Gilded Age, populism, Westward expansion

Amendments

• 13th Amendment: Abolished slavery (1865).

• 14th Amendment: Granted citizenship to all born in the U.S., including former slaves; equal protection under the law (1868).

• 15th Amendment: Gave African American men the right to vote (1870).

• 16th Amendment: Allowed the federal government to collect income tax (1913).

• 17th Amendment: Established direct election of U.S. Senators (1913).

• 18th Amendment: Prohibited alcohol (Prohibition; 1920).

• 19th Amendment: Granted women the right to vote (1920).

Progressive Era

• Time of reform (1890s–1920s) aimed at fixing problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, and corruption.

• Muckrakers: Investigative journalists exposing corruption (e.g., Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell).

Westward Expansion & Native American Policy

• Homestead Act: Gave settlers 160 acres of free land (1862).

• Transcontinental Railroad: Connected the East & West coasts (completed 1869).

  • Union Pacific: Built west from Nebraska.

  • Central Pacific: Built east from California.

  • Land Grants: Gov’t gave land to railroads to fund construction.

• Credit Mobilier Scandal: Corruption involving Union Pacific and fake construction company.

• Battle of Little Bighorn (1876): Native American victory led by Sitting Bull vs. Custer.

• Dawes Act (1887): Tried to assimilate Native Americans by breaking up tribal land.

• Carlisle Indian Schools: Schools meant to assimilate Native children into white culture.

• Assimilation: Erasing Native culture to fit white American norms.

• Wounded Knee (1890): Massacre of Lakota Sioux; end of Indian resistance.

Populism & Reform

• People's Party (Populists): Farmers fighting for regulation of railroads, silver coinage, and political reform.

• Wabash v. Illinois (1886): Limited states’ ability to regulate railroads; led to federal regulation.

• Interstate Commerce Act (1887): Regulated railroad rates; created ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission).

Politics & Corruption

• James A. Garfield: President assassinated by a disgruntled office seeker (1881).

• Mugwumps: Republicans who supported Democratic candidate Cleveland due to corruption.

• Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883): Created merit-based system for government jobs.

• Political Machine: Organized group controlling city politics in exchange for votes.

  • Party Boss: Leader who controlled votes and jobs.

  • William "Boss" Tweed: Infamous NYC political boss.

  • Tammany Hall: Tweed’s political machine in NYC.

Discrimination & Immigration

• Rock Springs Massacre (1885): Anti-Chinese riot in Wyoming—many killed.

• Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): Banned Chinese immigration.

• New Immigrants: From Southern & Eastern Europe (late 1800s); faced discrimination.

• Nativism: Belief that native-born Americans were superior; anti-immigrant attitudes.

Economy & Big Business

• Free Coinage of Silver: Populist demand to inflate money supply to help farmers.

• Big Business: Large-scale corporate capitalism.

• Trust: Companies working together to control a market (often illegally).

• Corporation: Business owned by shareholders.

• Conglomerates: Groups of unrelated businesses under one corporate umbrella.

• Pools: Agreements between companies to fix prices.

• Economies of Scale: Larger production = lower cost per unit.

• Mergers: Combining companies to reduce competition.

• Monopoly: One company controls an entire industry.

Gilded Age & Society

• Gilded Age: Late 1800s; rapid growth, wealth inequality, corruption under a shiny surface.

• Corruption: Widespread in politics and business.

• Tenements: Crowded, unsafe apartments in urban slums.

• Urbanization: Growth of cities.

• Urban Problems: Pollution, poor housing, disease, crime.

• Unions: Workers’ organizations for better pay/conditions.

• Pinkertons: Private security hired to break up strikes.