities and aid to farmers

Exodusters

freedmen who migrated to states along the Mississippi River to Kansas under the Homestead Act or similar legislation

Jane Addams

The founder of Hull House

Hull House

a place where immigrants of diverse communities gathered to learn, to eat, to debate, and to acquire the tools necessary to put down roots in their new country

Turner’s Thesis

Says that humanity would continue to progress as long as there was new land to move into. The frontier provided a place for the homeless and impoverished and solved social problems.

Assimilation of Native Americans

Process of making Natives "American"; Dawes Act - assimilated through cutting hair, changing tribal identities, providing individual land plots

William Jennings Bryan

Democratic candidate for president in 1896 under the banner of "free silver coinage" which won him support of the Populist Party.

Political Machines

Party-linked organizations that controlled cities. Provided services in exchange for support. Stole millions of $ from cities.

William Tweed

an American politician most notable for being the political boss of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party's political machine

Morrill Land-Grants Act

The government gave land to states to create universities

W.E.B. DuBois

1st black to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard, encouraged blacks to protest unjust treatment and demand equal rights, helped create NAACP in 1910

Booker T. Washington

Advocated vocational training for African-Americans. Founded the Tuskeegee Institute. Acquire skills first, then get equal treatment.

Las Gorras Blancas

a secret organization of Spanish-Americans attacked Anglo ranchers moving into Las Vegas

The Great Railroad Strike (1877)

The first strike that spread across multiple different states in the U.S. This strike finally ended 52 days later, after it was put down by unofficial militias, the National Guard, and federal troops. Occurred because of economic problems and pressure on wages by the railroads, workers in numerous other cities, in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, into Illinois and Missouri, also went out on strike.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality, a doctrine that came to be known as "separate but equal”

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as they were "separate but equal." This decision established the "separate but equal" doctrine, which allowed for racial segregation and discrimination for several decades until it was overturned (in a way) by Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

The Progressive Era (1896–1917

a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States focused on defeating corruption, monopoly, waste, and inefficiency

The Compromise of 1877

A compromise made to award the disputed electoral votes of FL, LA, and SC to Rep candidate Rutherford B. Hayes (winning him the 1876 election) in return for federal troops withdrawing from the south

Black Churches

centers for

• worship

• learning

• socializing

• political organization

Freedmen’s desire for education led to …

the establishment of schools (for all levels)

the Sioux Wars

a series of conflicts sparked when white settlers moved into and desired Indian Territory

Ghost Dances

a spiritual movement that was thought if Indians participated in this ritualistic dance then the ghosts of their ancestors would return and finally drive the white man from the land

The Freedmen’s Bureau (1865-1870)

The Freedmen's Bureau was a federal agency established to assist newly freed African Americans and impoverished whites in the aftermath of the Civil War. It provided food, clothing, medical care, and education to those in need. The bureau also helped negotiate labor contracts, settle disputes, and protect the civil rights of freedmen. Despite its efforts, the bureau faced opposition and limited resources, leading to its eventual closure in 1872.

Reconstruction

The period following the Civil War focused on rebuilding and reuniting the country after the abolition of slavery. The main goals of Reconstruction were to address the social, political, and economic issues resulting from the war and to ensure the rights and freedom of newly emancipated African Americans. Various policies and amendments were implemented during this period, including the Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments) and the Freedmen's Bureau.

How did Reconstruction end?

With the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and the rise of Jim Crow laws, leading to the segregation and disenfranchisement of African Americans.

13th Amendment

ended slavery

14th Amendment

guaranteed African Americans U.S. citizenship and equal protection under the law

15th Amendment

guaranteed black men the right to vote

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

a white supremacist hate group that terrorized African Americans in the south

Sharecropping and tenant farming

• Systems in which white landlords (often formed plantation slave owners) entered into contracts with impoverished farm laborers to work their lands

• Those renting shared a portion of their payment with landlords

Debt peonage

Because the price of crops remained low, sharecroppers and tenant farmers fell into a cycle where they didn’t make enough to pay off their loans, leaving them with less money than when they started.

