U.S. History – Chapter 14 – Flashcards
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Bessemer process
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Developed Henry Bessemer around 1850. Allowed steel to be made more quickly, and cheaper.
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Thomas Alva Edison
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Became a pioneer on the new industrial frontier when he established the world's first research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Invented the light bulb which allowed for longer work days.
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Alexander Graham Bell
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Invented the telephone in 1876, allowed for world wide communication network
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Transcontinental Railroad
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Railroad line linking the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, completed 1869, allowed for faster transportation to the west and a way to transport goods across the United States
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George M. Pullman
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Built a factory for manufacturing sleepers and other cars on the Illinois Prairie. Created a company town where all needs were met by the company.
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Interstate Commerce Act
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Allowed the federal government to supervise railroad activities and regulate cargo crossing state lines and created a five member Interstate Commerce committee for that purpose. Largely unsuccessful as it got caught up in legal battles
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Social Darwinism
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The application of ideas about evolution and "survival of the fittest" to human societies.
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Sherman Antitrust Act
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An 1890 law that banned the formation of trusts and monopolies in the United States.
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Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
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It was formed in Chicago in 1905 and its members were nicknamed "Wobblies" Led by Big Bill Haywood it was considered very radical. Members included unskilled workers and African Americans
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JP Morgan
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Banker who buys out Carnegie Steel and renames it to U.S. Steel. Was one of the "Robber barons"
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Haymarket Riot
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100,000 workers rioted in Chicago. After the police fired into the crowd, the workers met and rallied in the Square to protest police brutality.
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Great Strike of 1877
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Large number of railroad workers went on strike because of wage cuts
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Collective Bargaining
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Process by which a union representing a group of workers negotiates with management for a contract
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Grangers
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An organization of farmers who tried to get the government to regulate the railroads and pass other farm friendly policies.
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Laissez Faire
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Idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs
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Monopoly/Trust
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Complete control of a product or business by one person or group
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Robber Baron
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Refers to the industrialists or big business owners who gained huge profits by paying their employees extremely low wages.
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Henry Ford
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American businessman, founder of Ford Motor Company, father of modern assembly lines
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Nativists
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Americans who opposed immigration
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Labor Unions
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An organization of workers in a particular industry or trade, created to defend the interests of members through strikes or negotiations with employers.
