Period 6

Here’s a list of terms and their APUSH definitions:

Cornelius Vanderbilt – Railroad magnate who made a fortune consolidating railroads in the Northeast and expanded his wealth in steamships. Known for his influence in the transportation industry.
Speculation – The practice of buying stocks, property, or other assets in hopes of profiting from an increase in value, often without regard for the risks involved.
Jay Gould – A controversial financier and railroad developer, infamous for his stock manipulation tactics and involvement in the Erie War with Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Watering Stocks – The practice of inflating the value of stocks by issuing more shares than the company is actually worth, often used by railroad companies in the 19th century.
Rebates and Pools – Rebates were discounts given by railroads to favored customers; pools were informal agreements between railroads or businesses to divide markets and fix prices, limiting competition.
Panic of 1893 – A severe economic depression triggered by railroad bankruptcies, bank failures, and a collapse of the stock market, leading to widespread unemployment and hardship.
Andrew Carnegie – Scottish-American industrialist who led the expansion of the steel industry in the U.S. and became a philanthropist, advocating for the Gospel of Wealth.
Vertical Integration – A business model where a company controls every stage of production, from raw materials to final product, eliminating the need for middlemen.
U.S. Steel – The first billion-dollar company in U.S. history, formed by J.P. Morgan in 1901 through the merger of Carnegie Steel and other steel companies.
John D. Rockefeller – Founder of Standard Oil Company, he became the wealthiest man in the world through the practice of horizontal integration, controlling the oil industry.
Horizontal Integration – A business strategy where a company acquires or merges with competitors to reduce competition and increase market share.
Standard Oil Trust – A massive oil monopoly formed by John D. Rockefeller, which controlled nearly all oil refining in the U.S. at its peak.
J.P. Morgan – Powerful banker and financier who helped stabilize the American economy during crises, notably by consolidating railroads and forming U.S. Steel.
Transatlantic Cable – An underwater cable that connected Europe and North America, facilitating fast communication across the Atlantic and revolutionizing global communication.
Alexander Graham Bell – Inventor of the telephone, which became one of the most influential inventions in communication and industry.
Telephone – A revolutionary communication device invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, which transformed personal and business communication.
Thomas Edison – Inventor and entrepreneur who developed the electric light bulb, phonograph, and motion pictures, helping usher in the Second Industrial Revolution.
Federal Land Grants – Lands given by the federal government to railroad companies and settlers, which were often used to promote development and expansion, particularly in the West.
Credit Mobilier – A scandal involving the Union Pacific Railroad in which the company bribed government officials and inflated railroad construction costs to defraud the federal government.
Interstate Commerce Act – A 1887 law that regulated railroads and required them to charge reasonable rates, addressing unfair practices like rebates and discriminatory pricing.
Antitrust Movement – A movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries aimed at breaking up monopolies and trusts to promote fair competition in the market.
Sherman Antitrust Act – A 1890 law that made it illegal to restrain trade or commerce through monopolies or other anti-competitive practices, though its enforcement was initially weak.
Anti-union tactics – Strategies employed by businesses and employers to undermine labor unions, such as blacklisting union leaders, hiring strikebreakers, and using legal means to break up strikes.
Railroad Strike of 1877 – A nationwide railroad strike that began in West Virginia due to wage cuts, which led to violent clashes between workers and federal troops.
Knights of Labor – One of the first major labor organizations in the U.S., advocating for an eight-hour workday, better working conditions, and the inclusion of all workers, regardless of skill level, race, or gender.
Haymarket Bombing – A violent incident in 1886 during a labor protest in Chicago that led to the deaths of several people and the conviction of several anarchists, damaging the reputation of the labor movement.
AFL (American Federation of Labor) – A national federation of labor unions founded in 1886, led by Samuel Gompers, focused on skilled workers' rights, higher wages, and shorter work hours.
Samuel Gompers – Leader of the AFL, advocating for practical goals such as better wages, working conditions, and union recognition.
Pullman Strike – A nationwide railroad strike in 1894, led by Eugene Debs, protesting wage cuts and high rents in company-owned towns, which was broken by federal troops.
Eugene Debs – Labor leader and founder of the American Railway Union, he became a socialist and ran for president five times while advocating for workers' rights and social reforms.
Laissez-faire – The economic philosophy that government should not interfere in business affairs, allowing the market to regulate itself through competition and supply and demand.
Social Darwinism – A belief that individuals or groups are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals in nature, often used to justify inequality and lack of government intervention.
Gospel of Wealth – A philosophy promoted by Andrew Carnegie that the wealthy have a moral obligation to give back to society through philanthropy.
Chinese Exclusion Act – A law passed in 1882 that banned Chinese immigration to the United States and limited the rights of Chinese immigrants already in the country.
Homestead Act – A law passed in 1862 that granted 160 acres of public land to settlers who would farm the land for at least five years, encouraging westward expansion.
Battle of Little BigHorn – A 1876 battle in which General Custer and his troops were defeated by Native American forces led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, part of the Great Sioux War.
Assimilationists – Individuals or groups who believed Native Americans should abandon their traditional cultures and adopt Euro-American customs in order to integrate into mainstream society.
Dawes Act – A 1887 law aimed at assimilating Native Americans by dividing communal tribal lands into individual plots for Native families, leading to the loss of much Native American land.
Indian Reorganization Act – A 1934 law that sought to reverse the damage of the Dawes Act by promoting Native American self-government and restoring some tribal lands.
Ghost Dance Movement – A religious movement among Native Americans in the late 19th century, which predicted the return of ancestors and the end of white domination, leading to violent confrontations like the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Sierra Club – A prominent environmental organization founded in 1892 by John Muir, which advocated for the preservation of public lands and the protection of natural resources.
“New South” – The idea, promoted by Henry Grady, that the South should diversify its economy by developing industry and embracing modernization after the Civil War.
George Washington Carver – An African American scientist and inventor who promoted crop rotation and developed hundreds of products from peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other crops.
Tuskegee Institute – A historically black university founded by Booker T. Washington in Alabama, focusing on agricultural and industrial education for African Americans.
Civil Rights Cases of 1883 – A series of Supreme Court decisions that struck down parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, allowing private discrimination and reinforcing racial segregation.
Plessy v. Ferguson – A landmark 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Jim Crow Laws – State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the South, leading to widespread discrimination and disenfranchisement of African Americans.
Lynch Mobs – Groups of people, often white, who took the law into their own hands and executed extrajudicial killings, primarily of African Americans, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ida B. Wells – African American journalist, educator, and civil rights advocate who led an anti-lynching campaign and worked for racial equality.
Booker T. Washington – Prominent African American educator and leader who advocated for vocational and industrial training for African Americans to gain economic independence.
National Grange Movement – A social and political movement formed by farmers in the 1860s to promote agricultural education and advocate for policies that would help farmers.
Granger Laws – State laws passed in the late 19th century to regulate railroad rates and practices that were considered unfair to farmers.
Munn v. Illinois – A 1877 Supreme Court decision that upheld the right of states to regulate businesses that affected the public interest, such as railroads.
Wabash v. Illinois – An 1886 Supreme Court case that limited the ability of states to regulate interstate commerce, leading to the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Interstate Commerce Commission – A government agency established in 1887 to regulate railroad rates and ensure fair practices in interstate transportation.
**Ocala

