GOAL 4 & 5 STUDY GUIDE
Main Ideas/Terms
Westward Expansion
The Homestead Act, Morrill Act, Oklahoma Land Rush and transcontinental railroad all encouraged
settlers to head west; others, like blacks and Mormons went west to escape persecution; moving west
was dangerous and hard and settlers had to adapt to a treeless terrain by building sod houses; mining,
ranching and farming were the dominant economic factors driving people west, leading to an increase in
farmers, new agricultural technology, etc.; the Comstock Lode (silver) and a gold discovery in the black
hills led miners to rush the west; westward expansion caused many conflicts with the Native Americans
Populism and the
Improved technology and railroad expansion led to overproduction and increase competition among
American Farmer
farmers, many of whom fell into debt and lost their farms; to improve the economic and social status of
farmers, the Grange was formed, as well as farmer cooperatives, Farmers alliances, and the Populist
Party (running on the Omaha Platform in support of government regulated railroads, help with debt and
immigration control) which supported bimetallism; some businesses gained huge profits through vertical
and horizontal integration (and the creation of monopolies)
Immigration and
Immigrants to the US after the Civil War were mainly from eastern and southern Europe and were
Industrialization
mostly Jewish or Catholic, poor and uneducated unskilled workers leading to urbanization and an
increase in Nativism; entering through ports like Ellis Island, the immigrants faced culture shock and
worked in sweatshops and lived in tenements; new social reformers, like Jacob Riis (How the Other Half
Lives) and Jane Addams (Hull House/settlement house) tried to help the poor, while Frederick Olmstead
designed city parks to meet a demand for green space
Wealth and Power in the Justifying the difference in class with Social Darwinism, the Gilded Age was marked by a rise to wealth
Industrial Age
and power of several tycoons who were called Captains of Industry by their supporters and Robber
Barons by their critics; men like Carnegie (steel), Vanderbilt (railroads/shipping), Rockefeller (oil), and
Morgan (finance) became the head of huge corporations and monopolies
Big City Politics and
Corrupt political machines, such as NYC’s Tammany Hall, run by Boss Tweed met the needs of the
Government Corruption
urban poor in exchange for votes and support; this corruption was exposed by the political cartoons of
Thomas Nast; several acts were passed to regulate big business and political corruption, including the
Pendleton Act (civil service exams) and the Sherman Antitrust Act (outlawing monopolies); politics
were also scarred by scandals such as the Credit Mobilier Scandal; inresponse to the corruption and
scandals, political reformers and the progressives used initiatives, referendums and recalls to improve
the lives of workers; populism (the Populist Party) and the Knights of Labor organization fought for
better rights for workers, while the mugwumps supported civil service reform
Labor and Government
Labor unions, including trade unions and craft unions such as the AFL (Samuel Gompers/Eugene Debs)
Regulation
formed in response to the poor and dangerous working conditions of the poor; Unions tried to negotiate
for better treatment of workers, but also used closed shops and strikes to have their demands met;
businesses countered these tactics by forcing workers to sign yellow-dog contracts (prohibiting union
membership), as well as lockouts, blacklists and injunctions to put down strikes; some strikes, like the
Homestead Strike (steel); Haymarket Square Riot (reaper) and Pullman Strike (railroad cars) resulted in
violent conflicts between union workers and their employers
Court Cases
Munn vs Illinois
Ruled in support of the Grange, allows states to regulate the use of private property (such as railroads)
when it is used in public interest
Dudes (and Chicks)
Brigham Young
Leads the Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) west to Utah area
Chief Joseph
Nez Perce chief; tries to lead his people to Canada; captured and sent to reservation in Oklahoma
Gen. George Armstrong Custer
US Army general; sent to defend miners in Black Hills; he and his troops are killed by the Sioux
and Cheyenne Indians in the Battle of Little Bighorn
Chief Sitting Bull
Thought by the US Army to be the leader of the ghost dance; killed during arrest, resulting in
Wounded Knee Creek massacre
Helen Hunt Jackson
Wrote “A Century of Dishonor”, exposing the mistreatment and betrayal of the American Indians
by the US government; results in public sympathy and the passage of the Dawes Act
William Jennings Bryan
Democratic candidate for president in 1896, supported by Populist Party because of his belief in
bimetallism and the free coinage of silver; famous “Cross of Gold” speech
Jacob Riis
Social reformer; writes “How the Other Half Lives” exposing the public to the horrible living
conditions of the poor in tenement housing
Jane Addams
Social reformer; Founder of Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago
Frederick Olmsted
Landscape architect; designed Central Park in NYC
Jacob Riis
Social reformer; writes “How the Other Half Lives” exposing the public to the horrible living
conditions of the poor in tenement housing
Jane Addams
Social reformer; Founder of Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago
Frederick Olmsted
Landscape architect; designed Central Park in NYC
Mark Twain
American author who calls the rise of industrialism the “Gilded Age”
Andrew Carnegie
Steel tycoon; uses Bessemer process to mass produce steel; merges with Morgan to form US Steel
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Railroad and Shipping tycoon; one of the richest men of the 19 th century; symbol of Gilded Age
