Jim Crow
System of racial segregation in the American South from the end of the Reconstruction until the mid-twentieth century. Based on the concept of "separate but equal" facilities for blacks and whites, the Jim Crow system sought to prevent racial mixing in pu
Plessy v Ferguson (1896)
An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of segregation laws, saying that as long as blacks were provided with "separate but equal" facilities, these laws did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision provided legal justifica
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
Federal legislation that prohibited most further Chinese immigration to the United States. This was the first major legal restriction on immigration in US history.
Grandfather Clause
A regulation established in many southern states in the 1890s that exempted from voting requirements (such as literacy tests and poll taxes) anyone who could prove that their ancestors ("grandfathers") had been able to vote in 1860. Since slaves could not
Poll Tax
A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to vote or to register to vote. This was a system used to restrict freed slave from voting. It demonstrates the segregation present during this time period.
Literacy Test
A, usually unfair, test administered as a precondition for voting. It was often used to prevent African Americans from voting.
Reservation System
The system that allotted land with designated boundaries to Native American tribes in the West, beginning in the 1850s and ending with the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887. Within these reservations, most land was used communally, rather than owned individuall
Battle of Little Big Horn (1876)
A particularly violent example of the warfare between whites and Native Americans in the late nineteenth century, also known as "Custer's Last Stand." In two days, June 25 and 26, 1876, the combined forces of over 2,000 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indian
Battle of Wounded Knee (1890)
A battle between the US Army and the Dakota Sioux, in which several hundred Native Americans and 29 US soldiers died. Tensions erupted violently over two major issues: the Sioux practice of the "Ghost Dance," which the US government had outlawed, and the
Dawes Severalty Act (1887)
An act the broke up Indian reservations and distributed land to individual households. Leftover land was sold for money to fund US government efforts to "civilize" Native Americas. Of 130 million acres held in Native American reservations before the Act,
Ghost Dance Movement
This was the last effort of Native Americans to resist US domination and drive whites from their ancestral lands. It came through a religious movement. In the government's campaign to suppress the movement, the famous Sioux medicine man Sitting Bull was k
Mining Industry
After gold and silver strikes in Colorado, Nevada, and other western territories in the second half of the nineteenth century, fortune seekers by the thousands rushed to the West to dig. These metals were essential to US industrial growth and were also so
Mechanization of Agriculture
The development of engine-driven machines, like the combine, which helped to dramatically increase the productivity of land in the 1870s and 1880s. This process contributed to the consolidation of agricultural business that drove many family farms out of
National Grange Movement
This was organized by Oliver H. Kelley primarily as a social and educational organization for farmers and their families. By the 1870s however, the Grange organized economic ventures and took political action to defend members against the middlemen, trust
Interstate Commerce Act (1887)
Congressional legislation that established the Interstate Commerce Commission, compelled railroads to publish standard rates, and prohibited rebates and pools. Railroads quickly became adept t using the Act to achieve their own ends, but the Act gave the
Ocala Platform
The Farmer's Alliance platform that demanded direct election of Senators, lower tariffs, a graduated income tax, and more money in circulation.
Frederick Turner
He was a historian who wrote a thesis emphasizing the importance of the Frontier in 1893. He also noted that in 1890 the Frontier disappeared since Americans had conquered all the land.
William McKinley
He was the 25th president and was responsible for the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and the annexation of Hawaii. He was assassinated six months into his second term.
Crazy Horse
He was a chief of the Sioux who resisted the invasion of the Black Hills and joined Sitting Bull in the defeat of General Custer at Little Bighorn (1849-1877).
General Cluster
He was a United States general who found gold on an Indian reservation. This lead to many whites taking the land from Indians, which lead to the Battle of Little Bighorn, where he was killed along with all his command by the Sioux.
Chief Joseph
He was the leader of the Nez Perce and he tried to help his tribe from being captured by fleeing to Canada. Eventually, they were caught and put on a reservation in Kansas.
Bishop Henry Turner
This man believed that blacks did not have a future in America. Thus, he formed the International Migration Society, a society that encouraged blacks to go live in Africa, specifically Liberia I think.
