Untitled Flashcards Set
American Federation of Labor (AFL) - A federation of craft unions, founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers, which focused on skilled workers, higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions.
Battle of the Little Bighorn - Occurred in 1876, where combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes defeated the U.S. Army troops led by General George Custer.
Billion Dollar Congress - Nickname for the 51st United States Congress (1889-1891), known for its extensive spending on pensions, rivers and harbors, and public buildings.
Buffalo Soldier - African American soldiers who served in segregated units in the U.S. Army after the Civil War, primarily in the Western frontier, often involved in conflicts with Native American tribes.
Chinese Exclusion Act - Passed in 1882, this law prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the United States for ten years and was later extended indefinitely.
Collective Bargaining - The process by which workers negotiate terms of employment through representatives, which became more prevalent with the rise of labor unions.
Comstock Lode - Discovered in 1859 in Nevada, it was one of the richest silver mines in the world, leading to economic booms and population growth in the area.
Convict Lease System - After the Civil War, Southern states leased out convicts, often African Americans, to private companies for labor, essentially recreating conditions akin to slavery.
Corporate Capitalism - Economic system where large corporations dominate the economy, a trend that became increasingly evident during this period.
Corporation - A legal entity separate from its owners, allowing for limited liability and becoming a dominant business form in the late 19th century.
Coxey’s Army - An 1894 march led by Jacob Coxey to Washington to protest unemployment and demand a public works program to provide jobs.
Dawes Act - 1887 legislation aimed at assimilating Native Americans into American society by breaking up tribal lands into individual allotments.
Deflation - Economic condition where the general level of prices for goods and services is falling, which was problematic for farmers during this period due to falling crop prices.
Eugenics - A movement advocating for selective breeding to improve the human population, gaining popularity in the U.S. in the late 19th century.
Farmers’ Alliance - Organizations formed by farmers in the late 19th century to combat economic difficulties, later contributing to the Populist movement.
Frontier Thesis - Articulated by Frederick Jackson Turner, this theory posits the American frontier experience shaped national character and democratic institutions.
Ghetto - Urban areas where immigrants, especially Jews, settled, often living in poor conditions in cities like New York.
Ghost Dance - A late 19th-century religious movement among Native Americans intended to bring back traditional ways of life and restore the buffalo; it was met with violent repression by the U.S. government.
Gilded Age - Term coined by Mark Twain to describe the period from the 1870s to about 1900, marked by economic growth, industrial expansion, and stark economic inequality.
“The Gospel of Wealth” - An essay by Andrew Carnegie advocating that the wealthy should use their fortunes to benefit society.
Grange - The Patrons of Husbandry, founded in 1867, aimed to advance the social, educational, and economic interests of farmers.
Great Plains - The expansive region west of the Mississippi River, becoming more settled during this period due to technological advances and government policy.
Gross Domestic Product - While the term was not used then, the concept relates to the total economic output of a country, which grew significantly during this era.
Haymarket Riot - An 1886 labor protest in Chicago that turned deadly, leading to a crackdown on unions and setting back the labor movement.
Holding Company - A firm that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control its management, used by industrialists like J.P. Morgan to consolidate businesses.
Homestead Act - Legislation of 1862 that provided settlers with 160 acres of public land, encouraging westward expansion.
Homestead Strike - A violent labor strike at Andrew Carnegie's steel plant in 1892, highlighting labor versus capital conflicts.
Horizontal Integration - Business strategy where a company acquires or merges with other companies producing similar products to reduce competition.
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) - Founded in 1905, it sought to unite all workers, including unskilled labor, for better conditions; not strictly within this period but relevant.
Interlocking Directorate - When members of a company's board of directors also serve on the boards of other companies, often used by industrialists to control multiple businesses.
Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) - Established in 1887 to regulate railroad rates and practices, marking the beginning of federal economic regulation.
Jim Crow Law - State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.
Knights of Labor - A significant labor organization in the 1880s that sought to unite all workers but declined after the Haymarket Riot.
Labor Union - Organizations formed by workers to negotiate better conditions, wages, and hours; their influence grew during this period.
Laissez-faire - Economic philosophy advocating for minimal government intervention in the economy, which was influential in U.S. policy during the Gilded Age.
Land Rush - Events where settlers claimed public land made available by the government, most notably in Oklahoma in 1889.
Long Drive - The practice of herding cattle over long distances from ranches in Texas to railheads where they could be shipped to market.
Melting Pot - Concept suggesting that immigrants would assimilate into American society, blending cultures and traditions.
Mormon - Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who migrated to Utah after persecution and played a significant role in its development.
Nativism - An anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly against Catholics and Chinese, leading to political movements and legislation like the Chinese Exclusion Act.
"New South" - A post-Civil War concept promoting industrial development and modernization in the Southern states.
Panic of 1893 - A severe economic depression caused by railroad overbuilding, speculative investments, and bank failures.
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act - 1883 law that established the U.S. Civil Service Commission to oversee a merit-based system for federal employment.
Pinkerton Agency - A private security firm often hired by industrialists to combat labor unions and strikes.
Plessy v. Ferguson - 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Political Boss - Leaders of political machines who controlled votes and patronage, exemplified by figures like "Boss" Tweed.
Political Machine - Organizations that controlled local politics through patronage, especially in urban areas.
Poll Tax - A tax levied on individuals as a requirement for voting, used to disenfranchise African Americans in the South.
Populists - The People's Party, advocating for farmers, laborers, and reform through government intervention in the economy.
Pullman Strike - A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 in response to wage cuts by the Pullman Company, leading to federal intervention.
