Unit 4 Main Ideas

18th Amendment

This amendment, passed in 1919, prohibited the production, distribution, and consumption of alcohol. Very unpopular throughout the 1920's, this amendment would end up being a massive waste of time and money, and was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933.

19th Amendment

This amendment, passed in 1920, formally granted women the right to vote nationally. The realization of decades of feminist activism, this amendment would forever change politics in the United States.

Horizontal Integration

A common business practice among big business tycoons during the Gilded Age, this practice involves buying out every business in a given industry. Widely seen as negative because it led to the creation of monopolies, this practice was frowned upon and eventually curbed by the "trustbusters" of the early 20th century.

Vertical Integration

A common business practice during the Gilded Age and today, this practice involves gaining control of the production, distribution, and sale of a product. Widely seen as a good business practice because it encourages businesses to improve the quality of their products, this has been common business practice among big businesses for almost the entirety of the Industrial Age.

Woman's Suffrage

A primary goal of the women's movement, feminists had fought for this idea since the mid 19th century. Although women were given the right to vote in a few states, their efforts finally culminated with the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote nationally.

Andrew Carnegie

Born in 1835, Andrew Carnegie was perhaps the best known steel magnate of the Gilded Age. Known as a "Captain of Industry", Carnegie's relatively fair business practices and philanthropic nature have been held up as an example of how the rich should behave in the decades since his passing.

John D. Rockefeller

Born in 1839, John D. Rockefeller was one of the most successful business tycoons of the Gilded Age. Known for his cutthroat business tactics, Rockefeller used both vertical and horizontal integration to build his business empire, eventually controlling 90% of the oil industry in the United States. His life and legacy have made him one of the best known businessmen in American history.

William Tweed

The epitome of a corrupt politician during the Gilded Age, Tweed was the most notorious party bosses during this time. His massive government organization would routinely misuse taxpayer funds and rig elections for their own benefit. The exposure of his organization would help lead to the doom of political machines.

Progressive Movement

The movement, popular during the early 20th century, called for widespread social, political and economic reforms. More successful than the Populists, the Progressives achieved many of the reforms that the Populists wanted, such as women's suffrage and the direct election of senators. The reforms they drove have had a lasting impact of the US.

US The Jungle/Meat Inspection Act

The ultimate example of muckraking, The Jungle exposed the gross mismanagement prevalent in the meat packing industry. When Theodore Roosevelt read it, he immediately urged Congress to take action, which resulted in the Meat Inspection Act. This act set strict regulations for the processing of meat that are still important today.

Chinese Exclusion Act

This Act, passed in 1882, effectively banned the immigration of unskilled Chinese laborers. Although only meant to last for 10 years, the act ended up staying in effect until 1943 when it was finally repealed. This act would be the single most drastic restriction on immigration in American history.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

This act, passed in 1890, was intended to break up corporate trusts and curb the power of monopolies. Although a good idea in practice, the act was mostly ineffective in achieving its goals. Despite this, the act inspired the passing of future legislation that was more effective in breaking up trusts.

Haymarket Affair

This affair, which began as a strike over low wages in 1886, would rapidly deteriorate into a full scale riot. During the strike, a bomb was thrown at the police line and police responded by arresting and jailing many of the strikers. This riot would further deteriorate the reputation of unions as violent and disruptive.

16th Amendment

This amendment, passed in 1913, allowed the government to collect federal and state income taxes. This amendment would lead to an influx of taxpayer money that the government could use to enact social welfare programs.

17th Amendment

This amendment, passed in 1913, provided for the popular election of senators, as opposed to senators being appointed by state governments. This amendment would help to curb state corruption and have a lasting impact on our government

Nativism

This anti-immigrant idea, popular during the Gilded Age, stated that the interests of native-born Americans should always come before that of immigrants. Contributing to the anti-immigrant fervor during the period, this belief would led to the neglect of immigrant populations around the country.

Gentleman's Agreement

This deal, made unofficially in 1907, between the United States and Japan would restrict the immigration of Japanese laborers in exchange for a relaxation of the segregation against Japanese-Americans. This agreement would only further the restriction on Asian immigration during the early 20th century.

Granger Laws

This laws, enacted in the late 19th century, were meant to promote agriculture and curb the power of the railroads over the farmer. Fairly effective where they were implemented, these laws represented some of the goals that the Populist movement hoped to achieve at the national level.

Populist Movement

This movement, important during the 1890's called for better government treatment of poor workers and farmers. With William Jennings Bryan as its figurehead, this movement fought for political and economic reforms such as bimetallism and direct election of senators. While the movement itself never gained significant power, its ideas would be seen through by the Progressives during the next century.

WJB Cross of Gold Speech

This speech given by William Jennings Bryan during the 1896 Democratic National Convention would best articulate the ideas of the Populists. This speech called for an end to the oppression that the farmers were enduring at the hands of the rich. The ideas in this speech would be influential for decades to come.

Great Strike of 1877

This strike by railroad workers was one of many unsuccessful strikes during the Gilded Age. The workers, protesting low wages, refused to work until federal troops came to do jobs and the workers were forced to relent. This strike would serve to worsen the reputation of unions throughout the country for the next 40 years.

Pullman Company Strike

This strike, which occurred in 1894, would further the damage done to the reputation of unions. The strike over stagnant wages and rising rent failed miserably and the leader, Eugene Debs, was jailed. After the strike, union membership throughout the country diminished to new lows at the turn of the century.

Graft

This term describes the use of taxpayer money for personal gain. A favorite tactic of corrupt political machines, these people would steal millions of dollars of taxpayer money and keep it for themselves. the exposure of this behavior would lead to reforms in the way politicians handled taxpayer money.

Captain of Industry

This term was used to describe fair, philanthropic businessmen during the Gilded Age. With examples including Andrew Carnegie, these people were seen as an example for how the rich should spend their money, and this influence has endured to the present day.

Robber Baron

This term was used to describe greedy, cutthroat businessmen during the Gilded Age. Examples such as John D. Rockefeller were used as examples of how businessmen shouldn't act, and this image has been used to describe businessmen in the decades after the Gilded Age.

Muckrakers

This term was used to describe journalists who exposed the widespread social ills present during the Gilded Age. With examples such as Upton Sinclair and Jacob Riis, the stories that these people told would lead to significant social and political reforms being made.

Political Machine

This term was used to describe the corrupt city governments during the Gilded Age. These organizations would essentially steal taxpayer money and distribute it among themselves, as well as rig local elections. The exposure of these machines would expose everyone to the widespread corruption that existed, and would lead to significant reforms being made.

Social Darwinism

This theory, popular among the elite during the 19th century, is the idea that the members of society with superior traits will inevitably occupy the upper classes. This theory was influential during the Gilded Age because it effectively gave the gov't an excuse to ignore the needs of the poor. Looked at with disdain by working people, this theory largely fell out of favor by the early 20th century.

Tenement Housing

This type of housing, common among immigrants during the Gilded Age, was intended to pack as many immigrants as possible into tiny, cramped housing. The poor conditions of these houses would cause great uproar among journalists and social workers, who would call for reforms to be made and for immigrants to be treated better.