Ida B. Wells
SHHE was an African American journalist who published statistics about lynching and urged African Americans to protest by refusing to ride streetcars or shop in white owned stores. She was the co-founder of the NAACP. She got sent many death threats and c
Booker T. Washington
He was an African American progressive who founded the Tuskegee Institute to teach blacks different trades so they could achieve economic independence. He believed that in order to achieve political independence, they must first achieve economic independe
Gilded Age (1877-1896)
A term given to the period 1865-1896 by Mark Twain, indicating both the fabulous wealth and the widespread corruption of the era.
Patronage
a system that was prevalent during the Gilded Age in which political parties granted jobs and favors to party regulars who delivered votes on election day. This was both an essential wellspring of support for both parties and a source of conflict within t
William Jennings Bryan
He was a Democratic candidate who ran for president most famously in 1896. His goal of "free silver" (unlimited coinage of silver) won him the support of the Populist Party. He lost the election to Republican William McKinley. He ran again for president a
Populist / People's Party
Officially known as the People's party, this party represented Westerners and Southerners who believed that US economic policy inappropriately favored Eastern businessman instead of the nation's farmers. Their proposals included nationalizing the railroad
Stalwarts
A political faction of the Republican Party that favored the spoils system and political machines.
James Garfield
He was the 20th president, for only 4 months, before being assassinated. He was a Republican who promoted civil service reform.
Chester A. Arthur
He was the appointed customs collector for the port of New York. He was corrupt and implemented a heavy spoils system. He was chosen as Garfield's running mate. Garfield won but was shot, so Arthur became the 21st president. Gotdang.
James Blaine
He was a secretary of state who hoped to reduce tariff rates, which didn't happen, but his goal of cooperation between the Pan-American Union happened and still exists today.
Grover Cleveland
He was the 22nd and 24th president and an honest and hardworking Democrat. He fought corruption, vetoed hundreds of wasteful bills, achieved the Interstate Commerce Commission and civil service reform, and violently suppressed strikes.
Greenback Party
This was a political party that was devoted to improving the lives of laborers and raising inflation. It reached its high point in 1878 when it polled over a million votes and elected fourteen members of Congress. The party opposed the shift from paper mo
McKinley Tariff (1890)
Shephrederd through Congress by President William --last name--, this tariff raised duties on Hawaiian sugar and set off renewed efforts to secure the annexation of Hawaii to the United States.
Sherman Silver Act
This was an act that required the US government to purchase twice as much silver as before. :0
Omaha Platform
This was a political agenda adopted by the populist party in 1892 at their convention. It called for unlimited coinage of silver (bimetallism), government regulation of railroads and industry, graduated income tax, and a number of election reforms. It als
Panic of 1893
This was a serious economic depression that began in 1893. It began due to railroad companies overextending themselves which caused bank failures. It was the worst economic collapse in the history of the country until that point, and, some say, as bad as
Coxey's Army
This was a protest march of unemployed workers, led by the Populist businessman Jacob --last name--, demanding inflation and a public works program during the depression of the 1890s. Although this group had no effect on policy, it did demonstrate the soc
Mark Hanna
He was an industrialist and Republican politician from Ohio. He was also the campaign manager of McKinley in the 1896, in what is considered the forerunner of the modern political campaign, and subsequently became one of the most powerful members of the U
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad Company v Illinois (1886)
A Supreme Court decision that prohibited states from regulating the railroads because the Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. As a result, reformers turned their attention to the federal government, which new held sole
Vertical Integration
The practice perfected by Andrew Carnegie of controlling every step of the industrial production process in order to increase efficiency and limit competition.
Horizontal Integration
The practice perfected by John D. Rockefeller of dominating a particular phase of the production process in order to monopolize a market, often by forming trusts and alliances with competitors.
Trust
A mechanism by which one company grants control over its operations, through ownership of its stock, to another company. The Standard Oil Company became known for this practice in the 1870s as it eliminated its competition by taking control of smaller oil
Interlocking Directorates
The practice of having executives or directors from one company serve on the Board of Directors of another company. JP Morgan introduced this practice to eliminate banking competition in the 1890s.