John D Rockefeller
Oil tycoon; forms oil monopoly Standard Oil Company; ordered to break up by Supreme Court
Financing/banking tycoon; greatest American financer of 19 th Century
Leader of the American Federation of Labor
Member of the American Federation of Labor; 5 time socialist candidate for president
Corrupt leader of the Tammany Hall political machine in NYC; exposed in political cartoon of
Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast
Political cartoonist who exposes Tweed’s corruption;most powerful political cartoonist of his time
Elections/Debates and other Events
Oklahoma Land Rush
Government sponsored race starting on the borders of Oklahoma; rush on the land to stake a claim
Completion of Transcontinental Led to a population and economic explosion in the west; greatly helped cattle ranching and
Railroad
mining; dangerous work on railroad done mostly by Chinese immigrants in the west
Comstock Lode
Huge silver strike that affects politics and economics; thousands of prospectors (miners) rush
Discovery of Gold in Black
White prosepectors rush Native American territory, attacked by Native Americans, Custer and the
Hills
Army are sent to defend and are killed by the Sioux and Cheyenne in the Battle of Little Bighorn
Battle of Little Bighorn
Custer and his troops are killed by the Sioux and Cheyenne
Wounded Knee Creek Massacre Massacre of over 200 Sioux by US troops; fleeing Sioux are hunted down and killed; sparks
outrage among American public
Sand Creek Massacre
Massacre of over 200 Native Americans, mostly women, children and elderly who are sleeping in
their camp when they are attacked by a group of white men
Election of 1896
William Jennings Bryan runs as Democratic nominee, supported by Populist Party for his belief in
bimetallism; gives his “cross of gold” speech
Homestead Strike
5 month strike of Carnegie’s steel workers; unsuccessful strike, but creates sympathy for workers
Haymarket Square Riot
Chicago riot between McCormick’s workers and police; bombs kill police; protestors
arrested/executed
Pullman Strike
Pullman Car workers strike over low pay and long hours; Federal troops sent to put down the
strike; looting and violence result; strike ends when leaders are arrested
Credit Mobilier Scandal
Stockholders of Union Pacific Railroad form Credit Mobilier Company to build railroads; shares
given to Congressmen; no monitoring lf how money was spent; scandal in Congress
Election of 1884
Independents called mugwumps leave the Republican Party to vote Democratic
Parties (Not the Birthday Kind) and Other Groups of People
Mormons
Followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; led west to Utah by Brigham Young
to escape religious persecution
Buffalo Soldiers
Black soldiers who helped in the campaign in the west to keep Native Americans on reservstions
African Americans
Went west for freedom from persecution and discrimination in the South
Chinese Immigrants
Did the dangerous work of building the transcontinental railroad in the west; were subjected to
violence, discrimination and segregation, including the Chinese Exclusion Act (banning
immigration from China for 10 years)
Plains Indians
Tribes on the western plains who relied on the buffalo as their primary resource; had many
conflicts with whites and other settlers west; forced onto reservations; several massacres
Nez Perce Indians
Led by Chief Joseph; try to go to Canada; are forced onto reservations in Oklahoma
Sioux Indians
Fight Custer’s troops in Battle of Little Bighorn; massacred at Wounded Knee Creek
Cheyenne Indians
Join the Sioux in fighting Custer’s troops in Battle of Little Bighorn
Grange
Farmers group that worked to improve the social and economic status of farmers; successful in
passing the Interstate Commerce Act
Farmers Cooperatives
Farmers joining together to help individual farmers by buying supplies as a group
National Farmers’ Alliance
Alliance representing farmers in the west; forms Populist Party with other farmers alliances
Southern Alliance
Alliance representing farmers in the south; forms Populist Party with other farmers alliances
Colored Farmers’ Alliance
Alliance representing black farmers; forms Populist Party with other farmers alliances
Populist (People’s) Party
Forms out of farmers alliances; runs on the Omaha Platform; supports government ownership of
railroads, actions to help farmers get out of debt, immigration restrictions and bimetallism
Social Darwinists
Supporters of Social Darwinism; believe that government should not regulate economy or help
with social problems; natural selection and class differences are not injustice, the fit (better,
smarter) survive and the weaker will be weeded out
Captains of Industry
Leaders of business who provided jobs and were philanthropists, like Carnegie, Vanderbilt,
Rockefeller and Morgan
Robber Barons
Greedy Businessmen who took advantage of their poor workers and made fortunes illegally or
unethically, like Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Morgan
American Federation of Labor
One of the 1st craft unions in the US; led by Samuel Gompers, wins many victories for workers
Scabs
Replacement workers hired by businesses to replace workers who were on strike
Progressives
Political reformers who used politics to improve the lives of workers and end corruption
Knights of Labor
Early national labor organization including women and blacks; supports strikes, 8hr work day,
end of child labor, = pay for = work, and the end of private banks
Mugwumps
Independents who leave the Republican party to vote Democratic in the election of 1884; support
civil service reform; blame partisanship (political party alliances) for corruption in politics
J P Morgan
Samuel Gompers
Eugene Debs
William “Boss” Tweed
Documents/Speeches/Policies
Homestead Act
