Key Concepts in American History during Industrialization Era

Transcontinental Railroad

  • A railroad that connected the eastern U.S. to the western U.S., completed in 1869, significantly aiding in the settlement and economic growth of the West.

2nd Industrial Revolution

  • Occurred in the late 19th to early 20th century, theory that emphasized efficiency through scientif’ic analysis of tasks, advocating for work specialization and standardization to increase productivity.

Monopoly

  • A market structure where a single seller or producer dominates the industry, effectively eliminating competition. This can lead to higher prices and less innovation.

Holding Company

  • A company created to buy and hold shares in other companies. It can control multiple businesses through its ownership of their stock.

Vertical Integration

  • A business strategy where a company controls all aspects of production from raw materials to final product distribution, leading to reduced costs and increased market control.

Horizontal Integration

  • A strategy where a company acquires or merges with its competitors to consolidate market power, often done to increase economies of scale.

Laissez-Faire Economics

  • An economic philosophy of free-market capitalism where the government exerts minimal intervention, allowing supply and demand to dictate economic activity.

Nativism/Xenophobia

  • Nativism refers to the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants. Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of foreigners.

Union Movement

  • A labor movement advocating for workers' rights, fair wages, and better working conditions, often leading to strikes and collective bargaining.

Pullman Strike

  • A nationwide railway strike in 1894 that began at the Pullman Company due to wage cuts and high rents, ultimately leading to federal intervention.

New South

  • A term used post-Civil War suggesting a shift from an agrarian economy to a more industrialized economy in the southern U.S.

Farmer’s Alliance

  • An organized agrarian economic movement among American farmers that developed in the late 19th century focusing on issues like low crop prices and high railroad rates.

Urbanization

  • The process where an increasing percentage of a population lives in cities and suburbs, typically linked to industria lization and job opportunities.

New Immigration

  • Refers to the wave of immigrants arriving in the late 19th century from Southern and Eastern Europe, contributing to a diverse cultural landscape in the U.S.

Chinese Exclusion Act

  • A federal law passed in 1882 that prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States, reflecting the nativist sentiments of the time.

Political Machines

  • Organizations led by a boss that control a political party and its activities, often through corruption and patronage systems to maintain power.

Socialism

  • An economic and political system advocating for collective or governmental ownership and administration of the production and distribution of goods, aiming for social equality.

Dawes Act

  • Enacted in 1887, this law aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society by allotting them individual plots of land and reducing the communal landholdings of tribes.

Plessy v. Ferguson

  • A landmark Supreme Court case in 1896 that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, solidifying Jim Crow laws in the U.S.