Pullman Strike (1894)
An 1894 strike by railroad workers upset by drastic wage cuts. The strike was led by socialist Eugene Debs but not supported by the American Federation of Labor. Eventually President Grover Cleveland intervened and federal troops forced an end to the stri
Homestead Strike (1892)
A strike at a Carnegie steel plant in Homestead, PA, that ended in an armed battle between the strikers, three hundred armed "Pinkerton" detectives hired by Carnegie, and federal troops, which killed ten people and wounded more than sixty. The strike was
Robber Barron
This was the process of running other businesses out of business so that one's own business can prosper. It was dishonest work and included bribing officials to get what they wanted. It was practiced by Rockefeller and Morgan.
Standard Oil Company (1870-1911)
John D Rockefeller's company, formed in 1870, which came to symbolize the trusts and monopolies of the Gilded Age. By 1977 Standard Oil controlled 95% of the oil refineries in the US. It was also one of the first multinational corporations, and at times d
Social Darwinism
Believers in the idea, popular in the late nineteenth century, that people gained wealth by "survival of the fittest." Therefore, the wealthy had simply won a natural competition and owed nothing to the poor, and indeed service to the poor would interfere
Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)
A law that forbade trusts or combinations in business, this was landmark legislation because it was one of the first Congressional attempts to regulate big business for public good. At first the law was mostly used to restrain trade unions as the courts t
National Labor Union (1866-1872)
This first national labor organization in US history was founded in 1866 and gained 600,000 members from many parts of the workforce, although it limited the participation of Chinese, women, and blacks. The organization devoted much of its energy to fight
Knights of Labor
The second national labor organization, organized in 1869 as a secret society and opened for public membership in 1881. The Knights were known for their efforts to organize all workers, regardless of skill level, gender, or race. After the mid-1880s their
Haymarket Square (1886)
A May Day rally that turned violent when someone threw a bomb into the middle of the meeting killing several dozen people. Eight anarchists were arrested for conspiracy contributing to the disorder, although evidence linking them to the bombing was thin.
American Federation of Labor
A national federation of trade unions that included only skilled workers, founded in 1886. Led by Samuel Gompers for nearly four decades, this sought to negotiate with employers for a better kind of capitalism that rewarded workers fairly with better wage
Closed Shop
A union-organizing term that refers to the practice of allowing only unionized employees to work for a particular company. The AFL became known for negotiating closed-shop agreements with employers, in which the employer would agree not to hire non-union
The Gospel of Wealth
This was a book published by Andrew Carnegie that argued that the wealthy people have the obligation to give back to poor.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
He was an american businessman who controlled the New York Central railroad. He made a fortune in the railroad business and helped popularize the safer and more economical steel rail.
Alexander Graham Bell
He created the telephone, which revolutionized the way Americans communicated.
Thomas Edison
He was an american inventor that is best known for inventing the electric light bulb, acoustic recording on wax cylinders, and motion pictures.
Andrew Carnegie
He was a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the --last name-- Steel Company in 1892. By 1901, his company dominated the American steel industry.
John D. Rockefeller
He was the wealthy owner of the Standard Oil Company. He was considered to be a robber baron who used ruthless tactics to eliminate other businesses, and he built trusts and used money to influence government.
Samuel Gompers
He was the creator of the American Federation of Labor. He provided a stable and unified union for skilled workers.