Henry W. Grandy

He gave a series of impassioned public speeches and articles that envisioned a “New South” as he said it. He dreamed of a new South of increasing economic prosperity, but his vision did not extend to civil rights for African Americans

the “New South”

Name for the increased industrialization in the South after the Civil War. This idea envisioned a southern economy enriched with broadly expanded manufacturing facilities and commerce. An idea that wanted to mimic the North’s Second Industrial Revolution. Most of the South did not follow this, but some cities were industrialized.

The most notable New South initiative was the introduction of …

textile mills

Jim Crow

A system of LEGAL racial segregation and discrimination that existed in the United States from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. It enforced racial segregation in public facilities, schools, transportation, and housing, primarily targeting African Americans. It also focused on stripping African Americans in the South of their 14th and 15th Amendment rights. The term "Jim Crow" originated from a character in minstrel shows (common in the North), which perpetuated racist stereotypes.

Black Codes

A series of laws enacted in the United States during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. These laws were designed to restrict the rights and freedoms of African Americans and maintain white supremacy while also acknowledging their freedom. They varied by state but generally aimed to control and exploit the newly freed slaves. They imposed restrictions on labor, limited property ownership, restricted movement, and denied African Americans access to education and voting rights. The Black Codes were eventually replaced by the Jim Crow laws in the late 19th century.

What was the government’s response to Black Codes?

The 14th Amendment

vagrancy laws

declared a black person to be vagrant if unemployed and without permanent residence and would put them into slavery for this, which included laboring on plantations

What did the government do to enforce the 14th Amendment in the South?

Occupy the south with military troops

What government decision was in simple terms, giving up the fight for racial equality?

The Compromise of 1877

After the Civil War and for decades after, the South had a primarily … economy based on …

agricultural, sharecropping and tenant farming

Who coined the term “Gilded Age” and why?

• Mark Twain

• To note the fact that this was not a Golden Age where everything is overall positive and well off, but that they were living in an age characterized by corruption and decay, but covered up by a thin layer of gold, or the positives that attracted positive attitudes

Andrew Carnegie

a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. He was born on November 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Scotland, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1848. Carnegie became one of the richest men in the world through his leadership in the steel industry. He founded the Carnegie Steel Company, which later became part of U.S. Steel. Carnegie is known for his philosophy of "The Gospel of Wealth," where he believed that the wealthy had a responsibility to use their wealth for the greater good of society. He donated a significant portion of his wealth to various causes, including the establishment of libraries, universities, and other educational institutions.

John D. Rockefeller

Founded the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust.

tenement housing

apartment housing complexes and they were not illegal, however, the conditions were unsanitary and at times dangerous.

the Second Industrial Revolution

also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of rapid scientific discovery, standardization, mass production and industrialization

Why was steel so integral to the Technological Revolution?

It was stronger, cheaper, and more versatile than other materials. Steel allowed for the construction of massive structures like bridges, railways, and buildings, which fueled industrial growth and urbanization. It revolutionized industries like transportation, construction, and manufacturing. Steel was the backbone of the technological revolution, making it possible to build bigger, better, and more innovative things.

How did the U.S.’s industrial output differ between 1865 and 1898?

• 1865 - 4th largest industrial economy

• 1898 - 1st

How did where people worked differ between 1865 and 1898?

• 1865 - Mostly farmers

• 1898 - Mostly factory workers

How did the pace of work differ between 1865 and 1898?

• 1865 - own pace

• 1898 - company’s pace

How did the social gap differ between 1865 and 1898?

• 1865 - not large gap

• 1898 - HUGE gap

Technological advancements during the Second Industrial Revolution

• Mass production methods

  • Bessemer Process

• Business Tech

  • telephone

  • typewriter

  • electricity

• Shipping Tech

  • railroads

New business strategies during the Second Industrial Revolution

• Advertising

  • Brands

  • Catalogs

• Management

• Efficiency measures

Business consolidation (pro-growth) policies during the Second Industrial Revolution

• Railroad subsidies

• Governement’s laissez-faire appraoch to handling business (hands off approach)

• Vertical integration - controlling every part of the supply chain

• Holding companies & trusts - allowed mergers that put many companies under the control of one parent company

Consequences of Industrialism

• Higher standard of living

• Labor Unions

• International expansion

Unions

functions to protect workers’ wages, hours of labor, and working conditions

Homestead Strike (1892)

