Unit 5 Vocab Quiz
“Robber Barons”: Wealthy and powerful industrialists of the late 19th century who were often accused of exploiting workers and engaging in corrupt business practices to amass their fortunes.
Pacific Railway Act: Enacted in 1862, this law provided federal support through land grants and loans to build the transcontinental railroad, facilitating westward expansion and economic growth.
John D. Rockefeller: Founder of Standard Oil, Rockefeller dominated the oil industry by creating a monopoly through practices like horizontal integration, becoming one of the wealthiest men in history.
Andrew Carnegie: Industrialist who led the expansion of the American steel industry, Carnegie promoted the "Gospel of Wealth," advocating for the philanthropic responsibility of the rich to give back to society.
J. Pierpont Morgan: A powerful banker who played a significant role in consolidating industries, financing railroads, and creating major corporations like U.S. Steel and General Electric.
Gospel of Wealth: A philosophy espoused by Andrew Carnegie that argued the wealthy had a moral obligation to distribute their wealth in ways that promote the welfare and progress of society.
Laissez-Faire: An economic principle of limited government intervention in business, which was widely embraced during the Gilded Age, leading to minimal regulation of industries.
Jane Addams: A social reformer and leader in the settlement house movement, Addams founded Hull House in Chicago to provide services to immigrants and the poor, advocating for social and political reform.
Great Railroad Strike of 1877: The first major strike in U.S. history, it erupted due to wage cuts and poor working conditions, leading to widespread violence and prompting federal troops to intervene.
Knights of Labor: One of the first significant labor organizations in the U.S., it welcomed all workers and pushed for broad social reforms, including an eight-hour workday and equal pay for men and women.
Haymarket Riot: A labor protest in Chicago in 1886 that turned deadly when a bomb was thrown at police, leading to public backlash against labor movements and the execution of several anarchists.
Samuel Gompers: Founder and long-time president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), Gompers focused on securing better wages, hours, and working conditions for skilled workers through collective bargaining.
Homestead Strike: A major industrial strike at Carnegie Steel in 1892 that resulted in a violent confrontation between strikers and private security agents, highlighting the intense labor conflicts of the era.
Pullman Strike: A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 that began at the Pullman Company over wage cuts and high rents, leading to federal intervention and the use of troops to suppress the strike.
Eugene V. Debs: Leader of the American Railway Union and a key figure in the Pullman Strike, Debs later became a prominent socialist and five-time presidential candidate.
New South: A term used to describe the post-Reconstruction South's efforts to diversify its economy and move away from an agricultural reliance on cotton, emphasizing industrialization and modernity.
Sharecropping: A system in the post-Civil War South where landowners allowed tenants to use their land in return for a share of the crops produced, often leading to cycles of debt and poverty for the tenants.
Mississippi Plan: A strategy used by Southern Democrats in the late 19th century to suppress African American voting through violence, intimidation, and discriminatory legal tactics like poll taxes and literacy tests.
Plessy v. Ferguson: An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine, legitimizing Jim Crow laws.
Ida B. Wells: An African American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the 1890s, advocating for civil rights and women's suffrage.
Booker T. Washington: An influential African American leader who advocated for vocational education and economic self-help as a means for black advancement, promoting a more gradual approach to civil rights.
W.E.B. DuBois: A prominent African American intellectual and co-founder of the NAACP, DuBois advocated for immediate civil rights and higher education for African Americans, opposing Booker T. Washington's approach.
Exodusters: African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas in the late 19th century to escape racial oppression and seek new opportunities.
Sand Creek Massacre: An 1864 attack by Colorado militia on a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village, resulting in the deaths of over 150 Native Americans, including women and children.
George Custer: A U.S. Army officer whose defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, also known as "Custer's Last Stand," became a symbol of Native American resistance.
Great Sioux War: A series of conflicts between the U.S. government and the Sioux tribes in the 1870s, culminating in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Ghost Dance Movement: A Native American religious movement of the late 19th century that sought to restore traditional ways and drive out white settlers, leading to increased tensions with the U.S. government.
Battle of Wounded Knee: The 1890 massacre of over 150 Lakota Sioux by U.S. troops at Wounded Knee Creek, marking the end of armed Native American resistance in the Plains.
Dawes Severalty Act: An 1887 law that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual plots, undermining communal landholding and traditional culture.
Frederick Jackson Turner: A historian known for his "Frontier Thesis," which argued that the American frontier was a key factor in shaping the nation's character and democracy.
Gilded Age: A term coined by Mark Twain to describe the late 19th century, characterized by rapid industrialization, political corruption, and vast economic inequality beneath a thin veneer of prosperity.
“New Immigrants”: Immigrants who came to the U.S. from Southern and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often facing discrimination and difficult living conditions.
Nativists: Americans who opposed immigration and favored policies to protect the interests of native-born citizens, often driven by fears of job competition and cultural change.
Chinese Exclusion Act: A federal law passed in 1882 that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers, reflecting widespread anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S.
Social Darwinism: The application of Darwin's theory of natural selection to human society, used to justify economic inequality, imperialism, and laissez-faire capitalism.
Party Bosses: Leaders of political machines who controlled local politics by providing services in exchange for votes, often engaging in corruption and patronage.
Pendleton Act: An 1883 law that established a merit-based system for federal employment, aimed at reducing corruption by ending the patronage or "spoils" system.
Interstate Commerce Commission: Established in 1887, the first federal agency to regulate economic activity, it aimed to oversee and regulate the railroad industry to ensure fair rates and practices.
Granger Movement: A social and political movement among farmers in the late 19th century that sought to improve their economic conditions and fight monopolistic practices by railroads.
Farmers’ Alliance: An organization of farmers in the late 19th century that advocated for economic reforms, such as cooperative buying and selling, to combat the power of railroads and merchants.
People’s Party (Populists): A political party formed in the 1890s that represented farmers and laborers, advocating for policies like free silver, government ownership of railroads, and direct election of senators.
Panic of 1893: A severe economic depression caused by railroad overbuilding, bank failures, and a collapse in crop prices, leading to widespread unemployment and social unrest.
William Jennings Bryan: A Democratic and Populist leader who ran for president in 1896, known for his "Cross of Gold" speech advocating for bimetallism and appealing to farmers and workers.