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AI-Day 1 & 2: The West, Gilded Age, & Progressive Era

Terms in this set (44)

Immigration
The movement of people to the United States in search of places to live and work.
Nativists
Those born in the USA, who wanted to restrict immigration, and believed that the New Immigrants were inferior and worked for unfairly low wages.
Chinese Exclusion Act
First federal law to restrict immigration in the US, suspended these workers from coming to this country, and denied them citizenship.
Frontier
The line separating areas of settlement from "unsettled" wilderness territory.
Great Plains
The central region of the United States, a vast territory home to millions of Buffalo and Native American tribes after the Civil War. Settlers moved here to farm under the Homestead Act.
Homestead Act
This act stated that any citizen could occupy 160 acres of government land, and would own it after improving it for 5 years.
Indian Wars
A series of confrontations between federal troops and Native Americans that resulted in tribes being defeated and moved onto reservations.
Reservations
Land that was frequently undesirable by settlers, where Native American tribes were forced to move and live under federal authority.
Dawes Act
1887. Attempted to "Americanize" Native Americans by giving them 160 acres of land to farm. Nearly destroyed Native American culture.
American Indian Citizenship Act
1924. This law granted immediate US citizenship to all Native Americans in the United States. Indians did not need to give up land or customs to become citizens.
Americanization
Belief that immigrants and Native Americans should dress, speak, and act like other "mainstream" Americans.
Cattle Industry Boom
Cowboys on the Great Plains drove cattle to the railroads to transport meat to the cities of the north.
Homesteaders
Settlers who claimed land on the Great Plains under the Homestead Act.
Transcontinental Railroad
Connected the West Coast to the East Coast, increased interstate commerce nationwide, and helped western expansion. The government encouraged the growth of the railroad by providing land to the railroad companies.
Andrew Carnegie
Monopolist and philanthropist in the Steel industry. Gospel of Wealth explained his belief that he was rich so he could help the less fortunate.
John D. Rockefeller
Monopolist who founded the Standard Oil Company, believed in Social Darwinism. His monopoly was dissolved by the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
Labor Unions
An organization of workers that fought for better working conditions and wages. Knights of Labor and American Federation of Labor were examples.
Political Machines
Controlled political parties in the cities. Helped immigrants adjust to life in the city in exchange for votes. Boss Tweed led the infamous Tammany Hall in NYC.
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Law which outlawed business practices that did not allow fair competition (monopolies).
Social Darwinism
Survival of the fittest in business.
Industrial Revolution
A period of rapid growth in factories that led to increased Urbanization. Made possible by Laissez-faire attitudes in the government. Labor unions were created to seek better pay and working conditions.
Laissez-faire
Limited government regulation and control of the economy.
Gospel of Wealth
The belief that the rich have a duty to help the poor; Book written by Andrew Carnegie.
16th Amendment
Gave Congress the power to tax income.
17th Amendment
Allowed for the voters in each state to elect their US senators directly.
19th Amendment
Women's suffrage.
Booker T. Washington
Progressive who supported segregation and demanded that African American better themselves individually to achieve equality.
Initiative
Allows voters to petition to propose a law & then submit it for a vote.
Interstate Commerce Act
Established the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) - to regulate railroad prices.
Meat inspection Act
Law that ordered meat inspections and condemns any meat product found unfit for human consumption. Passed due to Upton Sinclair's book, The Jungle.
Muckrakers
A group of investigative reporters who pointed out the abuses of big business.
New Freedom
Wilson's plan to improve the banking system, lower tariffs, and give small businesses freedom to compete.
Pendleton Act
Did away with the "spoils system" and made the hiring of federal employees merit based. Created the Civil Service Commission.
Populist Party
U.S. political party formed in 1892 representing mainly farmers, favoring free coinage of silver and government control of railroads and other monopolies.
Progressive Movement
A political movement that wanted to improve life for Americans. Mainly focused on urban problems.
Recall
A procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term.
Referendum
A procedure for submitting to popular vote a law or proposed amendments to a state constitution.
Social Gospel Movement
A 19th century reform movement based on the belief that Christians have a responsibility to help improve working conditions and alleviate poverty.
Spoils system
A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends (patronage).
Square Deal
Roosevelt's plan of promoting public health and safety and improving working conditions.
Susan B. Anthony
Led the Seneca Falls convention bringing national attention to women's suffrage.
Theodore Roosevelt
Progressive president who broke up "bad trusts." National conservation and food safety.
W.E.B. Dubois
Called for full equality of African-Americans, which included social, civil, political, and economic equality. Created the NAACP to fight for equal rights.
William Jennings Bryan
Democratic politician who advocated free silver. "Cross of Gold" speech supported the Populists.
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