Government support for railroads
By 1890, the U.S. Census Bureau declared that the frontier was officially settled
Sioux wars
Pendleton Act
Political appointments were very corrupt after a guy shot the president because he didn't get a job, congress passed the Pendleton Act, which created an exam that was used for deciding who would get a job
Settlement houses
Provided resources to the poor to enrich the neighborhood. Largely led by women
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
Grew to over a million members by 1901 and had some modest successes
Starting in 1865 many Americans started pushing westward again after the interruption of the civil war
Ida B. Wells
Editor of a newspaper editorialized against lynching and jim crow. She fled north due to threats against her
Panic of 1893
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.
Labor unions
Workers formed labor unions to have more negotiating power and fight for better pay and working conditions
Reservation system
Indian nations were assigned land called reservations. However this land was much less than before, and many decided to just keep following buffalo
Anarchists set off a bomb during a Knights of labor protest in Chicago for an 8-hour workweek. Many people began to see the labor movement as violent and radical
National Grange movement
Social and educational collective aimed at brining farmers together. Soon became political to lobby for farmers
Views on immigration
Feared that factory owners would use immigrants to keep wages low and to replace striking workers
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
Women's Christian Temperance Union
Worked to ban alcohol, had over 500,000 members
Knights of labor
National union open to ALL laborers. Wanted to end child labor and end trusts
Nativists successfully pressured Congress to stop the flow of Chinese immigrants who were coming over during the gold rush.
American protective association
Heavily anti-catholic and Social Darwinists
International migration society
Facilitated the migration of black people to africa
Populist party
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
Political machines
Corrupt political bosses and their followers
Required railroad rates to be reasonable and just, and established a federal commission to oversee the railroads
Assimilationist movement
Wanted to end indian culture by forcing them to assimilate to American values.
Gospel of wealth
Anti-Saloon league
Worked to close down saloons
Indian appropriation act
congress sparked a new fight with the Sioux, by passing a law that nullified all previous treaties made with native Americans
Homestead act
Railroads
Massive extension of the railroad system created a truly national market for goods