New Immigrants
Immigrants from southern and eastern Europe who formed a recognizable wave of immigration from the 1880s until 1924, in contrast to the immigrants from western Europe who had come before them. These new immigrants congregated in ethnic urban neighborhoods
Settlement Houses
Mostly run by middle-class native-born women, these provided housing, food, education, child care, cultural activities, and social connections for new arrivals to the United States. Many women, both native-born and immigrant, developed life-long passions
Liberal Protestants
Members of a branch of Protestantism that flourished from 1875 to 1925 and encouraged followers to use the Bible as a moral compass rather than to believe that the Bible represented scientific or historical truth. Many of these people became active in the
Tuskegee Institute
A normal and industrial school led by Booker T Washington in --this place-- , Alabama. It focused on training young black students in agriculture and the trades to help them achieve economic independence. Washington justified segregated, vocational traini
Land-Grant Colleges
Colleges and universities created from allocations of public land through the Morrell Act of 1862 and the Hatch Act of 1887. These grants helped fuel the boom in higher education in the late nineteenth century, and many of today's public universities deri
Yellow Journalism
A scandal-mongering practice of journalism that emerged in New York during the Gilded Age out of the circulation battles between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal. The expression has remained a pejorative term
National American Woman Suffrage Association
An organization founded in 1890 to demand the vote for women. This organization argued that women should be allowed to vote because their responsibilities in the home and family made them indispensable in the public decision-making process. During World W
Woman's Christian Temperance League
Founded in Ohio in the 1870s to combat the evils of excessive alcohol consumption, this organization went on to embrace a broad reform agenda, including campaigns to abolish prostitution and gain the right to vote for women.
Jane Adams
SHE was a social reformer who worked to improve the lives of the working class. In 1889, she founded Hull House in Chicago, the first private social welfare agency in the US, to assist the poor, combat juvenile delinquency and help immigrants learn to spe
Charles Darwin
He was an English naturalist the studied the plants and animals of South America and the Pacific islands, and in his book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859), set forth his theory of evolution. He introduced the theory about "th
WEB Bu Bois
He was a Harvard trained professional who called for equal rights immediately for African Americans. This guy founded the NAACP that aimed to help African Americans improve. He rose to national attention in his opposition of Booker T. Washington's ideas o
Joseph Pulitzer
This dude used yellow journalism in competition with Hearst to sell more newspapers. He also achieved the goal of becoming a leading national figure of the Democratic Party. New York World journal was his.
William Randolph Hearst
He was a leading newspaperman of his times, he ran The New York Journal and helped create and propagate "yellow (sensationalist) journalism." He served in the House of Representatives, and owned 28 newspapers, 18 magazines, and several other news sources
Jim Crow
System of racial segregation in the American South from the end of the Reconstruction until the mid-twentieth century. Based on the concept of "separate but equal" facilities for blacks and whites, the Jim Crow system sought to prevent racial mixing in pu
Plessy v Ferguson (1896)
An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of segregation laws, saying that as long as blacks were provided with "separate but equal" facilities, these laws did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision provided legal justifica
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
Federal legislation that prohibited most further Chinese immigration to the United States. This was the first major legal restriction on immigration in US history.
Grandfather Clause
A regulation established in many southern states in the 1890s that exempted from voting requirements (such as literacy tests and poll taxes) anyone who could prove that their ancestors ("grandfathers") had been able to vote in 1860. Since slaves could not
Poll Tax
A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to vote or to register to vote. This was a system used to restrict freed slave from voting. It demonstrates the segregation present during this time period.
Literacy Test
A, usually unfair, test administered as a precondition for voting. It was often used to prevent African Americans from voting.
Reservation System
The system that allotted land with designated boundaries to Native American tribes in the West, beginning in the 1850s and ending with the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887. Within these reservations, most land was used communally, rather than owned individuall
Battle of Little Big Horn (1876)
A particularly violent example of the warfare between whites and Native Americans in the late nineteenth century, also known as "Custer's Last Stand." In two days, June 25 and 26, 1876, the combined forces of over 2,000 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indian
Battle of Wounded Knee (1890)
A battle between the US Army and the Dakota Sioux, in which several hundred Native Americans and 29 US soldiers died. Tensions erupted violently over two major issues: the Sioux practice of the "Ghost Dance," which the US government had outlawed, and the
Dawes Severalty Act (1887)
An act the broke up Indian reservations and distributed land to individual households. Leftover land was sold for money to fund US government efforts to "civilize" Native Americas. Of 130 million acres held in Native American reservations before the Act,
Ghost Dance Movement
This was the last effort of Native Americans to resist US domination and drive whites from their ancestral lands. It came through a religious movement. In the government's campaign to suppress the movement, the famous Sioux medicine man Sitting Bull was k
Mining Industry
After gold and silver strikes in Colorado, Nevada, and other western territories in the second half of the nineteenth century, fortune seekers by the thousands rushed to the West to dig. These metals were essential to US industrial growth and were also so
Mechanization of Agriculture
The development of engine-driven machines, like the combine, which helped to dramatically increase the productivity of land in the 1870s and 1880s. This process contributed to the consolidation of agricultural business that drove many family farms out of
National Grange Movement
This was organized by Oliver H. Kelley primarily as a social and educational organization for farmers and their families. By the 1870s however, the Grange organized economic ventures and took political action to defend members against the middlemen, trust
Interstate Commerce Act (1887)
Congressional legislation that established the Interstate Commerce Commission, compelled railroads to publish standard rates, and prohibited rebates and pools. Railroads quickly became adept t using the Act to achieve their own ends, but the Act gave the
Ocala Platform
The Farmer's Alliance platform that demanded direct election of Senators, lower tariffs, a graduated income tax, and more money in circulation.
