US History Gilded Age Terms

Rural

(also referred to as "the country" or "the countryside") are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low populations.

Melting Pot

A place where immigrants of different cultures or races form an integrated society.

Trusts

Big companies/corporations that dominated the economic scene during the Gilded Age.

Birds of Passage

Immigrants who would enter America during the 19th century that would work until they made enough money to return home and purchase a piece of land.

Gilded Age:

The late nineteenth century was a period of intense change that transformed the United States from a predominantly rural nation into a modern industrial society.

New Freedom

a term used to describe President Wilson's progressive policy in attacking large concentrations of power to give greater freedom to average citizens. This policy included passing anti-trust measures, a new tax system, and establishing a federal reserve.

Square Deal

a term used to describe various progressive reforms sponsored by the Roosevelt administration that included trust-busting, mediation, regulating food and drugs, and conservation of natural resources.

Social Darwinism

a theory that maintained that societies evolved by a natural process through which most fit members survived and demonstrated their fitness by gathering property, wealth, and social status (i.e. 'survival of the fittest).

Labor Unions

is an organization that represents the rights and interests of workers to their employers, for example in order to improve working conditions or wages.

Industrialization

is the process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society into an industrial one.

Urban

means belonging to, or relating to, a town or city.

Socialists

members who belonged to the Socialist Party who believed in the equal distribution of the wealth, very popular among the working class.

American Dream

the opportunity and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become rich and famous if only they work hard enough.

Agrarian

the ownership and use of land, especially farmland, relating to the part of a society or economy that is concerned with agriculture.

Laissez-Faire

the policy that is based on the idea that governments and the law should not interfere with business, finance, or the conditions of people's working lives.

Immigration

the process of foreign citizens leaving their homeland to live and work in a different county.

Americanization Movement

was a system designed to assimilate immigrants into American by educating them in speech, ideals, traditions, and ways of life.

Direct Primary

a system of voting that allowed citizens to hold elections to choose candidates from each party to run for office in general elections.

Industrial

Having highly developed industries, relating to the part of a society or economy that is concerned with industry.

Tariffs

Taxes imposed by a government on imported or exported goods.

Robber Barons

a term used for the businessmen and bankers who dominated the United States industries during the 19th century.

Assimilation

The process whereby a minority group (immigrant) gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the host culture (America).

Urbanization

The social process whereby cities grow and societies become more urban

Tenements

a large, old building which is divided into a number of individual flats.

Direct Initiative

a lawmaking change that allows citizens to propose and pass a law directly without involving the state legislature if enough voters sign a petition to place the proposal on a ballot.

Bull Moose Party

a name given to the Progressive political party, formed to support Theodore Roosevelt's candidacy for the presidency.

Progressive Era

a period of American history where reformers were committed to improving the conditions in American life by protecting the social welfare, promoting moral improvement, creating economic reform, and fostering efficiency

Political Machines

a political organization that controls enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of its community. The rapid growth of cities in the 19th century created huge problems for city governments, which were often poorly organized and unable to provide services.

Recall

a process where voters could remove an elected official before his/her term expired if enough voters signed a petition to demand this special election.

Mechanization

a process, they cause it to be done by a machine or machines, when it was previously done by people.