Chapter 20: Vocabulary Flashcards
Gilded Age
A term invented in 1920s describing the late nineteenth century as a period of ostentatious displays of wealth, growing poverty, and government inaction in the face of income inequality. Commentators suggested that this era had been followed by a “Progressive Era” in which citizens mobilized for reform. The chronological line between the “Gilded Age” and the “Progressive Era” remains unclear, since the 1870s and 1880s witnessed mass movements of farmers, industrial laborers, and middle-class women for reform. Historians generally agree, however, that the era after 1900 brought about more laws to address industrial poverty, working conditions, and the power of monopolies and trust.
Pendleton Act
An 1883 law establishing a nonpartisan Civil Service Commission to fill federal jobs by examination. The Pendleton Act dealt a major blow to the “spoils system” and sought to ensure that government positions were filled by trained, professional employees.
Mugwumps
A late-nineteenth-century branch of reform-minded Republicans who left their party in 1884 to support Democratic presidential candidate Grover Cleveland. Many Mugwumps were classical liberals who denounced corruption and advocated a reduction in government powers and civil service reform.
Sherman Antitrust Act
Landmark 1890 act that forbade anti-competitive business activities, requiring the federal government to investigate trusts and any companies operating in violation of the act.
Lodge Bill
Also known as the Federal Elections Bill of 1890, a bill proposing that whenever 100 citizens in any district appealed for intervention, a bipartisan federal board could investigate and seat the rightful winner. The defeat of the bill was a blow to those seeking to defend African American voting rights and to ensure full participation in politics.
Omaha Platform
An 1892 statement by the Populists calling for stronger government to protect ordinary Americans.
Free Silver
A policy of loosening the money supply by expanding federal coinage to include silver as well as gold. Advocates of the policy thought it would encourage borrowing and stimulate industry, but the defeat of Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan ended the “free silver” movement and gave Republicans power to retain the gold standard.
Lochner v. New York
A 1905 Supreme Court ruling that New York State could not limit baker’ workday to ten hours because that violated bakers’ rights to make contracts.
Wisconsin Idea
A policy promoted by Republican governor Robert La Follette of Wisconsin for greater government intervention in the economy, with reliance on experts, particularly progressive economists, for policy recommendations.
Recall
A pioneering progressive idea, enacted in Wisconsin, Oregon, California, in other states, that gave citizens the right to remove unpopular politicians from office through a vote.
Referendum
The process of voting directly any proposed policy measure rather than leaving it in the hands of elected legislators; a progressive reform.
National Child Labor Committee
A reform organization that worked (unsuccessfully) to win a federal law banning child labor.
Muller v. Oregon
A 19083 Supreme Court case that upheld and Oregon law limiting woman’s workday to 10 hours, based on the need to protect women’s health for motherhood.
Talented Tenth
A term used by Harvard-educated sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois for the top 10 percent of educated African-American, whom he called on to develop new strategies to advocate for civil rights.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
An organization founded in 1910 by leading African-American reformers and white allies as a vehicle for advocating equal rights for African-Americans, specially through the courts.
