Midterm 1 - US Hist Flashcards
Gilded Age
A period from the 1870s to early 1900s marked by rapid industrialization, economic growth, and vast social inequality. It saw the rise of big business, corruption, and significant labor strife.
Panic of 1873
A financial crisis that triggered a severe economic depression in the U.S. and Europe, caused by over-expansion and the collapse of railroad speculation. It led to widespread unemployment and hardship.
Andrew Carnegie
A leading industrialist in the steel industry during the Gilded Age, known for his role in expanding American steel production. He also became a major philanthropist, promoting education and public libraries.
Chief Joseph
Leader of the Nez Perce tribe, who famously resisted U.S. government efforts to forcibly relocate his people. His surrender speech, “I will fight no more forever,” became a symbol of Native American resistance.
Dawes Act
A 1887 law aimed at assimilating Native Americans by dividing communal lands into individual plots. It led to the loss of tribal land and culture for many Native groups.
Wounded Knee Massacre
The 1890 killing of about 300 Lakota Sioux by U.S. soldiers, marking the end of the Indian Wars. It was a tragic and violent culmination of U.S. efforts to suppress Native resistance
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
A 1890 law aimed at curbing monopolies and promoting competition in the U.S. economy. It was used to break up large corporate trusts that restrained trade
Social Darwinism
A theory that applied Darwin’s ideas of natural selection to human society, justifying inequalities in wealth and social status. It was often used to defend the dominance of the wealthy during the Gilded Age.
Knights of Labor:
A labor organization in the late 19th century that sought to unite all workers, regardless of skill level, race, or gender, to advocate for better wages and working conditions. It declined after the Haymarket Riot.
American Federation of Labor (AFL
Founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers, it focused on skilled workers and sought to improve wages, hours, and conditions through collective bargaining and strikes
Chinese Exclusion Act
A 1882 law that barred Chinese immigration to the U.S., reflecting widespread anti-Chinese sentiment. It was the first significant law restricting immigration to the U.S
Homestead steel strike
A violent 1892 labor strike at Andrew Carnegie’s Homestead Steel Works over wage cuts, which ended in a bloody clash between strikers and private security forces.
Coxey’s Army
A group of unemployed workers who marched to Washington, D.C., in 1894, demanding federal government intervention to create jobs during the depression following the Panic of 1893
Eugene Debs
A prominent labor leader and socialist who organized the American Railway Union and led the Pullman Strike. He later ran for president as a socialist candidate.
William Jennings Bryan
A politician who ran for U.S. president three times and was a strong advocate for free silver, workers’ rights, and populist reforms. Famous for his “Cross of Gold” speech.
William McKinley
The 25th U.S. president, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. He led the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War and oversaw the annexation of Hawaii and the Philippines
Plessy v. Ferguson
An 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld “separate but equal” segregation, laying the foundation for Jim Crow laws in the South
Jim Crow Segregation
Laws in the southern U.S. that enforced racial segregation after the Civil War, lasting through the mid-20th century. They institutionalized racism and inequality.
Ida B. Wells
An African American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the 1890s. She played a key role in civil rights and women’s suffrage movements.
Immigration Restriction League
A group founded in 1894 advocating for the limitation of immigration, especially from southern and eastern Europe. They promoted literacy tests to restrict immigration
