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Tammany Hall
It was a powerful New York political organization. It drew support from immigrants. The immigrants relied on Tammany Hall patronage, particularly for social services. In return, they asked for people's votes on election day. It is important because it played a major role in controlling NYC and New York State politics and helping immigrants rise in American politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. -
Temperance Movement
An organized effort during the 19th and early 20th centuries to limit or outlaw the consumption and production of alcoholic beverages in the US. It was important because Temperance advocates encouraged their fellow Americans to reduce the amount of alcohol that they consumed. -
Elizabeth Cady Stanton-Seneca Falls
Stanton was a member of the Women's Right's Movement in 1840. Advocated for women’s suffrage at Seneca Falls where she read the Declaration of Sentiments. She is an important figure because she drafted the first organized demand for women's suffrage in the US. The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention in the US. -
Public high school funded
In the Education Reform, Massachusetts incorporated fully funded public education and this was important because pushes were made to professionalize teaching. -
Cornelius Vanderbilt and Rail Road Industry
Vanderbilt expanded his business to the railroad industry which was entering into a period of significant expansion. He owned a number of rail lines and established an interregional railroad system. This is important because he helped make railroad transportation more efficient. -
Salvation Army
An international movement, and a part of the Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible and ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus and to meet human needs in His name w/o discrimination. It is important because it's famous for its work w/ people who have fallen on hard times: offers help to elderly, young, offenders, drug addicts and blind/disabled people; provides food/shelter for the homeless and operates food distribution centers. -
Knights of Labor
A labor union which Terence Powderly opened to all workers regardless of background, race, gender, or skill level. This was significant because as the strikes proved successful, more workers flocked to the union movement. -
John Rockefeller
Founder of the Standard Oil Company: controlled 95% of the oil refiners in the US by 1877 and mainly used horizontal integration (controlling all competition in a single industry and monopolizing the market). He was important because his company dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. -
Laissez faire
"Laissez Faire" is French for "leave alone" which means that the government leaves the people alone regarding all economic activities. It is the separation of economy and state. It supported the idea that the government should not regulate business. It was importance because provides individuals with the greatest motivation to create wealth. -
Social Darwinism
The idea that the rich are rich because they are hardworking while the poor are poor because they are lazy. A social “Survival of the fittest.” Many big business leaders used this principle to defend their massive amounts of wealth. This was important because it allowed us to gain a better understanding of our world, which in turn allowed us to change the way that we think. -
The Grange Movement
An organized social movement that lobbied for reforms to support farmers. It was important because it promotes the social and economic needs of farmers in the US. -
Munn v. Illinois
It was a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the power of government to regulate private industries. This was part of the Grange Movement. It was significant because it ruled that states could regulate railroads. -
Railroad strike of 1877
This was in response to cutting wages of workers for the 3rd time in a year. Striking workers would not allow any of the trains, mainly freight trains, to roll until this third wage cut was revoked. It was important because it was the country's 1st major rail strike and the strike and violence briefly paralyzed the country's commerce and led governors in 10 states to mobilize 60,000 militia members to reopen rail traffic. -
Transcontinental railroad
This connected the West and Northeast industries. It was important because it allowed the transporting of western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, and the railroad also facilitated international trade. -
Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Normal
African-American leader Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in 1881 to train African-Americans in agriculture and industry and promote the economic progress of his race. It grew immensely and focused on training African Americans in agricultural pursuits. It was important because it was the first institution of higher learning for African Americans. -
Labor unions begin forming
Unions began forming in the mid-19th century in response to the social and economic impact of the Industrial Revolution. Unions are important because they help set the standards for education, skill levels, wages, working conditions, and quality of life for workers. Union-negotiated wages and benefits are generally superior to what non-union workers receive. -
Tuskegee Institute
Founded by Washington; Washington came under pressure from critics who viewed him as an accommodationist because they felt he de-emphasized racism, racial violence against blacks, and discrimination. It was important because it was the first institution of higher learning for African Americans. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
