Bessemer Process
A cheap and efficient process for making steel, developed around 1850
Transcontinental Railroad
a railroad line linking the alantic pacific coasts of the united states
Credit Mobilier
a construction company formed in 1864 by owners of the union pacific railroad who used it to fraudulently skim off railroad profits for themselves
Munn v. Illinois
case in which the supreme court up held state regulation of railroads in benefit of farmers and consumers thus establishing the right of government to regulate private industry to serve public interest
interstate commerce act
a law enacted that established the federal governments rights to supervise railroad activities
verticle integration
a company's taking over its suppliers and distributers and t4ransportation systems to gain total control over the quality and cost of its products
horizontal integration
the merging of companies that make similar products
social Darwinism
an economic social philosophy supposedly based on charel's Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection
Ellis Island
tiny island in new york near the statue of liberty where immigrants were processed
Angel island
west coast processing island for immigrants in san fransico
Sherman's Anti-Trust Act
a law enacted that was intended to prevent the creation of monopolies by making it illegal to establish trust that interfered with free trade
American federation of labor
an alliance of trade and craft unions
industrial workers of the world
a labor organization for unskilled workers formed by a group of of radical unionists and socialists
melting pot
a mixture of different cultures and races who blend together by bonding their native languages and cultures
Nativism
favoring the interests of native born people over foreign born people
Chines Exclusion Act
was signged on May 8,1882, suspending the allowence of chinese immigration in the U.S.
Gentlemen's Agreement
an agreement between us and japan to limit Japanese immigration to the united states
urbanization
the growth of cities