Labor union
a group of workers joining together to improve working conditions/pay
Knights of Labor
union that pushed for safety codes, equal pay, and no child labor
Bessemer process
a new production technique of melting steel make production of steel cheaper and in large quantities
Monopoly(trust)
a corporation that controls an industry and limits competition
Andrew Carnegie
one of the wealthiest men in America in the Gilded Age who controlled the steel industry and later used "gospel of wealth" to give away a lot of money(philanthropy)
Laissez- faire
gov. policy to stay out of the economy and not interfere with businesses
Industrialization
a shift in the economy from farming to factories. Leads to problems(poor working conditions, more skilled workers etc.)
Sherman Anti-trust Act
1st gov. law to break up monopolies and protect competition between companies
tools of management
scabs, lockouts, open shops, violence, blacklisting
Tools of labor
boycotts, closed shops, strikes, violence
John D. Rockefeller
wealthiest man in the Gilded Age who founded Standard Oil and believed God gave him the power to make money
Free enterprise system(capitalism)
economic system in which supply and demand determine price
Thomas Edison
inventor during the Gilded Age who in invented the lightbulb, phonograph, motion picture camera etc.
Alexander G. Bell
invented the telephone
Transcontinental Railroad
Allowed Americans to settle unclaimed territory in the west (i.e. Great Plains), growth of cities, transport goods and people easily
Robber Baron
a company owner who became wealthy through unethical means(bad guy)
Captain of industry
a company owner who becomes wealthy and is a philanthropist (charitable, good guy)
Cornelius Vanderbilt
also known as "Commodore" he was an American business owner and philanthropist, built his wealth in railroads, created a monopoly
Urbanization
Shift in population from living in rural areas (countryside) to urban areas (cities), increases in birth rates and immigration rates accelerated urbanization
Tariff
a tax on imports or exports
Interstate Commerce Act
US law to regulate railroads, required that railroad rates be "reasonable and just
Philanthropy
the desire to help others, the generous donation of money to good causes
Nativism
racism towards immigrants
New Immigrants
immigrants mainly from southern and eastern Europe who were NOT protestant, English speaking or white
Chinese Exclusion Act
California workers pushed to the gov. to ban Chinese immigration and them becoming citizens if they were already here.
Angel/Ellis Island
Asian/Europe(immigrants entered us here)
Americanization
teaching immigrants American culture. Immigrants worried about their own cultures and traditions disappearing
William "boss" Tweed
leader of the most famous political machine(group of corrupt people) in New York
Tammany Hall-
The most famous political machine in New York
Homestead Act-
sought to settle the west (Great Plains) by giving away land to farmers if they lived on and cultivated the land, lack of timber made it difficult to build on the Great Plains
Dawes Act-
outlawed native american tribes, encouraged Native Americans to become Americanized
Barbed wire-
new technology that ended the open range allowing farmers and ranchers to enclose land
Urbanization
movement of people from the coutryside(rural) to cities(urban), many moved to work factory jobs
Gospel of wealth-
coined by Andrew Carnegie, he claimed the rich have a responsibility to give their money away in order to help others
Social Darwinism-
applying Charles Darwin's theory "survival of the fittest" to society. Only the strongest with succeed and forget the rest.
Assimilation
to make similar(in the case of native Americans and immigrants)