| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| business consolidation | The process of combining multiple companies or business operations into larger, unified entities. |
| citizenship | The legal and political status of belonging to a nation, including rights and responsibilities debated during the Gilded Age. |
| corporate innovation | The creation of new business structures, management practices, and organizational strategies by companies to increase profits and market control. |
| cultural movements | Organized shifts in artistic, intellectual, and social thought that reflected or challenged prevailing values and beliefs. |
| financial panics | Sudden economic crises characterized by loss of confidence in the financial system, bank failures, and economic contraction. |
| Gilded Age | The period from the 1870s to 1900 marked by rapid industrialization, wealth accumulation, and social inequality in the United States. |
| industrial capitalism | An economic system characterized by large-scale factory production, capital investment, and profit-driven business enterprises that emerged and expanded during the late 19th century. |
| industrialization | The transformation of an economy from agricultural to manufacturing-based through the development of factories and large-scale production. |
| intellectual movements | Organized developments in philosophy, science, and ideas that shaped how people understood society and the economy. |
| large-scale industrial production | Manufacturing of goods in massive quantities using factories, machinery, and organized labor systems. |
| migration | The movement of people from one region or country to another, often in search of better opportunities or resources. |
| national expansion | The westward growth and territorial extension of the United States during the late 19th century. |
| political corruption | Dishonest or unethical conduct by government officials and politicians. |
| public reform efforts | Organized campaigns and movements aimed at addressing social problems and improving government and business practices. |
| systems of production | The organized methods and technologies used to manufacture goods, including factory systems and assembly processes. |
| systems of transportation | Networks of railroads, canals, and roads that moved goods and people across the country to facilitate commerce. |
| technological innovations | New developments and improvements in technology that introduce novel methods, tools, or systems to society. |
| urban culture | The distinctive ways of life, values, and social practices that developed in growing American cities during the late 19th century. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| clerical workers | Office employees who performed administrative and record-keeping tasks for businesses and corporations. |
| consumer culture | A society centered on the purchase and consumption of goods and services, enabled by increased leisure time and disposable income. |
| corporations | Large business organizations that required managers and clerical workers to operate their expanding operations. |
| economic opportunity | Increased chances for individuals to earn income, gain employment, and improve their economic status through business and professional positions. |
| Gospel of Wealth | A philosophy asserting that wealthy business leaders had a moral obligation to use their fortunes to benefit society and improve social conditions. |
| leisure time | Free time available for recreation and non-work activities, which increased for the growing middle class. |
| middle class | A social and economic group characterized by professional occupations, managerial positions, clerical work, and access to education and consumer goods. |
| philanthropic contributions | Charitable donations made by wealthy individuals to support educational institutions and urban development. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| agrarians | Reformers who advocated for the interests of farmers and promoted agricultural-based economic and social alternatives. |
| Gilded Age | The period from the 1870s to 1900 marked by rapid industrialization, wealth accumulation, and social inequality in the United States. |
| industrial capitalism | An economic system characterized by large-scale factory production, capital investment, and profit-driven business enterprises that emerged and expanded during the late 19th century. |
| reform movements | Organized efforts by groups of people seeking to improve society by changing laws, institutions, or individual behaviors during the early 19th century. |
| Social Gospel | A reform movement that emphasized applying Christian principles to address social problems such as poverty, labor exploitation, and inequality. |
| socialists | Reformers who advocated for collective or state ownership of the means of production as an alternative to industrial capitalism. |
| utopians | Reformers who envisioned and promoted idealized, alternative social and economic communities based on cooperative principles. |
| voluntary organizations | Groups formed by citizens who joined together voluntarily to promote social and political reform causes. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| economic downturns | Periods of reduced economic activity, characterized by declining production, employment, and consumer spending. |
| economic growth | An increase in the total output of goods and services produced by an economy over time. |
| foreign policy | Government strategies and decisions regarding relationships, alliances, and conflicts with other nations. |
| government intervention | Direct action by the government in the economy, such as regulation or spending during economic downturns. |
| laissez-faire policies | Economic policies that minimize government intervention in the economy, allowing free market competition to determine prices and production. |
| markets | Systems of exchange where goods, services, and resources are bought and sold, often targeted by policymakers for economic influence. |
| natural resources | Materials and assets provided by nature, such as land, water, minerals, and forests, that have economic or survival value. |
| Pacific Rim | The region encompassing countries and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, including East Asia and Oceania, targeted by American businesses for expansion. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| agrarian activists | Farmers and rural advocates who organized politically to address economic instability and promote agricultural interests during the Gilded Age. |
| currency issues | Debates over monetary policy and the type of currency backing the American economy that divided political parties during the Gilded Age. |
| economic instability | Periods of economic uncertainty characterized by fluctuating markets, unemployment, and unpredictable business conditions. |
| political corruption | Dishonest or unethical conduct by government officials and politicians. |
| political machines | Political organizations that controlled urban politics by distributing social services and favors to gain power and support from immigrants and the poor. |
