Untitled Flashcards Set

Key Economic & Business Terms

• Vertical Integration – A business strategy where a company controls all aspects of production, from raw materials to finished goods (used by Andrew Carnegie in steel).

• Horizontal Integration – A business strategy where a company buys out or allies with competitors to dominate an industry (used by John D. Rockefeller in oil).

• Captains of Industry – Business leaders who positively impacted the economy by building industries and creating jobs.

• Robber Barons – Powerful 19th-century business leaders who used unethical practices to gain wealth.

• Labor Union – An organized group of workers that fights for better wages, hours, and conditions.

Important People & Industries

• Andrew Carnegie – Steel industry leader who used vertical integration 

• John D. Rockefeller – Oil industry leader who used horizontal integration and created Standard Oil.

• Cornelius Vanderbilt – Railroad tycoon who expanded and controlled major rail lines.

• J.P. Morgan – Banker who financed industrial growth and reorganized railroads.

• Boss Tweed (William Tweed) – Corrupt NYC political leader who controlled Tammany Hall and used bribery and fraud.

Social & Political Issues

• Nativism – A belief that native-born Americans should be favored over immigrants.

• Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) – A U.S. law that prohibited Chinese immigration due to anti-Chinese sentiment.

• Political Machine – A corrupt organization that controlled city governments, often by bribing immigrants for votes.

• Tammany Hall – A political machine in NYC led by Boss Tweed, known for corruption.

• Graft – The use of political power for personal gain, often through bribery or fraud.

Working Conditions & Reform Movements

• Sweatshop – A factory with extremely poor working conditions, low wages, and long hours.

• Tenement – Overcrowded, poorly built apartment buildings in cities where many immigrants lived.

• Child Labor – The use of children for industrial work, often in dangerous conditions.

• The Jungle – A book by Upton Sinclair that exposed the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry.

• Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire – A workplace disaster that led to improved safety laws.

• Social Darwinism – The idea that only the strongest businesses and individuals will succeed, while the weak will fail.

• Muckrakers – Journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices during the Gilded Age.

Technological Advancements

• Transcontinental Railroad – The first railroad that connected the U.S. from coast to coast, built by the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads.

• Telephone (Alexander Graham Bell, 1876) – Revolutionized communication.

• Electric Light Bulb (Thomas Edison, 1879) – Allowed factories and cities to operate longer hours.

1. Define the Gilded Age and describe examples of how this name is fitting for the time period.

   • The Gilded Age was a time in U.S. history when things looked great on the outside but were actually full of corruption, poverty, and inequality. The term "gilded" means something that looks golden and valuable on the outside but is worthless underneath.

   • Examples: Extreme wealth vs. extreme poverty, political corruption (Boss Tweed), monopolies (Carnegie, Rockefeller), poor working conditions, and urban slums.

2. How did things such as the telephone, steel, oil drilling, and electricity expand and grow America?

   • Telephone (Alexander Graham Bell, 1876): Revolutionized communication, helping businesses and everyday people connect faster.

   • Steel (Andrew Carnegie): Allowed for stronger buildings, railroads, and bridges, leading to urban and industrial growth.

   • Oil Drilling (John D. Rockefeller): Provided fuel for industry, transportation, and new technologies like kerosene lamps.

   • Electricity (Thomas Edison, 1879 - Light Bulb): Transformed cities, enabling businesses to operate longer hours and improving daily life.

3. How does our era compare to the original Gilded Age of the late 19th century, and what lessons from that period might apply to challenges we face now?

   • Similarities: Wealth inequality, corporate influence in politics, concerns about monopolies (e.g., tech companies today), and debates over immigration.

   • Lessons: The need for government regulation (like trust-busting), labor rights, and protections for workers.

4. Who were the five men who built America, and what industries did they dominate?

   • Andrew Carnegie – Steel

   • John D. Rockefeller – Oil

   • J.P. Morgan – Banking

   • Cornelius Vanderbilt – Railroads

   • (Possible Fifth Man: Henry Ford, though not in notes)

5. What two major railroads made up the transcontinental railroad, and what obstacles did they face?

   • Union Pacific Railroad (East to West) – Faced hostile Native American tribes.

   • Central Pacific Railroad (West to East) – Faced challenges building through the Sierra Nevada mountains.

6. Describe both horizontal and vertical integration and identify the business leader associated with each.

   • Vertical Integration: Controlling every step of production, from raw materials to distribution (used by Andrew Carnegie in steel).

   • Horizontal Integration: Buying out or allying with competitors to dominate an industry (used by John D. Rockefeller in oil).

7. Define nativism and explain the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

   • Nativism: A policy favoring native-born Americans over immigrants.

   • Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): A law that prohibited Chinese immigration due to fears that Chinese workers were taking jobs from Americans.

8. Choose one of the men who built America (Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, or J.P. Morgan) and describe how they gained wealth, what kind of person they were, and their significance to the country.

   • Andrew Carnegie (Steel King): Used vertical integration to control the steel industry. He was a ruthless businessman but later gave away much of his fortune to charity (philanthropy). His steel helped build America's infrastructure.

9. Who was Boss Tweed, and what role did he play in New York City politics? Why were political cartoons an effective way to criticize him?

   • Boss Tweed (William Tweed): Leader of Tammany Hall, controlled NYC politics through corruption, bribery, and election fraud.

   • Political Cartoons: Many immigrants who supported him couldn’t read, so cartoons helped expose his corruption.

10. What were the main issues workers faced during the Gilded Age?

• Low wages

• Long hours (12-16 hour workdays)

• Unsafe working conditions (factories, mines, sweatshops)

• No workers’ rights or protections

• Child labor

11. Describe the conditions of U.S. cities during the Gilded Age. Why were they unhealthy, and what improvements were made?

• Unhealthy Conditions: Overcrowded tenements, poor sanitation, pollution, and high disease rates.

• Improvements: Plumbing, electricity, and infrastructure projects.

12. How did The Jungle by Upton Sinclair expose some of the issues within factory labor?

• The book revealed unsanitary conditions in meatpacking factories and led to food safety reforms like the Pure Food and Drug Act.

13. What was the idea behind Social Darwinism (survival of the fittest) in terms of this era?

• The belief that businesses and individuals who succeeded were naturally "stronger," while the poor and struggling were "weaker" and should not receive government help.

14. Why were political cartoons and photographs from the Gilded Age an effective tool for exposing corruption and injustice?

• Many people, especially immigrants, were illiterate, so visual media was the best way to communicate corruption and unfair practices.

15. What lessons did America learn from workplace disasters like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?

• Led to new fire safety laws, labor protections, and better working conditions.