National Grange movement
Social and educational collective aimed at brining farmers together. Soon became political to lobby for farmers
Homestead act
Gave settlers 160 acres of land if they lived there for 5 years.
Anti-Saloon league
White collar workers
All the industrialization created a new type of work for managers and administrators who ran the factories instead of working in them
Starting in 1865 many Americans started pushing westward again after the interruption of the civil war
There was an extreme lack of government regulation of the economy at the time
Worked to secure voting rights for women
Labor unions
American federation of labor
Grew to over a million members by 1901 and had some modest successes
Wanted to correct the concentration of power held by banks and trusts. Proposed the Omaha platform: Direct election of senators, more referendums, graduated income tax, and an 8-hour workday
A severe economic depression during which nearly a quarter of railroads declared bankruptcy. This caused bankers to buy up many of the railroads, leading to consolidation.
John D. Rockefeller
Pioneered horizontal integration, where one company controls every seller in the market.
Ghost dance movement
Knights of labor
National union open to ALL laborers. Wanted to end child labor and end trusts
Tammany Hall
Bessemer process
Enabled manufacturers to produce huge quantities of steel
Railroads
Massive extension of the railroad system created a truly national market for goods
Sioux wars
Sioux initally won a deceive victory against the U.S. army.
Sherman antitrust act
16 million immigrants (mostly from Europe) came looking for better economic opportunities
A new focus on cash-crops in the north and west, and a shift to more expensive mechanized farming methods put smaller farms out of business. Big trusts that farmers relied on (like railroads) also raised prices, making it even harder for farmers to make a living
Andrew Carnegie
Debates over money
Farmers wanted to print more money so they could more easily pay back their debts, but the bankers and the wealthy wanted to keep the U.S. Dollar on the gold standard
Facilitated the migration of black people to africa
Interstate commerce act
Assimilationist movement
The new south
Idea that the future of the south would be based on economic diversity and industrial growth. Massive growth of population, industry, and railroads. Only in limited industrial centers though.
Ida B. Wells
Great railroad strike
Railroad companies cut salaries due to a recession. Railroad workers went on strike in 11 states. When the strike got violent, 11 people were killed before President Hayes sent in federal troops
