Westward Expansion
What 1862 law offered free land to settlers who improved it for five years?
Homestead Act
What was the “spoils system”?
Giving government jobs to political supporters
What was the main difference between “old” and “new” immigrants
Old: N/W Europe; New: S/E Europe and Asia
What is a “strike”?
Workers refusing to work until demands are met
What were the three main goals of the Progressive movement?
Expanding democracy, promoting social welfare, and controlling big business.
How did the Transcontinental Railroad impact settlement in the West?
Encouraged migration, trade, and development of new towns
What event led to the Pendleton Act and civil service reform?
Garfield’s assassination
How did industrialization cause urbanization in the Gilded Age?
Factory jobs drew rural and immigrant workers into growing cities.
Who founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL)?
Samuel Gompers
What amendment allowed voters to directly elect U.S. senators
17th Amendment
What law divided tribal land into individual plots to encourage assimilation?
Dawes Act
What was the purpose of the Interstate Commerce Act?
To regulate railroads and prevent unfair practices
What were the two main U.S. immigration stations during this era?
Ellis Island (NY) and Angel Island (CA)
Who led the American Railway Union, founded the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) and later ran for president as a socialist?
Eugene V. Debs
Name two parts of Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal.
Trust-busting, consumer protection, conservation
What was the main goal of Indian boarding schools like Carlisle?
To assimilate Native children into white culture
Name two major Gilded Age business leaders and their industries.
Examples: Rockefeller–oil, Carnegie–steel, Vanderbilt–railroads
How did reformers like Jacob Riis respond to the problems of urban life?
Riis exposed conditions through photography; muckracking
What was the main goal of the Populist Party?
Represent farmers and regulate railroads
Name two major reforms under Woodrow Wilson.
Federal Reserve Act, Clayton Antitrust Act, New Freedom, or National Park Service
Explain one negative impact of the reservation system on Native Americans.
Loss of land, culture, or autonomy
How did political machines like Tammany Hall gain and maintain power?
By trading jobs and services for votes, especially among immigrants.
Why did nativists oppose “new” immigrants?
They feared job competition and cultural change
How did the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts limit big business?
They banned monopolies and unfair business practices
How did Progressive reforms like initiative, referendum, and recall expand democracy?
They gave citizens more direct control over government decisions.
How did federal Indian policies reflect Manifest Destiny?
They promoted westward expansion at the expense of Native sovereignty
How did the Credit Mobilier scandal represent corruption during the Gilded Age?
Railroad companies bribed government officials for contracts
What Gilded Age philosophy are settlement houses like Hull House founded upon?
Social Gospel
What 1892 strike at Andrew Carnegie’s steel plant turned violent when private guards clashed with workers?
The Homestead Strike
What was Tennessee’s role in women’s suffrage?
It was the “Perfect 36,” casting the deciding vote for the 19th Amendment