A strike between union workers and the company (Carnegie Steel). The strike resulted when the company brought Pinkerton detectives to act as strikebreakers. A battle ensued between the strikers and strikebreakers. Eventually the Pennsylvania state militia marched into town, surrounded the steelworks, and reopened the plant. The state government had sided with the owners. The union had been defeated.

strikebreakers

a person who works or is employed in place of others who are on strike

Pullman Strike (1894)

• Background: George Pullman made a company town for his workers. He had strict control over aspects of workers’ lives, including rent and wages. When economic depression hit, Pullman refused to lower rent or increase wages

• Strike: the ARU went on strike and it spread across the country — disrupting rail traffic and commerce

• Response: Grover Cleveland, to protect U.S. mail (carried by trains) dispatched federal troops to quell the strike —> confrontation and violence. Union leaders were arrested.

company town

a town where workers worked and lived

ARU

• American Railroad Union

• The union that went on strike during the Pullman Strike

What were the consequences of strikes (short and long term)?

• short term: Government response to strikes showed no real impact of unions and strikes

• long term: Drew attention to labor issues and the unchecked power of corporations

The Knights of Labor

an organization of unskilled and skilled workers, campaigned for an eight hour workday, and aspired to form a cooperative society in which laborers owned the industries in which they worked

Why did monopolies hold so much power and what was the effect?

• Why:

  • government had no check on monopolies

  • Wealthy business owners routinely bribed judges and members of Congress to side with them in disputes

• Effect:

  • they could set prices for goods and services as high as they liked

  • industries could conspire to keep workers' wages low

  • they had the power to quell rebellions and complaints

Why were the Knights of Labor progressive?

Unskilled workers, immigrants, African Americans and women were welcome as members

Why did the Knights of Labor fail?

• Decentralized and weak leadership

• Difficulty to unify under a single agenda

• The public came to associate the Knights with anarchism and violence —> Membership in the organization collapsed

• proved difficult to organize unskilled workers, as owners could easily replace them if they went on strike —> skilled workers began to believe that their alliance with unskilled laborers was hindering, rather than helping, their cause

beleaguered Knights of Labor and joined the newly-formed …

AFL

AFL

• American Federation of Labor

• an umbrella organization that brought together craft unions—unions of skilled workers who organized together by individual trade

public transportation encouraged developers to build …

suburbs

What 3 concepts caused the boom of urban growth?

1. Industrialization

2. Immigration

3. Migration

Why did people move to cities?

• Poverty

• Mechanization of agriculture

• Persecution and Discrimination

• The jobs were in cities

  • cities were industrial hubs

• ethnic enclaves (communities of support) among similar people in a more concentrated space

Who quoted “survival of the fittest”

Herbert Spencer

eugenics

the pseudo-scientific belief in improving the genetic quality of the human population through selective breeding and controlled reproduction

Why/How did the idea of eugenics and Social Darwinism thrive during the Gilded Age?

• Nativism and xenophobia pushed on the idea of immigrants being genetically inferior and posed a threat to the genetic quality of the U.S. population —> anti-immigrant/immigration laws (Chinese Exclusion Act)

• sterilization being forced onto individuals deemed unfit to reproduce

• support of eugenics by influential figures (Carnegie and Rockefeller)

who said “the white mans’ burden” to civilize certain groups

Rudyard Kipling

the rise of clerical or managerial jobs led to the rise of …

the middle class

Muckraking

• A reform movement that combated inequality through shining a light on it

  • many published works

    • How the Other Half Lives

    • Ida Tarbell

    • Ida B. Wells

    • Helen Hunt Jackson

The Populist/Omaha Platform

• Direct election of senators

• Unlimited coinage of silver

• Graduated income tax

• 8 hour work day

The Mechanization of Agriculture

farming became a task done more by machines than with human bodies or animals

Examples of the Mechanization of Agriculture

• Mechanical Reaper

• Combine Harvester

Result of the Mechanization of Agriculture

Farmers could plant WAY more crops than they could previously

Results of Farmers bring able to plant WAY more crops than they could previously

• Obsolescence of small farmers

• declining crop prices—economically hurt many farmers

How did railroads mistreat farmers?

railroad owners charged impossibly high prices for their services, which farmers relied on

The National Grange Movement

aimed to isolated farmers together or socialization and education