Unit 6 Fluency Facts Flashcards
Gilded Age
Who: Upper Class, Mark Twain
What: Term coined by Mark Twain as critique of upper class wealthy in U.S. Conspicuous consumption; displays of wealth; idolatry of a lavish lifestyle; excessive opulent wealth.
Where: U.S
When: late 19th Cent
Why: Evidence of shifting morality and the excesses of the Second Industrial Revolution. Questioned what lied beneath the conspicuous consumption of upper class wealthy society.
Political Machines:
Who: Boss Tweed, Thomas Nast
What: Corrupt political entities like Tammany Hall who were controlled by a boss that wielded immense power over local and state politics. Controlled tax rates, exchanged favors/votes for jobs.
Where: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia
When: 1830s to 1930
Why: Prime example of fraud, political domination, and graft in the Gilded Age. Thrived off kickbacks and bribes from businesses. Made political participation difficult for qualified individuals. Embezzled millions from taxpayers
Haymarket Riot
Who: Knights of Labor
What: Peaceful protest (due to workers being injured and/or killed by Chicago police in a previous incident) for labor rights , turned violent when a bomb was thrown at police.
Where: Chicago
When: May 4, 1886
Why: Associates the labor movement with anarchy, violence, and radicalism. Major setback for unions.
New South
Who: Former Confederacy, American South
What: Term that described the post Civil War South’s attempt to rebuild through industrialization and modernization; and, its new social, political, and economic systems.
Where: Post Civil War South
When: 1877
Why: South primarily a slave based economy. Advent of emancipation -> had to establish a new way to generate revenue. Not very successful. Share cropping and segregation continued.
Chinese Exclusion Act
Who: Congress, Chinese Immigrants
What: Act prohibited immigration from China for 10 years, naturalization of Chinese who had already entered the country.
Where: California, United States
When: 1882
Why: Nativist resentment of cheap Chinese labor available as a result of immigration, first direct immigration bill. Placed new requirements and restrictions on Chinese who had already entered the country.
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Who: Samuel Gompers (Founder), Skilled White Male Workers
What: Union bargained with management for better wages, conditions, and hours. Organized along craft lines.
Where: United States
When: 1886 - now
Why: Established the use of collective bargaining as an effective tool in gaining workers rights and fair wages when employed by a union that maintained an exclusive membership.
Dawes Severalty Act:
Who: Congress, Native Americans
What: Act ending tribal ownership of lands. Allowed the government to divide reservations into small plots to sell to individual Native Americans. Intended to help assimilate Native Americans into white culture and improve their quality of life.
Where: United States
When: 1887
Why: Decreased land held by Native Americans by 50%, and opened the rest to white settlers and Railroads. Undermined the Native American tribal structure and destroyed their way of life.
Interstate Commerce Commission
Who: Congress
What: Agency created to regulate the railroad industry to ensure fair rates and eliminate rate discrimination. Five member commission appointed by the president.
Where: United States
When: 1887, Abolished 1895
Why; Shift in power from state to federal. First independent regulatory body. First agency to regulate a large industry in the United States.
Gospel of Wealth
Who: Andrew Carnegie
What: Article that describes the responsibility of the upper class wealthy to be philanthropic to society.
Where: United States
When: 1889
Why: Called into question the responsibility of the wealthy to society. Advocated individual philanthropy similar to idea of trickle down economics.
Wounded Knee Massacre
Who: Sitting Bull, leader
What: Began with the attempted arrest of Sitting Bull (killed in the process) in response to the Ghost Dance movement. Resulted in a massacre that left 150 Lakota Sioux dead, 50 of which were women and children.
Where: Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota
When:1890
Why: Last major armed conflict between Lakota Sioux and the U.S. Army; end of NAI resistance in the Plains. Will hasten the cultural genocide of NAI tribes forced onto reservations using practices of forced assimilation.
Populist Party
Who: William J. Bryan, Farmers
What: Party platform: government ownership of railroads, banks, and telegraphs; graduated income tax; eight hour workday; subtreasuries; and free Silver. William J. Bryan is nominated as both the Democrat and Populist presidential candidate.
Where: Western United States
When: 1896
Why: Farmers became involved in politics.