Frederick Turner
He was a historian who wrote a thesis emphasizing the importance of the Frontier in 1893. He also noted that in 1890 the Frontier disappeared since Americans had conquered all the land.
William McKinley
He was the 25th president and was responsible for the Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, and the annexation of Hawaii. He was assassinated six months into his second term.
Crazy Horse
He was a chief of the Sioux who resisted the invasion of the Black Hills and joined Sitting Bull in the defeat of General Custer at Little Bighorn (1849-1877).
General Cluster
He was a United States general who found gold on an Indian reservation. This lead to many whites taking the land from Indians, which lead to the Battle of Little Bighorn, where he was killed along with all his command by the Sioux.
Chief Joseph
He was the leader of the Nez Perce and he tried to help his tribe from being captured by fleeing to Canada. Eventually, they were caught and put on a reservation in Kansas.
Bishop Henry Turner
This man believed that blacks did not have a future in America. Thus, he formed the International Migration Society, a society that encouraged blacks to go live in Africa, specifically Liberia I think.
Ida B. Wells
SHHE was an African American journalist who published statistics about lynching and urged African Americans to protest by refusing to ride streetcars or shop in white owned stores. She was the co-founder of the NAACP. She got sent many death threats and c
Booker T. Washington
He was an African American progressive who founded the Tuskegee Institute to teach blacks different trades so they could achieve economic independence. He believed that in order to achieve political independence, they must first achieve economic independe
Gilded Age (1877-1896)
A term given to the period 1865-1896 by Mark Twain, indicating both the fabulous wealth and the widespread corruption of the era.
Patronage
a system that was prevalent during the Gilded Age in which political parties granted jobs and favors to party regulars who delivered votes on election day. This was both an essential wellspring of support for both parties and a source of conflict within t
William Jennings Bryan
He was a Democratic candidate who ran for president most famously in 1896. His goal of "free silver" (unlimited coinage of silver) won him the support of the Populist Party. He lost the election to Republican William McKinley. He ran again for president a
Populist / People's Party
Officially known as the People's party, this party represented Westerners and Southerners who believed that US economic policy inappropriately favored Eastern businessman instead of the nation's farmers. Their proposals included nationalizing the railroad
Stalwarts
A political faction of the Republican Party that favored the spoils system and political machines.
James Garfield
He was the 20th president, for only 4 months, before being assassinated. He was a Republican who promoted civil service reform.
Chester A. Arthur
He was the appointed customs collector for the port of New York. He was corrupt and implemented a heavy spoils system. He was chosen as Garfield's running mate. Garfield won but was shot, so Arthur became the 21st president. Gotdang.
James Blaine
He was a secretary of state who hoped to reduce tariff rates, which didn't happen, but his goal of cooperation between the Pan-American Union happened and still exists today.
Grover Cleveland
He was the 22nd and 24th president and an honest and hardworking Democrat. He fought corruption, vetoed hundreds of wasteful bills, achieved the Interstate Commerce Commission and civil service reform, and violently suppressed strikes.