A set of laws that prevented immigration of the Chinese for 10 years and kept Chinese people currently in America from becoming citizens. It is important because it was a U.S. federal law that was the first and only major federal legislation to explicitly suspend immigration for a specific nationality. -
Civil Rights Cases of 1883
5 separate cases that went to the Supreme Court which determined that people and private businesses could discriminate against anyone they wanted. They were significant, because the court declared them to be unconstitutional, when then inspired the Jim Crow laws. -
Pendleton Act
This provided for selection of some government employees by competitive exams rather than ties to politicians, and made it illegal to fire or demote some government officials for political reasons. It was important because it established the civil service commission to make appointments to federal jobs on the basis of competitive exams rather than favors. -
American Federation of Labor
This was a labor union for skilled workers led by Samuel Gompers. It focused on improving working conditions and wages, and became the largest union by the 1900s. It was significant because it was successful and quickly became one of the most powerful unions in the United States. -
Haymarket riot
It caused a decline in membership of labor unions because labor unions were now believed to be violent and radical. It was important, because it was a violent confrontation between police and labour protesters, that became a symbol of the international struggle for workers' rights. -
Wabash v. Illinois
This overruled Munn Vs. Illinois and ruled that states cannot regulate interstate commerce. It is important because it limited the rights of states to control or impede interstate commerce. -
Commerce Act
It allowed the government to control interstate commerce and was ineffective at first, but later became more useful. This was significant because with this act, the railroads became the first industry subject to Federal regulation. -
Dawes Act
This was passed under President Grover Cleveland, and allowed the federal government to break up tribal lands. It was significant because over 90 million acres of tribal land were stripped from Native Americans and sold to non-natives. -
Interstate Commerce Act
This allowed the government to control interstate commerce and was ineffective at first but later became more useful. This is significant and the agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later trucking) to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including interstate bus lines and telephone companies. -
Joseph Pulitzer
An American newspaper editor and publisher who helped to establish the pattern of the modern newspaper. He is significant, because in his time, he was one of the most powerful journalists in the US. Pulitzer founded the Evening World, in 1887. -
Gospel of Wealth
It was a belief that the wealthy had a moral obligation to help the less fortunate. It was important because inspired generations of men and women to follow the same path boldly and make a difference. -
Hull House
A settlement house installed in a ghetto of Chicago. It was important because it inspired many other like settlements across the country, while Addams spent her lifetime battling for garbage removal, playgrounds, better street lighting, and police protection. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
This outlawed trusts/monopolies (originally hurt labor unions more than monopolies) until Theodore Roosevelt became president. The Act's purpose was to promote economic fairness and competitiveness and to regulate interstate commerce. It is important because it is the 1st major legislation passed to address oppressive business practices associated with cartels and oppressive monopolies. -
Ghost Dance
The Ghost Dance Movement was a cultural revival amongst the Sioux people in the Dakota territory. It was an attempt to regain their culture and diminish the influence of the white man. The ghost dance is important because it was a religious revitalization uniting Indians to restore ancestral customs, the disappearance of whites, and the return of buffalo. -
Populist Party founded
This started as a group supporting farmers but became a political party. It supported government ownership of railroads, free/unlimited coinage of silver to increase the money supply, a graduated income tax (rich pay more), the direct election of Senators, and the use of initiative and referendums. They were important because they aimed at improving conditions for the country's farmers and agrarian workers. -
Andrew Carnegie and Steel Industry
Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist who led the expansion of the American steel industry. He founded the Carnegie Steel Company in 1892. By 1901, his company dominated the American steel industry. This was significant, because by using steel, it allowed construction workers to build tall buildings due to the strength of the metal and the cost of it. As buildings were being put together the steel industry continued to rise, producing steel for construction, automobiles, and railroads. -
Ellis Island Opens
Ellis Island officially opened as an immigration station on January 1, 1892. It is important because it served as the nation's major immigration station from 1892 to 1924, after which its role was reduced. -
Homestead Strike
This was a strike against the Carnegie steel company. Strikers were defeated. It was important because it inspired many workers, but it also emphasized how difficult it was for any union to prevail against the combined power of the corporation and the government. -
