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
Starting in 1865 many Americans started pushing westward again after the interruption of the civil war
NAWSA
Worked to secure voting rights for women
Homestead act
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
Assimilationist movement
Political machines
Corrupt political bosses and their followers
Sherman antitrust act
Made monopolizing an entire market illegal
Provided resources to the poor to enrich the neighborhood. Largely led by women
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
Railroads
Massive extension of the railroad system created a truly national market for goods
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
Pioneered vertical integration, where one company controls every stage of the manufacturing process
Pioneered horizontal integration, where one company controls every seller in the market.
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
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.
Views on immigration
Feared that factory owners would use immigrants to keep wages low and to replace striking workers
Grew to over a million members by 1901 and had some modest successes
Anti-Saloon league
Worked to close down saloons
American protective association
Heavily anti-catholic and Social Darwinists
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.
Dawes act
Broke up tribal organizations and divided up tribal land and gave U.S. citizenship to natives who "Americanized" themselves
Women's Christian Temperance Union
Worked to ban alcohol, had over 500,000 members
Haymarket square riot
Growth of immigration
16 million immigrants (mostly from Europe) came looking for better economic opportunities
National Grange movement
Social and educational collective aimed at brining farmers together. Soon became political to lobby for farmers
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
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.
Gospel of wealth
Andrew Carnegie argued that those with wealth should invest it into society
