Railroads and the Gilded Age Iron Horse: A term for railroad engines, symbolizing the importance of the railroad in American progress. Transcontinental Railroad: The railroad that connected the East and West coasts, completed in 1869. Land Grants to Railroads: Government land grants given to railroad companies to incentivize expansion. Union Pacific Railroad: The railroad company that started building from the East toward the West. Central Pacific Railroad: The railroad company that started building from the West toward the East. Irish Laborers: Workers, mainly Irish immigrants, who helped build the Union Pacific Railroad. Chinese Laborers: Workers, mainly Chinese immigrants, who contributed to the Central Pacific Railroad. Ogden, Utah / Promontory Point: Location where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met in 1869, completing the Transcontinental Railroad. Cornelius Vanderbilt: Railroad magnate who consolidated several railroads in the Northeast. Standard Gauge: A uniform railroad track width that allowed trains to travel across different railroads. Westinghouse Air Brake: Invention by George Westinghouse that improved railroad safety by allowing brakes to be applied to all cars at once. Pullman Palace Cars: Luxurious railroad cars designed for the wealthy. Explosion in Immigration / Other Settlers Moving West: The expansion of the railroads led to more immigration and settlement in the West. Time Zones: The creation of time zones by the railroad industry to standardize time across the country. Stock Watering: Inflating the value of stock (both literal and figurative) by exaggerating the value of a company's assets. Corruption in the Railroad Industry: Many railroad executives engaged in bribery and ignored laws to gain profits. Industrial Leaders and Innovations T.A. Edison: Inventor known for his work with electricity and the light bulb. A. Carnegie: Steel magnate who used vertical integration to control the steel industry. J.D. Rockefeller: Founder of Standard Oil, known for horizontal integration and creating a monopoly. J.P. Morgan: Wealthy financier who bought out Carnegie Steel and created U.S. Steel. Vertical Integration: Owning all stages of production from raw materials to finished products. Horizontal Integration: Owning competing businesses in the same industry to create a monopoly. Trust: A business arrangement where multiple companies combine to reduce competition. Standard Oil: Rockefeller's oil company that became a monopoly in the U.S. Bessemer-Kelly Process: A method for producing steel cheaply and efficiently. U.S. Steel: America's first billion-dollar corporation, formed by J.P. Morgan. Drake’s Folly / Kerosene: The first successful oil drilling operation led by Edwin Drake, which led to the production of kerosene. Social Issues and Labor The Gospel of Wealth: Carnegie's idea that the wealthy should use their riches to help society. Social Darwinism: The belief that the wealthy were naturally fit to succeed and should not be helped by government intervention. Sherman Antitrust Act: A law passed to prevent monopolies and promote competition in business. “New South” / Henry W. Grady: The vision of the South’s economic revival after the Civil War, focusing on industrialization. “Hillbillies” / “Lintheads”: Terms referring to poor rural whites and poor Southern mill workers, respectively. “Hello Girls”: Telephone operators, often young women, who worked in the telephone industry. “Scabs”: Workers who replaced striking workers during labor disputes. “Ironclad Oaths” / “Yellow-Dog Contract”: Contracts that workers were forced to sign to not join unions. “Company Town”: A town built and owned by a company where workers lived and bought goods. National Labor Union: The first national labor federation in the U.S. Knights of Labor: A labor union that advocated for workers' rights and promoted social reforms. Haymarket Square: A 1886 labor rally in Chicago that ended in a bombing, leading to the decline of the Knights of Labor. American Federation of Labor (AFL): A labor union led by Samuel Gompers, focused on improving wages and working conditions. Samuel Gompers: Leader of the AFL, known for advocating for skilled workers and collective bargaining. Closed Shop: A workplace where only union members are hired. Political Issues and Scandals “The Bloody Shirt”: A campaign tactic used to blame Democrats for the Civil War and promote Republican candidates. Horatio Seymour: A Democratic candidate in the 1868 presidential election. Jubilee Jim Fisk / Jay Gould: Financiers involved in the infamous attempt to corner the gold market. Tweed Ring: A corrupt political machine in New York City led by Boss Tweed. Thomas Nast: A cartoonist who exposed the corruption of the Tweed Ring. Samuel J. Tilden: The Democratic candidate in the 1876 election who helped expose the Tweed Ring. Credit Mobilier Scandal: A scandal involving railroad companies bribing politicians to get government contracts. Whiskey Ring: A scandal involving government officials and distillers who conspired to evade taxes. Horace Greeley: A journalist and presidential candidate who advocated for reforms. Panic of 1873: A financial crisis triggered by the failure of banks and the stock market. Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company: A bank that failed during the Panic of 1873, affecting many African American depositors. Gilded Age: A period of rapid industrialization, corruption, and inequality in the late 19th century. Compromise of 1877: An agreement that ended the disputed 1876 election, leading to the withdrawal of federal troops from the South. Social and Cultural Movements Nativism: The belief that native-born Americans were superior to immigrants and the desire to limit immigration. Social Gospel: A movement that called for Christians to address social inequalities and work for the common good. Jane Addams / Hull House: Addams founded the Hull House, a settlement house that provided services to immigrants and the poor. Immigration & Urbanization: The large influx of immigrants and the growth of cities, especially in the late 19th century. Birds of Passage: Immigrants who came to the U.S. temporarily, often to earn money before returning to their home countries. Political Machines: Political organizations that provided services to immigrants in exchange for votes, often involved in corruption. Women’s Suffrage: The movement to grant women the right to vote, led by organizations like the NAWSA. Temperance Movement: A movement to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, led by groups like the WCTU. Education and Reform Public Education: The expansion of free public schools, which led to higher literacy rates. Normal Schools: Schools that trained teachers. Booker T. Washington: Believed that African Americans should improve their social and economic status through vocational training and hard work. W.E.B. DuBois: Opposed Booker T. Washington’s approach and advocated for full civil rights and higher education for African Americans. Tuskegee Institute: Founded by Booker T. Washington to teach vocational skills to African Americans. The Morrill Act of 1862: Granted land to states to establish colleges focused on agriculture and mechanical arts. Popular Culture and Urban Life Vaudeville: A type of variety show that was popular in the late 19th century. Sports: Baseball, football, boxing, and other sports became popular forms of entertainment during this time. Dime Novels / Yellow Journalism: Cheap, sensationalized literature, and journalism that focused on scandal and drama. Sears & Montgomery Ward: Catalog companies that revolutionized shopping, especially in rural areas. Comstock Law: A law that prohibited the distribution of obscene materials through the mail. “City Beautiful Movement”: A movement to improve urban life by creating more beautiful and livable cities. Frederick Law Olmsted: Landscape architect who designed many urban parks, including Central Park in New York.