| political parties | Organized groups of citizens united by common ideals and goals that compete for political power and influence. |
| Populist Party | A political party created by agrarian activists in the Gilded Age that advocated for stronger government regulation of the American economic system. |
| tariff | A tax imposed on imported goods, a major policy debate in the early republic regarding federal economic power. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| business consolidation | The process of combining multiple companies or business operations into larger, unified entities. |
| citizenship | The legal and political status of belonging to a nation, including rights and responsibilities debated during the Gilded Age. |
| cultural movements | Organized shifts in artistic, intellectual, and social thought that reflected or challenged prevailing values and beliefs. |
| financial panics | Sudden economic crises characterized by loss of confidence in the financial system, bank failures, and economic contraction. |
| Gilded Age | The period from the 1870s to 1900 marked by rapid industrialization, wealth accumulation, and social inequality in the United States. |
| industrial capitalism | An economic system characterized by large-scale factory production, capital investment, and profit-driven business enterprises that emerged and expanded during the late 19th century. |
| industrialization | The transformation of an economy from agricultural to manufacturing-based through the development of factories and large-scale production. |
| intellectual movements | Organized developments in philosophy, science, and ideas that shaped how people understood society and the economy. |
| large-scale industrial production | Manufacturing of goods in massive quantities using factories, machinery, and organized labor systems. |
| migration | The movement of people from one region or country to another, often in search of better opportunities or resources. |
| political corruption | Dishonest or unethical conduct by government officials and politicians. |
| political reform | Efforts to change government policies and institutions to address social problems and improve society. |
| systems of production | The organized methods and technologies used to manufacture goods, including factory systems and assembly processes. |
| systems of transportation | Networks of railroads, canals, and roads that moved goods and people across the country to facilitate commerce. |
| technological innovations | New developments and improvements in technology that introduce novel methods, tools, or systems to society. |
| urban culture | The distinctive ways of life, values, and social practices that developed in growing American cities during the late 19th century. |
| urbanization | The process of population concentration in cities and the growth of urban areas as a result of migration and industrial development. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| agricultural production | The cultivation and harvesting of crops and livestock for commercial purposes. |
| consolidation in agricultural markets | The process by which agricultural markets became dominated by fewer, larger producers and businesses. |
| cooperative organizations | Farmer-created local and regional associations designed to collectively address market challenges and reduce dependence on external systems. |
| economic growth | An increase in the total output of goods and services produced by an economy over time. |
| government subsidies | Financial support provided by the government to businesses and industries, particularly for transportation and communication systems. |
| mechanization | The use of machines and mechanical processes to replace manual labor in agricultural production. |
| mineral resources | Valuable natural deposits such as gold, silver, and other minerals found in western territories that attracted economic development. |
| settlement of the West | The migration and establishment of communities by settlers in western territories of the United States during the late 19th century. |
| transcontinental railroads | Railroad systems that spanned across the continent, connecting the East and West and facilitating trade and settlement. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| American bison population decimated | The near-extinction of buffalo herds through overhunting, which devastated American Indian economies and ways of life. |
| assimilation | Government policies designed to force American Indians to adopt white American culture, language, and ways of life. |
| boomtown | A town that experiences rapid growth and economic development, often due to the discovery of natural resources or arrival of new industries. |
| competition for land and resources | The struggle among white settlers, American Indians, and Mexican Americans for control of western territories and natural resources. |
| farming | Agricultural cultivation of land for crops, a primary economic activity for western settlers. |
| independence | The state of being self-governing and free from the control or influence of others. |
| military force | Armed intervention by the U.S. government to suppress American Indian resistance and enforce government policies. |
| mining | The extraction of valuable minerals and metals from the earth, a major economic activity in the western territories. |
| railroads | Transportation networks supported by legislation and judicial systems that extended markets and linked regions more closely together. |
| ranching | Large-scale livestock raising, particularly cattle and sheep, as an economic activity in the West. |
| reservations | Lands set aside by the U.S. government for American Indian tribes to live on, often smaller and less desirable than original territories. |
| self-sufficiency | The ability to meet one's own needs without depending on external resources or support. |
| self-sustaining economic practices | Economic activities developed by American Indians to support themselves and maintain independence within reservation systems. |
| settlement of the West | The migration and establishment of communities by settlers in western territories of the United States during the late 19th century. |
| sovereignty | The right of American Indian nations to self-govern and make decisions about their own affairs. |
| treaties | Formal agreements between the U.S. government and American Indian nations regarding land, sovereignty, and other matters. |
| tribal identities | The distinct cultural, social, and political characteristics that define individual American Indian nations and communities. |
| violent conflict | Armed confrontations and warfare resulting from competition over western lands and resources. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Jim Crow | A system of racial segregation laws and practices that enforced the separation of Black and white people in the South and other regions. |
| New South | A movement and ideology promoted by Southern leaders in the late 19th century that advocated for industrialization and economic diversification of the Southern economy. |
| Plessy v. Ferguson | An 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine. |
| Reconstruction | The period from 1865 to 1877 following the Civil War during which the federal government worked to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society. |