Greenback Party
This was a political party that was devoted to improving the lives of laborers and raising inflation. It reached its high point in 1878 when it polled over a million votes and elected fourteen members of Congress. The party opposed the shift from paper mo
McKinley Tariff (1890)
Shephrederd through Congress by President William --last name--, this tariff raised duties on Hawaiian sugar and set off renewed efforts to secure the annexation of Hawaii to the United States.
Sherman Silver Act
This was an act that required the US government to purchase twice as much silver as before. :0
Omaha Platform
This was a political agenda adopted by the populist party in 1892 at their convention. It called for unlimited coinage of silver (bimetallism), government regulation of railroads and industry, graduated income tax, and a number of election reforms. It als
Panic of 1893
This was a serious economic depression that began in 1893. It began due to railroad companies overextending themselves which caused bank failures. It was the worst economic collapse in the history of the country until that point, and, some say, as bad as
Coxey's Army
This was a protest march of unemployed workers, led by the Populist businessman Jacob --last name--, demanding inflation and a public works program during the depression of the 1890s. Although this group had no effect on policy, it did demonstrate the soc
Mark Hanna
He was an industrialist and Republican politician from Ohio. He was also the campaign manager of McKinley in the 1896, in what is considered the forerunner of the modern political campaign, and subsequently became one of the most powerful members of the U
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad Company v Illinois (1886)
A Supreme Court decision that prohibited states from regulating the railroads because the Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. As a result, reformers turned their attention to the federal government, which new held sole
Vertical Integration
The practice perfected by Andrew Carnegie of controlling every step of the industrial production process in order to increase efficiency and limit competition.
Horizontal Integration
The practice perfected by John D. Rockefeller of dominating a particular phase of the production process in order to monopolize a market, often by forming trusts and alliances with competitors.
Trust
A mechanism by which one company grants control over its operations, through ownership of its stock, to another company. The Standard Oil Company became known for this practice in the 1870s as it eliminated its competition by taking control of smaller oil
Interlocking Directorates
The practice of having executives or directors from one company serve on the Board of Directors of another company. JP Morgan introduced this practice to eliminate banking competition in the 1890s.
Pullman Strike (1894)
An 1894 strike by railroad workers upset by drastic wage cuts. The strike was led by socialist Eugene Debs but not supported by the American Federation of Labor. Eventually President Grover Cleveland intervened and federal troops forced an end to the stri
Homestead Strike (1892)
A strike at a Carnegie steel plant in Homestead, PA, that ended in an armed battle between the strikers, three hundred armed "Pinkerton" detectives hired by Carnegie, and federal troops, which killed ten people and wounded more than sixty. The strike was
Robber Barron
This was the process of running other businesses out of business so that one's own business can prosper. It was dishonest work and included bribing officials to get what they wanted. It was practiced by Rockefeller and Morgan.
Standard Oil Company (1870-1911)
John D Rockefeller's company, formed in 1870, which came to symbolize the trusts and monopolies of the Gilded Age. By 1977 Standard Oil controlled 95% of the oil refineries in the US. It was also one of the first multinational corporations, and at times d
Social Darwinism
Believers in the idea, popular in the late nineteenth century, that people gained wealth by "survival of the fittest." Therefore, the wealthy had simply won a natural competition and owed nothing to the poor, and indeed service to the poor would interfere
Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)
A law that forbade trusts or combinations in business, this was landmark legislation because it was one of the first Congressional attempts to regulate big business for public good. At first the law was mostly used to restrain trade unions as the courts t
National Labor Union (1866-1872)
This first national labor organization in US history was founded in 1866 and gained 600,000 members from many parts of the workforce, although it limited the participation of Chinese, women, and blacks. The organization devoted much of its energy to fight
Knights of Labor
The second national labor organization, organized in 1869 as a secret society and opened for public membership in 1881. The Knights were known for their efforts to organize all workers, regardless of skill level, gender, or race. After the mid-1880s their
Haymarket Square (1886)
A May Day rally that turned violent when someone threw a bomb into the middle of the meeting killing several dozen people. Eight anarchists were arrested for conspiracy contributing to the disorder, although evidence linking them to the bombing was thin.
