The Gilded Age
Grafts
A bribe; money paid for a political favor such as voting.
Capt. of Industry
A business leader who contributed positively to the country in some way. Through increased productivity, expansion of markets, providing more jobs, or acts of philanthropy.
Monopolies - Market Expansion
A business or group that controls a specific market.
Political Machines
A corrupt city organization that uses favors (money, jobs, housing) to the poor to secure votes to remain in power.
Spoils System
A practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends, and relatives.
Nativism
A set of beliefs favoring the interests of established inhabitants (old comers) against those of immigrants (new comers).
Unskilled Laborers
American or immigrant workers who were paid the lowest of wages and were easily replaceable.
Robber Barons
An American capitalist who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wages.)
Social Gospel
Andrew Carnegie supported the idea that it was the duty of the rich to give back to help others in need.
Ethnic Neighborhoods
Areas of a city where immigrants of similar backgrounds lived making assimilation difficult.
Andrew Carnegie
Business leader who believed in the Gospel of Wealth and owned controlling interest in U.S. Steel.
John Rockefeller
Business leader who controlled Standard Oil.
Impact of the Railroad - Native Americans
Construction of this across the nation assisted in the destruction of the buffalo.
Cattle Drives
Cowboys move Longhorns from Texas to mid-western city railroads for profit.
Jane Addams
Created Hull House, a settlement house that assisted immigrants with social services, learning English, and employment.
Interstate Commerce Act
Created to regulate shipping costs and all commerce across state lines.
Farming techniques
Crop Rotation and Dry Farming allowed for Homesteaders to adapt to drier climates of the Great Plains.
Tin Pan Alley
Cultural area of New York City that promoted music publishing leading to the creation of popular music in America.
Klondike Gold Rush
Discovery of Gold in the Yukon territory encouraged miners to go west.
Trusts - Market Expansion
Exclusive ownership of a business or product that allows owners to set prices without competition.
Child Labor
Exploitation of young boys to work in factories in both unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
Chisholm Trail
Famous trail for Cattle Long drives from Texas to Kansas.
Native American Relocation
Government attempts to move Native Americans further west.
Dawes Act
Government attempts to promote Native Americans to own private land.
Pacific Railway Act
Government grants money & land to railroad companies to connect the country.
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Government legislation that stopped monopolies and trusts to protect the American consumer.
Chinese Exclusion Act
Government ruling intended to slow immigration to California in order to protect native born Americans.
Subways and Streetcar Lines
Helped reduce the problems with overcrowding and transportation in New York.
Thomas Edison
His discovery/invention led to longer work days allowing for factories to continue to operate after dark.
Living Conditions - Farmers/Homesteaders
Homesteaders were fearful & isolated. Life was unpredictable & challenging. Home were built of Sod instead of trees.
New Immigrants
Immigrants coming from southern and eastern Europe.
Haymarket Strike
Labor unrest that caused fear and resentment towards labor unions.
Assimilation - Native Americans
Lands granted to Native Americans to assimilate them to American culture.
Civil Service
Lucrative, non-elected government jobs that were often given as favors or to friends.
Mechanization - Farmers/Homesteaders
New inventions such as the plow led to the overproduction of crops leaving farmers in debt.
Barbed Wire
New technology utilized to protect crops and closed off the open range.
American Federation of Labor
Organization that unified unskilled labor which used strikes and collective bargaining to secure rights for workers.
Boss Tweed
Party Boss in New York City who took advantage of immigrants and stole money from taxpayers.
Ellis Island
Processing center for incoming immigrants in New York City.
Homestead Act
Provided 160 acres of federal land to anyone who agreed to farm the land in the Great Plains.
Pendleton Act
Provided that federal government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that government employees be selected through competitive exams.
Samuel Gompers
Started the American Federation of Labor.
National Origins Act
The U.S. Government attempts to reduce the amount of immigrants from both southern and eastern Europe.
Overpopulation
The influx of immigrants and people returning to cities from farms put a strain on transportation, sanitation, and housing.
Social Darwinism
Theory that individuals, groups, and people are subject to the same laws of natural selection as plants and animals. Survival of the fittest.
Pres. James Garfield
U.S. President who was assassinated prompting legislation to reform patronage in government jobs.
Pres. Chester A. Arthur
U.S. President who was responsible for passing the Pendleton Act.
Reservations - Native Americans
U.S. government's attempt to convert Native Americans to American life. Kill the culture not the person.
Tenements
Unsanitary and dangerous living accommodations in overcrowded cities.
Jacob Riis
Using photographs, he exposed the deplorable conditions facing tenement life in New York.