Pullman Strike
U.S. history, widespread railroad strike and boycott that severely disrupted rail traffic in the Midwest of the US. This was important because the federal government's response to the unrest marked the first time that an injunction was used to break a strike. President Cleveland uses the army and court injunction to defeat striking workers. -
Gilded Age
It was the period in US history following the Civil War and Reconstruction, and meant that while on the outside things seemed great, below the surface it was not as good as it seemed. It was important because it saw rapid economic and industrial growth, driven by technical advances in transportation and manufacturing, and causing an expansion of personal wealth, philanthropy, and immigration. Politics during this time not only experienced corruption, but also increased participation. -
William Jennings Bryan-Cross of Gold Speech
His historic “Cross of Gold” speech, delivered prior to his nomination, criticized supporters of the gold standard for U.S. currency, which he believed benefited the wealthy at the expense of the average worker. This is important, because the speech helped put Jennings on as the Democratic presidential nomination. -
Eugene Debs-founding IWW
Eugene Debs was an American socialist, political activist, trade unionist, and one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). The IWW was important, because its goal was to promote worker solidarity in the revolutionary struggle to overthrow the employing class. Its motto was "an injury to one is an injury to all". -
Ida B. Wells founded NAACP
Wells was an American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She mobilized public opinion against lynching through her newspaper editorials, pamphlets, clubs, and lecture tours in the northern United States and Great Britain. She was important, because she was a hero to many people. -
Mark Twain
He was the author of several novels, including two major classics of American literature: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He was also a riverboat pilot, journalist, lecturer, entrepreneur and inventor. He is important because his written works challenged the fundamental issues that faced the America of his time; racism, evolving landscapes, class barriers, access to education and more. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
This was a fire in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, on March 25, 1911. This was important because it was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city, and one of the deadliest in U.S. history. -
JP Morgan
An American financier, banker, philanthropist, and art collector. He funded the Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company and merged them to create General Electric. He was important because he financed railroads and helped organize U.S. Steel, General Electric and other major corporations. He used his influence to help stabilize American financial markets during several economic crises, including the panic of 1907. -
John Muir
John Muir was this country's most famous and influential naturalist. He was also involved in the creation of the Grand Canyon, Kings Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Mt. Rainier National Parks. He founded the Sierra Club: a conservation group that fought to preserve natural resources. He is important because he educated Americans about the value of the country's wilderness, inspiring generations of wilderness advocates. -
Second Industrial Revolution
A period when advances in steel production, electricity and petroleum caused a series of innovations that changed society. With the production of cost effective steel, railroads were expanded and more industrial machines were built. The most important result of the Second Industrial Revolution was depleting natural resources. -
William Hearst
A United States newspaper publisher whose introduction of large headlines and sensational reporting changed American journalism. He is important because he is best known for publishing the largest chain of American newspapers. -
Hawaii becomes a state
On August 21, 1959, President Eisenhower signed the official proclamation admitting Hawaii as the 50th state, marking the end of over half a century of work for Hawaiian statehood. It was important, because its economy was a key provisioning spot for American whaling ships, fertile ground for American protestant missionaries, and a new source of sugar cane production. -
W.E.B. DuBois
He was a scholar and activist for racial equality. He was founder of the Niagara Movement (1905) (a protest group), founder of the NAACP (1909) to enforce what is known as the 14th and 15th Amendments. He is important because he was the first African American to earn a PhD at Harvard University, and was the best known spokesperson for African American rights during the first half of the twentieth century. -
Solid South
A term used to describe the domination of post-Civil War southern politics by the Democratic Party. It was the largest of several organizations that formed in the post-Reconstruction South to advance the interests of small farmers. It is important because it dominated the South from the 1890s to the 1950s. -
Civil Service Reform
This is intended to provide Federal managers with the flexibility to improve Government operations and productivity while, at the same time, protect employees from unfair or unwarranted practices. It is important because it's a deliberate action to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, professionalism, representativity and democratic character of a civil service, while promoting better delivery of public goods and services, with increased accountability.