American Federation of Labor
A national federation of trade unions that included only skilled workers, founded in 1886. Led by Samuel Gompers for nearly four decades, this sought to negotiate with employers for a better kind of capitalism that rewarded workers fairly with better wage
Closed Shop
A union-organizing term that refers to the practice of allowing only unionized employees to work for a particular company. The AFL became known for negotiating closed-shop agreements with employers, in which the employer would agree not to hire non-union
The Gospel of Wealth
This was a book published by Andrew Carnegie that argued that the wealthy people have the obligation to give back to poor.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
He was an american businessman who controlled the New York Central railroad. He made a fortune in the railroad business and helped popularize the safer and more economical steel rail.
Alexander Graham Bell
He created the telephone, which revolutionized the way Americans communicated.
Thomas Edison
He was an american inventor that is best known for inventing the electric light bulb, acoustic recording on wax cylinders, and motion pictures.
Andrew Carnegie
He was a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the --last name-- Steel Company in 1892. By 1901, his company dominated the American steel industry.
John D. Rockefeller
He was the wealthy owner of the Standard Oil Company. He was considered to be a robber baron who used ruthless tactics to eliminate other businesses, and he built trusts and used money to influence government.
Samuel Gompers
He was the creator of the American Federation of Labor. He provided a stable and unified union for skilled workers.
New Immigrants
Immigrants from southern and eastern Europe who formed a recognizable wave of immigration from the 1880s until 1924, in contrast to the immigrants from western Europe who had come before them. These new immigrants congregated in ethnic urban neighborhoods
Settlement Houses
Mostly run by middle-class native-born women, these provided housing, food, education, child care, cultural activities, and social connections for new arrivals to the United States. Many women, both native-born and immigrant, developed life-long passions
Liberal Protestants
Members of a branch of Protestantism that flourished from 1875 to 1925 and encouraged followers to use the Bible as a moral compass rather than to believe that the Bible represented scientific or historical truth. Many of these people became active in the
Tuskegee Institute
A normal and industrial school led by Booker T Washington in --this place-- , Alabama. It focused on training young black students in agriculture and the trades to help them achieve economic independence. Washington justified segregated, vocational traini
Land-Grant Colleges
Colleges and universities created from allocations of public land through the Morrell Act of 1862 and the Hatch Act of 1887. These grants helped fuel the boom in higher education in the late nineteenth century, and many of today's public universities deri
Yellow Journalism
A scandal-mongering practice of journalism that emerged in New York during the Gilded Age out of the circulation battles between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal. The expression has remained a pejorative term
National American Woman Suffrage Association
An organization founded in 1890 to demand the vote for women. This organization argued that women should be allowed to vote because their responsibilities in the home and family made them indispensable in the public decision-making process. During World W
Woman's Christian Temperance League
Founded in Ohio in the 1870s to combat the evils of excessive alcohol consumption, this organization went on to embrace a broad reform agenda, including campaigns to abolish prostitution and gain the right to vote for women.
Jane Adams
SHE was a social reformer who worked to improve the lives of the working class. In 1889, she founded Hull House in Chicago, the first private social welfare agency in the US, to assist the poor, combat juvenile delinquency and help immigrants learn to spe
Charles Darwin
He was an English naturalist the studied the plants and animals of South America and the Pacific islands, and in his book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859), set forth his theory of evolution. He introduced the theory about "th
WEB Bu Bois
He was a Harvard trained professional who called for equal rights immediately for African Americans. This guy founded the NAACP that aimed to help African Americans improve. He rose to national attention in his opposition of Booker T. Washington's ideas o
Joseph Pulitzer
This dude used yellow journalism in competition with Hearst to sell more newspapers. He also achieved the goal of becoming a leading national figure of the Democratic Party. New York World journal was his.
William Randolph Hearst
He was a leading newspaperman of his times, he ran The New York Journal and helped create and propagate "yellow (sensationalist) journalism." He served in the House of Representatives, and owned 28 newspapers, 18 magazines, and several other news sources