Robber Baron - Term used to describe industrialists like Rockefeller and Carnegie, criticized for their business practices and wealth accumulation.
Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company - 1886 case where the Supreme Court broadly interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to corporations, granting them personhood rights.
Scientific Management - Also known as Taylorism, introduced by Frederick W. Taylor to improve industrial efficiency by optimizing and simplifying jobs.
Segregation - Legalized racial separation, particularly in the South, reinforced by laws and social customs.
Settlement House - Community centers in urban slums, like Hull House by Jane Addams, aimed at helping immigrants and the poor.
Sherman Antitrust Act - 1890 law intended to curb trusts and monopolies, though initially used against labor unions rather than big business.
Sherman Silver Purchase Act - 1890 law increasing the amount of silver the government was required to purchase, aimed at helping farmers but contributing to the Panic of 1893.
Social Darwinism - Application of Darwin's natural selection to human society, justifying wealth disparities as natural outcomes.
Social Gospel - A movement within Protestantism to apply Christian ethics to social problems like poverty, crime, and labor issues.
Socialist Party of America - Formed in 1901, it pushed for socialist reforms but was not as prominent during this exact period.
Subtreasury System - A plan by the Farmers' Alliance to allow farmers to store crops in government warehouses and borrow money against them at low interest.
Sweatshop - Factories or workshops where workers labor for long hours under poor conditions for low pay, common in the garment industry.
Tammany Hall - The Democratic Party political machine in New York City, known for its corruption under Boss Tweed.
Tenement - Overcrowded, substandard urban apartment buildings where many immigrants lived.
Transcontinental Railroad - The first completed in 1869, connecting the eastern and western U.S., significantly aiding in westward expansion and economic growth.
Treaty of Fort Laramie - An 1868 agreement with the Lakota and other tribes to establish a large reservation for them, which was later violated by the U.S. government.
Treaty of Medicine Lodge - 1867 treaties with the Plains Indians to move them onto reservations, part of broader U.S. policy to clear land for settlers.
Trust - A way for businesses to combine operations without legally merging, allowing control over markets and prices, often criticized for creating monopolies.
United States v. E. C. Knight Company - 1895 Supreme Court decision limiting the scope of the Sherman Antitrust Act, stating manufacturing was not interstate commerce.
Vertical Integration - Business strategy where a company controls all stages of production from raw materials to final product, famously used by Andrew Carnegie in steel.
Williams v. Mississippi - 1898 Supreme Court case upholding Mississippi's literacy test and poll tax, effectively disenfranchising African Americans.
Wounded Knee Massacre - 1890 event where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Lakota men, women, and children, marking the end of major armed resistance by Native Americans.Ellis Island: Known as the primary immigration station on the East Coast, Ellis Island processed millions of mostly European immigrants from 1892 to 1954, serving as a symbol of hope and the gateway to the American Dream.
Angel Island: Located in San Francisco Bay, Angel Island was the main immigration station for those arriving from Asia, particularly from 1910 to 1940, where immigrants often faced lengthy detentions due to restrictive policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act, reflecting a more exclusionary approach to immigration
Key People:
Alexander Graham Bell - Inventor of the telephone, impacting communication and business.
Henry Bessemer - Developed the Bessemer process for steel production, revolutionizing industry.
William Jennings Bryan - A leading Democrat known for his "Cross of Gold" speech, advocating for free silver and against the gold standard.
Andrew Carnegie - Steel magnate who epitomized the rags-to-riches story but also criticized for labor practices; later a philanthropist.
Grover Cleveland - Only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, known for his conservative economic policies.
Jacob Coxey - Led Coxey's Army to demand government action on unemployment.
George Armstrong Custer - Military officer killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, symbolizing U.S. military expansionism.
Eugene V. Debs - Labor leader and five-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party, prominent in the Pullman Strike.
W. E. B. Du Bois - Scholar and activist, co-founded the NAACP, advocating for civil rights and equality.
Thomas Alva Edison - Inventor known for the electric light bulb and phonograph, among other innovations, shaping the modern industrial age.
Geronimo - Apache leader who fought against U.S. and Mexican expansion, eventually surrendering and becoming a symbol of Native resistance.
Samuel Gompers - Founder of the AFL, advocating for workers' rights through craft unions.
Jay Gould - Railroad tycoon known for his aggressive business practices, often seen as a "robber baron."
Henry Grady - Journalist who promoted the "New South" concept, advocating for industrial development.
Chief Joseph - Led the Nez Perce in their flight from the U.S. Army, known for his eloquent surrender speech.
William McKinley - President who favored high tariffs and was assassinated in 1901, known for his expansionist policies.
J. P. Morgan - Banker and financier who consolidated industries, notably railroads and steel, shaping American corporate structure.
Terence V. Powderly - Leader of the Knights of Labor, promoting a broad coalition of workers.
George Pullman - Inventor of the Pullman sleeping car and founder of the company that sparked the Pullman Strike.
Jacob Riis - Social reformer and photographer whose work exposed slum conditions in New York, influencing public opinion.
John D. Rockefeller - Founder of Standard Oil, a prime example of vertical integration and monopoly power.
William Tecumseh Sherman - Civil War general whose "March to the Sea" was a pivotal campaign; later involved in Indian Wars.
Sitting Bull - Hunkpapa Lakota leader who played a key role in the defeat of Custer at Little Bighorn, later killed during an arrest attempt.
Frederick W. Taylor - Developer of scientific management, aimed at improving industrial efficiency.
Frederick Jackson Turner - Historian whose frontier thesis influenced how Americans viewed their history and identity.
Boss Tweed - Political boss of Tammany Hall, notorious for corruption until his eventual conviction.