The most famous political machine organized and met the needs of immigrants and the poor in exchange for votes
Political machines
Interstate commerce act
Required railroad rates to be reasonable and just, and established a federal commission to oversee the railroads
National Grange movement
Social and educational collective aimed at brining farmers together. Soon became political to lobby for farmers
Changes in farming
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
Dawes act
Broke up tribal organizations and divided up tribal land and gave U.S. citizenship to natives who "Americanized" themselves
Labor unions
Workers formed labor unions to have more negotiating power and fight for better pay and working conditions
Booker T. Washington
former slave who trained other black men to become economically self-sufficient, and argued this was a better way to gain power than to campaign for better voting rights
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.
Homestead act
Gave settlers 160 acres of land if they lived there for 5 years.
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
Sioux initally won a deceive victory against the U.S. army.
Bessemer process
International migration society
Facilitated the migration of black people to africa
Indian appropriation act
Debates over money
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
Views on immigration
Indian nations were assigned land called reservations. However this land was much less than before, and many decided to just keep following buffalo
Railroads supported by the government through money and land grants
Assimilationist movement
Wanted to end indian culture by forcing them to assimilate to American values.
Gospel of wealth
Andrew Carnegie argued that those with wealth should invest it into society
There was an extreme lack of government regulation of the economy at the time
Anti-Saloon league
Worked to close down saloons
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
Ghost dance movement
nationwide movement of resistance. They began to believe that if they took up the ritualistic ghost dance, that their ancestors would return and drive the Americans out.
Railroads
Women's Christian Temperance Union
Worked to ban alcohol, had over 500,000 members
Andrew Carnegie
Pioneered vertical integration, where one company controls every stage of the manufacturing process
