Unit 6- Gilded Age Flashcards
Transcontinental Railroad
Railroad that connects east and west coast
- Built by immigrants
- Built from both sides and met in the middle
Boomtowns
Towns that developed in the West based on mineral wealth
- Got big quick and usually disappeared
Homestead Act
Government gave away land in the west
- a person had to build a home and farm/ranch for 5 years (afterwards it became their property)
- Encouraged thousands to move west
Exodusters
African Americans who fled the south and started homesteads (mostly in Kansas)
Pacific Railway Act
Act that gave land to railroad companies to build the railroad
- railroads usually sold the land to make money for the railroad
“New South”
Coined by southern newspapers
- South began to invest in manufacturing and industry after the Civil War (Birmingham Steel)
Jim Crow Laws
Southern laws that segregate or discriminate against African Americans (poll taxes, literacy tests, etc.)
Poll taxes
A payment that was required in order to vote
- prevented poor blacks from voting
Literacy tests
A test that one must pass in order to vote
- Usually impossible to pass even if you are literate
- prevented blacks from voting
Plessy v. Fergusson
Court case that made segregation LEGAL
- “separate but equal”
Booker T. Washington
African American leader- argued that African Americans should EARN equality by working hard
WEB DuBois
African American leader- Argued that educated Blacks should DEMAND equality from the government
Dawes Act
Forced Native Americans onto reservations and separated them into property units
- Forced Native Americans to accept white culture
Battle of Little Bighorn
Native American Victory over US military
- Cause more military intervention to destroy natives and force them on reservations
Carlisle Indian School
Indian boarding school
- forced Natives to abandon their culture and “civilize”
Gilded Age
Time period of Industrial Revolution
- Looked good on the outside, dingy and fake on the inside
Bessemer Process
A new way of manufacturing steel
Typewriter
Important invention that made working and documentation more efficient
- created employment opportunities for women
Oil
Energy source used for fuel
- made JD Rockefeller Rich
Robber Baron
A wealthy industrialist
- Used power and shady techniques to become more wealthy
- often abused their workers
Captain of Industry
A title for wealthy businessmen who used their profits to benefit society
Monopoly
When one company controls an entire industry
- Ex. Rockefeller’s Standard oil controlled almost all of the Oil in the US
Trust
When companies work together to control the market
John D. Rockefeller
Oil Baron
- Eliminated competition and created a monopoly
- Used money to maintain power and control over the market
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Railroad Tycoon
- controlled transportation and raised prices to make money
- Rarely gave away any money to society
Andrew Carnegie
Steel Baron
- Paid workers very little and had dangerous working conditions in order to make more money
- Known for giving a lot of his money to charity (libraries, Carnegie hall)
Horizontal Integration
Controlling all aspects of production (factories, transportation, inputs, etc.)
- Carnegie controlled the iron mines, factories, transportation, etc.
Vertical Integration
Controlling am entire industry
- Rockefeller would buy out other oil companies until he controlled most of the oil
Gospel of Wealth
Article written by Carnegie
- He argues that wealthy have a responsibility to give back to society.
Unions
Organizations of workers who are created to help get higher wages and better working conditions. Unions work together to get results.
Homestead Strike
Union strike at Carnegies steel factory to demand higher pay
- Workers were shot by strikebreakers
Pullman Strike
Union strike against Pullman company in Chicago
- President sent in the military to stop the strike and force workers back to work
Nativism
Opposition to immigrants
- Country should only care about “native-born” citizens
- Leads to dissemination towards immigrants
Ethnic Neighborhoods
Immigrants tend to form their own communities in major cities
Ex- little Italy in Chicago, china town in New York
Push/Pull factors for immigration
Pull Factors
- industrialization (jobs)
- freedom and opportunity
Push Factors
- Famine (Irish)
- Persecution
- Poverty
Chinese Exclusion Act
Act that prevented Chinese immigration, Forced Chinese to leave the US
- created because of nativism against chinese
Jacob Riis
Muckraker- photographer
- took photos of immigrants
- published to show how hard the immigrant life was in the US (create sympathy for immigrants)
Settlement Houses
Created by Jane Addams
- Created a transition home to help immigrants adapt to the US and learn English
Political Machines
Corrupt government organizations designed to keep power and continue being elected
- Used favors for immigrants to continue to be elected
Graft
Using power position to profit off information or to transfer money to friends
Tammany Hall
Political Machine in NYC led by Boss Tweed
Boss Tweed
Political Machine leader in New York City
- Basically ran NYC for decades and profited from graft
Thomas Nast
Muckraker- Cartoonist
- Drew Cartoons to expose Boss Tweed and took down Tammany Hall
Muckrakers
Individuals (authors, artists, etc) who exposed the problems of the Gilded age in order to inspire change
Progressive Era
Time period of change to address the problems of the Gilded Age
Social Gospel
The idea that Christians should help social problems and make the world better
Populist Party
Political party led by farmers and poor workers to change the government.
- common man
- wanted to take down wealthy elites in government
Cross of Gold Speech
Speech by William Jennings Bryan
- opposed the Gold Standard
- Would hurt farmers and benefit the rich (poor people could not afford gold)