| sharecropping | An exploitative agricultural system in which former slaves and poor whites worked land owned by others in exchange for a share of the crop, often leaving them in debt and without true economic independence. |
| tenant farming | An agricultural system in which farmers rented land from landowners and paid rent in cash or crops. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| natural resources | Materials and assets provided by nature, such as land, water, minerals, and forests, that have economic or survival value. |
| production of goods | The manufacturing and creation of products for consumption or trade in the economy. |
| technological innovations | New developments and improvements in technology that introduce novel methods, tools, or systems to society. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Asia | The world's largest continent, from which international migration to the United States increased dramatically after 1980. |
| business consolidation | The process of combining multiple companies or business operations into larger, unified entities. |
| financial and management structures | Organizational systems and frameworks businesses used to organize capital, operations, and decision-making. |
| holding companies | Corporations created to own and control the stock of other companies, allowing centralized management and profit consolidation. |
| industrial capitalism | An economic system characterized by large-scale factory production, capital investment, and profit-driven business enterprises that emerged and expanded during the late 19th century. |
| international communication networks | Systems of telegraph, telephone, and other technologies that connected businesses and markets across national borders. |
| labor force | The total number of people available and willing to work in an economy, including both employed and unemployed individuals. |
| large-scale industrial production | Manufacturing of goods in massive quantities using factories, machinery, and organized labor systems. |
| Latin America | The region of the Americas south of the United States, including Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, from which international migration to the U.S. increased dramatically after 1980. |
| marketing | Strategies and techniques used by businesses to promote and sell their products to consumers. |
| natural resources | Materials and assets provided by nature, such as land, water, minerals, and forests, that have economic or survival value. |
| Pacific Rim | The region encompassing countries and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, including East Asia and Oceania, targeted by American businesses for expansion. |
| pro-growth government policies | Government actions and legislation designed to encourage economic expansion and industrial development. |
| socioeconomic changes | Transformations in social structures and economic conditions resulting from the growth of industrial capitalism between 1865 and 1898. |
| socioeconomic continuities | Aspects of society and the economy that remained relatively unchanged or persistent during the period of industrial growth from 1865 to 1898. |
| technological innovations | New developments and improvements in technology that introduce novel methods, tools, or systems to society. |
| trusts | Business combinations in which competing companies placed their stock under the control of a board of trustees to reduce competition and increase profits. |
| wealth concentration | The accumulation of economic resources and profits in the hands of a small number of business leaders and corporations. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| child labor | The employment of children in industrial and other work, often under exploitative conditions and for minimal wages. |
| industrial capitalism | An economic system characterized by large-scale factory production, capital investment, and profit-driven business enterprises that emerged and expanded during the late 19th century. |
| industrial workforce | Workers employed in factories and manufacturing industries, which expanded and became more diverse during the Gilded Age through migration. |
| labor unions | Organizations of workers formed to collectively bargain for better wages, working conditions, and other employment benefits. |
| real wages | Worker compensation adjusted for inflation, reflecting the actual purchasing power of earnings over time. |
| standards of living | The level of material comfort and access to goods, services, and amenities available to individuals or groups in a society. |
| wealth gap | The increasing disparity between the income and assets of the wealthy and those of the poor. |
| working conditions | The physical environment, hours, safety standards, and other circumstances under which workers performed their jobs. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| economic growth | An increase in the total output of goods and services produced by an economy over time. |
| ethnic neighborhoods | Urban residential areas populated primarily by people of a particular ethnicity, which provided cultural opportunities and community support for city dwellers. |
| industrial workforce | Workers employed in factories and manufacturing industries, which expanded and became more diverse during the Gilded Age through migration. |
| internal migration | The movement of people within the United States from one region or area to another. |
| international migration | The movement of people from one country to another, often in search of economic opportunity or to escape difficult conditions. |
| migration patterns | The movement of people from one geographic location to another, including the causes and consequences of such movements over time. |
| poverty | The state of lacking sufficient income and resources to meet basic needs, identified as a persistent national problem in postwar America. |
| religious persecution | Discrimination and mistreatment based on religious beliefs, which motivated some immigrants to leave their home countries. |
| social mobility | The ability of individuals to move up or down in social and economic status within a society. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Americanization | The process of adopting American cultural practices, language, and values, often promoted as a goal for immigrants during the Gilded Age. |
| assimilation | Government policies designed to force American Indians to adopt white American culture, language, and ways of life. |
| international migration | The movement of people from one country to another, often in search of economic opportunity or to escape difficult conditions. |
| settlement houses | Community centers established in immigrant neighborhoods to provide social services, education, and assistance with language and cultural adaptation. |
| Social Darwinism | A theory that applied evolutionary concepts to human society, arguing that social inequality and the success of the wealthy were natural and inevitable results of competition. |
| socioeconomic structure | The hierarchical organization of society based on economic status and social class. |