Gave free land to westward settlers; requirements for land = stay for 5 years, build a home,
improve the land; encouraged westward expansion
Morrill Act
Federal land given to state governments to establish colleges; 1 st time US government helps
higher education (lose your “morrills” in college)
Chinese Exclusion Act
Bans immigration from China from 1882-1892
A Century of Dishonor
Written by Helen Hunt Jackson; book exposes mistreatment and betrayal of Amer. Indians
Dawes Act
Passed in response to public sympathy generated from A Century of Dishonor; attempts to
compensate Native Americans by making them individual land owners
Interstate Commerce Act
Pushed by the Grange; required railroads to publicize rate schedules; upheld by Munn vs
Illinois
Omaha Platform
Platform of Populist Party candidate; supports government regulation of railroads, help with
farmer debts and immigration restrictions
“Cross of Gold” Speech
Given by William Jennings Bryan at Democratic National Convention in 1896 in support of
bimetallism (free coinage of gold and silver); gains Bryan the support of the Populist Party
How the Other Half Lives
Written by Jacob Riis; exposes the public to the horrible conditions of poor tenement life
Yellow-Dog Contracts
Tactic of big businesses against labor unions; contracts workers were forced to sign to get a
job, stating that they would not join a union
Pendleton Act
Created a civil service system, requiring a civil service exam for government jobs; ends the
spoils system and patronage; government jobs now based on qualifications
Sherman Antitrust Act
Outlawed business monopolies because they stifle competition; forces the break up of
monopolies into smaller companies
Other Good Terms You Should Know
Sod house
Houses made of sod (soil mixed with grass roots); built by settlers on the plains (no trees)
Transcontinental
Across the continent (going across the country from the east coast to the west coast)
Ban
Stop, not allow
Buffalo
Primary resource of Plains Indians who used every part of the buffalo and respected the animals
as a resource; killed off to near extinction by white settlers in a couple of decades
Ghost Dance
Ritual that is a part of Sioux religion; promised the return of native lands, rise of ancestors,
disappearance of whites, peace and prosperity; frightened whites; army thought it would lead to
rebellion
Massacre
Mass killing, mass murder
Assimilate
To give up one way of life or culture to become more like the mainstream or popular culture
Vertical integration
Strategy of putting down business competition and control prices while maximizing profits;
buying companies that sold supplies needed to make, transport, market, etc. a final product
Horizontal integration
Strategy of putting down business competition by creating monopolies; buying out competititors
Windmills
Used by farmers in the west to bring up water from wells and irrigate crops
Barbed Wire
Changed free-range cattle ranching by dividing up property, livestock and crops in the west
Refrigerator Cars
Train cars took meat from west to Chicago (US meat packing center), then east and south
Bimetallism
Using a gold and silver standard for the US currency; bi=2 metal= gold and silver; supported by
Populist Party, democrats, farmers ,working class, poor and William Jennings Bryan in his “Cross
of Gold Speech”
Gold Standard
Basis for how much money is in circulation and how much it is worth; supported by Republicans,
industrialists, merchants, rich
Urbanization
A boom in population in cities, mostly due to immigration
Melting Pot
Giving up ethnic identities to blend or assimilate into one national identity
Culture shock
Overwhelmed by a different, new culture
Cultural Pluralism
Keeping a culture and customs to contribute to the diversity of America & American culture
Ellis Island
Main port of entry for immigrants; located in NYC
Industrialization
Rise of business and industries; created economic and social inequalities
Tenements/Dumbbell Tenements
Poor worker apartments/little light or ventilation, no running water or gas, inaccessible toilets
Settlement houses (Hull House)
Offered support, education, arts, job training and other opportunities to the poor
Social Darwinism
Belief that humans compete in a struggle for existence and only the fittest (best, smartest, etc.)
survive; justifies differences in social classes
Generous donators of wealth to charities
Philanthropists
Trust
Labor unions
Collective bargaining
Owners of many companies give up interest to a board of trustees, allow the fixing of prices and
wages; in exchange, company owners have claims on profits; stopped by Antitrust laws/acts
Groups of workers that use different methods to improve the economic and social well-being of
its members
Type of negotiation used by unions in which two sides try to agree on an employment contract
that both parties agree to
Mediation
Arbitration
Type of negotiation used by unions in which a third party (mediator) tries to work out a
compromise between unions and employers
Settles disputes between employers and employees; each accepts the decision of a 3 rd party
Trade Union
Different kinds of workers (example- building trades union = laborers, bricklayers & painters)
Craft Union
Workers in the same field or job (example- carpenter union; teacher union; autoworker union)
Closed shop
Tactic used by unions; a business can only employ union members
Blacklists
Putting striking workers on a list that got passed around to other businesses and made it hard for
them to get a job anywhere else.
Court orders to stop a strike
Injunctions
Graft
Provided services to the poor in exchange for votes and support; often corrupt, like NYC’s
Tammany Hall (led by Boss Tweed)
Taking money that is supposed to be used for city projects
Laissez-faire
“let it be”; hands off approach to economics or government
Political machine