People
His invention of the lightbulb in 1879 made it possible for people to light their homes and businesses, leading to the expansion of work hours.
Thomas Edison
Supreme Court case which upheld racial segregation by the doctrine of "separate but equal."
Plessy v. Ferguson
This series of laws was upheld by Plessy v. Ferguson and led to the legalization of segregation between the races in numerous aspects of life, including schools, restaurants, bathrooms, and theaters.
Jim Crow Laws
Along with the telegraph, this technological innovation greatly improved the speed and efficiency of communication during the late 19th century.
Telephone
The term referring to industrialists or business owners who were known for driving their competitors out of business and whose practices were considered unethical.
Robber Barons
Major industrialist who succeeded in creating a large railroad and shipping industry.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
The purchase of this state in 1867 ended Russia's presence in North America and gave the U.S. access to the Pacific northern rim.
Alaska Purchase
This process allowed for a quick and cheap way to manufacture steel by blowing hot air through molten iron, removing impurities.
Bessemer Process
Similar to steamships, this industrial innovation led to new transportation methods, which allowed for more efficient movement of goods and people across the country.
Transcontinental Railroad
The name of the article written by Andrew Carnegie, which argues that wealthy people are morally obligated to distribute their wealth for the benefit and happiness of others.
Gospel of Wealth
Southerner who envisioned a new, modern economic system for the south, consisting of factories, mills, and mines. He called this the "New South."
Henry Grady
This interaction, in Chicago, occurred between labor protesters and police, and resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, after someone threw a bomb into the crowd.
Haymarket Riot
This act caused the Indian Reservation System to be dismantled. It redistributed the tribal lands and put the land under government control.
Dawes Act of 1877
Tenant farming and this system, which allowed its workers to use the land in exchange for a portion of the crops produced, replaced slavery in the South.
Sharecropping
The system created to keep Native Americans from settling in the West, where European Americans wished to settle.
Indian Reservation System
Robber baron who monopolized the oil industry and controlled 90% of the country's oil with his company "Standard Oil."
John D. Rockefeller
Action led by Eugene Debs that declared a boycott of all trains using Pullman cars, because of George Pullman's refusal to lower living prices for many of his employees.
Pullman Strike
This act led to Western expansion and allowed former slaves, women, and immigrants to be landowners, by granting them 160 acres of public land.
Homestead Act of 1862
Along with literary tests and poll taxes, this hindrance was put in place to keep African Americans out of the polls, and allowed men to vote only if their grandfather had voted in previous elections.
The "grandfather clause"
This term is used to describe the control of numerous stages of manufacture and distribution within a company. It includes control over raw materials, production, and dispensation.
Vertical Integration
An economist and philosopher who wrote "The Wealth of Nations", which defines the principles of free market economics and capitalism.
Adam Smith
This argument put forth by Frederick Turner insisted that the settlement and colonization of the American frontier was essential to distinguishing America from European nations.
Frontier Thesis
This federation of labor unions was created to challenge working conditions. It focused on shorter work hours and higher wages.
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
This association had similar goals to that of settlement housing because of its desire to help those who did not have a place in society. It provided assistance to formerly enslaved people by establishing schools, locating family members, purchasing land, and legalizing marriage.
Freedman's Bureau
National labor union that was open to all workers and because of its large population and participation in many strikes, was able to gain eight hour work days.
Knights of Labor