Gilded Age Vocabulary
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| Term | Definition | Relevance/Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Great Plains | the vast amounts of land that farmers flaculed to | a lot more people went westward and had new jobs |
| Homestead Act | if you farmed 160 acres for 5 years the land became yours | if you made it the 5 years you were very successful |
| Assimilation | trying to bring non whites into their culture | a lot of indians were brought into white culture |
| Dawes Act | to survey American Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. | a lot of tribes got smaller |
| Sand Creek | a large indain massicure | a lot of loss for the indians and they started making schools for them |
| Wounded Knee | Another big indian massacre took place in south dakota | further dehumnanized natives |
| Ghost Dance Movement | It was an attempt to revitalize traditional culture | indians were standing up for crimes against them |
| Transcontinental railroad | railroad linking the atlantic and pacific coasts of the United States | Easier and faster way to move and get places |
| Farmer's Alliance (The Grange) | farmers sent lectures educating towns on agriculture & rural issues | helped towns understand agriculture |
| Greenbacks | printing money was too common, and had to get rid of inflation | helping the farmers and getting rid of money inflation |
| Bimetallism | using currency on gold and silver to inflate the money supply | An easier way for everyone to pay for things |
| Exodusters | African American who migrated from south to Kansas in post-reconstruction | helped african americans get jobs |
| Robber Barons | american capitalist who acquired a fortune in late nineteenth-century by ruthless means. | showed others that anything is possible if you try |
| Trusts | a term for businesses with significant market power, monopolies | raised prices due to lack of a competitive market |
| Andrew Carnegie | inventor who led to expantion of the american steel industry | steel was rare so it was now being made faster |
| John D. Rockefeller | inventor of the american oil industry | oil was needed and so now they were finding it faster |
| Sherman Antitrust Act | made uncompetitive business practices unlawful | prevented manopolies from taking over production |
| Social Darwinism | incorrectly applying biological evolution to society and politics | a classist system unwilling to help unfortunate people |
| Collective bargaining | negotiations of conditions of emplyment by worker unions | large scale protests that eventually lead to reform |
| International Workers of the World | an international labor union founded in Chicago i 1905 | aided in orginization of workers revolt |
| Knights of Labor | a secret union created to assist in gaining and maintaining rights | helped to make protesting possible for many |
| American Federation of Labor | national group of labor unions founded in ohio | created a more unified front to back up needy workers |
| Strikes | refusal to work in protest of poor working conditions | forced business owners to pay attention to the issue |
| Pullman Strikes | ntionwide railroad strike that aided in getting workers rights | made large conflicts between businesses and workers |
| Populism | political movement invested in agricultural workers' conditions | gained huge following in politics and helped farmers |
| Immigration | The action to live permenantly in a foreign country. | Increased US population immensely. |
| "New Immigrants" | Immigrants from southern and european countries. | Harder culutre change for the immigrants. |
| Ellis Island | The gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the United States. | Where many immigrants were shipped through |
| Angel Island | A station where immigrants were detained and interrogated | Unneccesary interigation for new immigrants |
| Chinese Exclusion Act | A U.S. law prohibiting immigration from China | Blocked all Chinese immigrants |
| Nativism | The policy of protecting natvie-born against those of immigrants. | Caused segregation of culture of immigrants and Natives. |
| Urbanism | The lifestyle of city dwellers. | Caused Urbanization for immigrants. |
| Big Business | Large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activties. | Corruption and Corporates were created. |
| Gilded Age Leisure | the US population grew quickly and corruption misdealings. | Problems were created for immigrants. |
| Literacy test | Tests used to deny sufferage for African Americans. | Caused Racial discrimination and segregation. |
| poll tax | An annual tax that formerly had to be paid in some southern states | adversely affected poor citizens |
| Grandfather clause | A provision that exempts certain people from a law | prevent poor African American slaves from voting |
| Jim Crow laws | laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. | many african americans were affected in unpleasnt ways |
| segregation | The separation of people on the basis of their race. | caused violence between races |
| Booker T. Washington | preached a philosophy of selfhelp, racial solidarity, accommodation. | made a lasting impression on education |
| WEB Du Bois | advocated political action and a civil rights agenda. | a unique trendsetter. leading african scholar |
| Plessy v. Ferguson | "seperate but equal" | discrimination againsts african americans |
| Susan B. Anthony | An American social reformer and women's rights activist | lead the national american womens suffrage |
| Ida B. Wells | An African-American an early leader in the Civil Rights Movement. | helped with the struggle for equal rights |