SOCIAL STUDIES

Monopoly-Exclusive control by one company over an entire industry

Laissez-faire -A theory advocating minimal government interference in the economy 

Robber baron-A negative term-getting rich off of the poor workers-corruption

Tenement-Multistory buildings divided into apartments to house as many residents as possible

Settlement house-Jane Addams-Community center organized at the turn of the twentieth century to provide social services to the urban poor

The Grange Movement-

1. Political gathering formed by ONLY farmers who were facing hardships and isolation

2. Disliked that Railroad companies due to exceptionally high shipping costs

3. Began to press for political changes to limit the power of the railroads

Populist party-William Jennings Bryan-Political party formed in 1981 to advocate a larger money supply and other economic reforms-farmers + city workers-under dog party

Knights of Labor-Terrence Powderly-Labor union that sought to organize all workers and focused on broad social reforms-included everyone, unskilled workers, african americans women

Strike-Action taken by workers where they collectively stop working to protest workplace conditions and low wages (Unions)

Collective bargaining-Process in which employers negotiate with labor unions about hours, wages, and other working conditions 

American Federation of Labour-Samuel Gompers-Labor union that organized skilled workers in a specific trade and made specific demands rather than seeking broad changes, very exclusive,

Great Railway Strike-Stopped by the government, didn’t want shipping stopped. 

Haymarket Riot-1886 labor-related protest in Chicago which ended in deadly violence, bomb that went off. 

Homestead Steel Strike-1892 strike against Carnegie’s steelworks in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Shot at-innocent 

Progressive Era-reform era-The period from 1900-1920 that saw the greatest action by Progressive reformers

Muckraker-early twentieth-century American journalist who tried to improve society by exposing political corruption, health hazards, and other social problems

NAACP-An organization founded in 1909 to for the rights of African Americans

Interstate Commerce Act-This act set up the Interstate Commerce Commission, an agency charged with ending such railroad abuses as pools and rebates, discounts available only to special customers.  Although court decisions kept the commission ineffective for many years - its establishment set a precedent for federal regulation of interstate commerce.

Sherman Antitrust Act-

1. Large corporations and trusts were eliminating most/all competition (becoming monopolies)

2. Sherman Antitrust Act: Prohibited monopolies by declaring illegal any business combination or trust “in restraint of trade or commerce”

3. Government struggled to enforce the act in the courts

16th Amendment-1913 constitutional amendment that gave Congress the authority to levy an income tax

17th Amendment-1913 constitutional amendment that allowed for the direct election of U.S. senators by citizens

18th Amendment-Prohibition Amendment-Constitutional amendment banning the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcohol in the United States

19th Amendment-1920 constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote 

Pendleton Act-Civil Service Exam-1883 law that created a civil service system for the federal government in an attempt to hire employees on a merit system rather than on a spoils system

Northern Securities Co. v United States (1904)-

1. Northern Securities Co v. United States (1904):
   Northern Securities Co. controlled the railroad system in the Pacific Northwest

2. Courts use the Sherman Antitrust Act to prosecute the Northern Securities Co.

3. Supreme Court rules that the company (monopoly) must be dissolved

4. The “Beef Trust” A group of meatpackers known as the “beef trust” was broken up using the Sherman Antitrust Act

   1. The Prosecution was upheld by the Supreme Court in Swift & Co v. United States (1905)

   2.  that made the decision to give the government more power under the Constitution’s Interstate commerce clause.

Andrew Carnegie-

1. Industrialist and philanthropist who built Carnegie's Steel Company

John D. Rockefeller-

1. Industrialist and philanthropist

2. Founder of the Standard Oil Company

Theodore Roosevelt-

1. Teddy Roosevelt was President from 1901-1909

2. Trust Busting: Roosevelt saw a difference between “Good trusts” which were to be subject only to regulation and “Bad trusts” which were to be dissolved.

   1. These actions gave him the reputation of trust-busting

   2. Convinced Congress to create the Department of Commerce to pressure corporations through investigations and publicity about their activities.

Willian Howard Taft-William Howard Taft (1857-1930) was the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913. In 1901, Taft became the first civilian governor of the Philippines. In that post, Taft worked to rebuild the economy and reestablish order. In 1921, President Harding appointed Taft the 10th chief justice of the United States, where he served for 9 years 

Woodrow Wilson-As president, Wilson changed the nation's economic policies and led the United States into World War I

Ida Tarbell-History of Standard Oil-A journalist and one of the founders of the NAACP

Upton Sinclair-The Jungle-party nominee for governor of Cali. Political Activist. 

Booker T. Washington-Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was born into slavery and grew up in poverty following emancipation. In 1881, Washington was chosen to head the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institution, where he promoted vocational education for African American students. He encouraged African American citizens to accept segregation and to instead focus on improving themselves through education and economic properties. 

W.E.B. Du Bois-The Crisis-He wrote The crisis because he sought to educate and challenge its readers about issues that continue to plague African Americans and other communities of color 

Robert M. La Follette-Was a mold for progressive reform, wisconsin governor, and his laws passed states to regulate this such as primary elections and tax reform(lower taxes)3