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Invention of Telephone
This invention was created and patented by Alexander Graham Bell. This invention allowed people to be able to communicate across great distances in an instant. -
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The Gilded Age
This term was created by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book titled "The Gilded Age" which described the rampant inequality, workplace horrors, and political corruption in the era. -
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
The economic bubble around the railroads caused by the Civil War burst which caused the railroad companies to cut the workers' wages. This then caused the workers to revolt, creating the first strikes of the Gilded Age. -
Invention of the Phonograph
The phonograph was created and patented by Thomas Edison and allowed people the ability to record music and listen to the recorded audio. -
Invention of the Incandescent Lightbulb
Thomas Edison created and patented the first practical and commercially successful incandescent lightbulb. This invention allowed people to work through the night and increased productivity around the home and in the workplace. -
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Presidency - James A. Garfield
Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntled ex-employee that wanted a government job. His assassination led to the Civil Service Act which limited the former spoils system of rewarding public offices to personal friends. -
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Presidency - Chester A. Arthur
After the assassination of President Garfield, Arthur passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883. The law created by the Civil Service Commission made mandatory 10 percent of all government offices would be filled by those who were accepted through a competitive process. -
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Presidency - Grover Cleveland
Cleveland was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. He served his second term from 1893-1897. -
Pullman Strike
This strike was organized by Eugene Debs, who would be arrested and thrown in jail where he would be radicalized. This would eventually lead to him forming the Socialist Party of America and running for president. The cause of the strike was the Pullman Palace Car Company reducing the wages of the workers while not reducing the rent in their company town. -
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Presidency - William McKinley
McKinley's campaign is often considered the first modern presidential campaign due to the fact that it was funded mostly by businesses rather than wealthy friends.