Goal 1 Study Guide

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 American Farmer / Improved technology and railroad expansion led to overproduction and increase competition among 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 Industrialization / Immigrants to the US after the Civil War were mainly from eastern and southern Europe and were 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 Industrial Age / Justifying the difference in class with Social Darwinism, the Gilded Age was marked by a rise to wealth 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 Government Corruption / Corrupt political machines, such as NYC’s Tammany Hall, run by Boss Tweed met the needs of the 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 Regulation / Labor unions, including trade unions and craft unions such as the AFL (Samuel Gompers/Eugene Debs) 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 19th century; symbol of Gilded Age
John D Rockefeller / Oil tycoon; forms oil monopoly Standard Oil Company; ordered to break up by Supreme Court
J P Morgan / Financing/banking tycoon; greatest American financer of 19th Century
Samuel Gompers / Leader of the American Federation of Labor
Eugene Debs / Member of the American Federation of Labor; 5 time socialist candidate for president
William “Boss” Tweed / 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 Railroad / Led to a population and economic explosion in the west; greatly helped cattle ranching and 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 Hills / White prosepectors rush Native American territory, attacked by Native Americans, Custer and the 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

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; 1st 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