Platform of 1890** – A set of proposals by the National Farmers' Alliance, calling for a more flexible monetary system, government regulation of railroads, and direct election of senators.

Frederick Jackson Turner – Historian who developed the "Frontier Thesis," arguing that the American frontier shaped the nation's democracy and character.
“Old” vs. “New” Immigrants – "Old" immigrants were primarily from Northern and Western Europe, while "New" immigrants came from Southern and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ellis Island – An immigration processing center in New York Harbor where millions of immigrants from Europe were processed from 1892 to 1954.
Tenements – Crowded, poorly built apartment buildings in urban areas that housed many working-class and immigrant families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Political “Bosses” – Powerful local political leaders who controlled urban machines and provided services in exchange for political support and votes.
Tammany Hall – The Democratic Party political machine in New York City, famously led by Boss Tweed, known for its corruption and patronage system.
Jane Addams – Social reformer and co-founder of the Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago that provided social services to immigrants and the poor.
Settlement Houses – Community centers in urban areas that provided social services, education, and assistance to immigrants and the poor.
Social Gospel – A religious movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that emphasized the need for Christians to address social issues like poverty, inequality, and labor rights.
NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association) – An organization formed in 1890 to advocate for women's right to vote, led by figures like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union) – A women's organization that campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol and promoted temperance.
Anti-Saloon League – A political organization formed in the late 19th century that advocated for the prohibition of alcohol, leading to the passage of the 18th Amendment.
Carrie Nation – A radical temperance activist known for using a hatchet to destroy saloons as part of her campaign for alcohol prohibition.
W.E.B. DuBois – African American civil rights leader, founder of the NAACP, and advocate for political and social equality for African Americans.
Mark Twain – Renowned American author and humorist, known for works like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which critiqued social and racial issues.
Joseph Pulitzer – Newspaper publisher who helped popularize sensationalist journalism and founded the Pulitzer Prizes, which recognize achievements in journalism and the arts.
William Randolph Hearst – Media mogul who used sensationalism in his newspapers to manipulate public opinion, playing a key role in the rise of yellow journalism.
Patronage – The practice of giving government jobs to political supporters and party loyalists, rather than based on merit.
Pendleton Act of 1881 – A law that established a merit-based system for federal employment and aimed to reduce corruption and patronage.
Civil Service Reform – Efforts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to professionalize government work and reduce political patronage by creating a merit-based civil service system.
Election of 1884 – The presidential election between Grover Cleveland and James G. Blaine, marked by the first major reformist victory, with Cleveland’s promise to end corruption.
McKinley Tariff of 1890 – A law that raised tariffs on imported goods to protect domestic industries, but led to higher consumer prices and dissatisfaction.
“Hard” v “Soft” Money – Debate over monetary policy, where “hard” money referred to gold-backed currency, and “soft” money referred to currency backed by silver or paper.
Panic of 1873 – A financial crisis triggered by the collapse of major banks and railroads, leading to a severe depression.
Greenback Party – A political party formed in the 1870s that advocated for the issuance of paper currency not backed by gold or silver to increase inflation and help debtors.
James B. Weaver – A Populist politician and candidate for president in 1892, advocating for agricultural reform and currency expansion.
“Billion Dollar Congress” – The term used for the 51st Congress (1891–1893), known for its extravagant spending and passing of high tariffs and pension laws.
Populists – A political movement representing farmers and laborers, advocating for issues like the free coinage of silver, government ownership of railroads, and direct election of senators.
Omaha Platform – The 1892 political platform of the Populist Party, which called for reforms such as a graduated income tax, direct election of senators, and government ownership of railroads.
Coxey’s Army – A march of unemployed workers to Washington, D.C., in 1894, led by Jacob Coxey, demanding federal jobs and relief from the economic depression.
William Jennings Bryan – A Populist leader and Democratic presidential candidate known for his "Cross of Gold" speech advocating for the free coinage of silver.
“Cross of Gold” Speech – A famous speech delivered by William Jennings Bryan in 1896, supporting the free coinage of silver and attacking the gold standard, symbolizing the Populist and Democratic platform.