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Questions and Answers
What are land grants?
What are land grants?
Federally owned acreage granted to the railroad companies to encourage the building of rail lines.
What is the Union Pacific Railroad?
What is the Union Pacific Railroad?
The original transcontinental railroad commissioned by Congress, built its rail line west from Omaha.
What was the Central Pacific Railroad known for?
What was the Central Pacific Railroad known for?
It was a California-based railroad company that employed Chinese laborers to build lines across the mountains.
Who organized the Great Northern Railroad?
Who organized the Great Northern Railroad?
What does stock watering refer to?
What does stock watering refer to?
What was the significance of the Wabash Supreme Court case?
What was the significance of the Wabash Supreme Court case?
What is the purpose of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)?
What is the purpose of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)?
What invention revolutionized communication in the late 19th century?
What invention revolutionized communication in the late 19th century?
What was Standard Oil known for?
What was Standard Oil known for?
Who organized the United States Steel Corporation?
Who organized the United States Steel Corporation?
What does the term 'New South' refer to?
What does the term 'New South' refer to?
What was the Colored National Labor Union (CNLU)?
What was the Colored National Labor Union (CNLU)?
What was the Knights of Labor?
What was the Knights of Labor?
What are craft unions?
What are craft unions?
What does the American Federation of Labor (AFL) represent?
What does the American Federation of Labor (AFL) represent?
Who was Leland Stanford?
Who was Leland Stanford?
What did Russell Conwell promote?
What did Russell Conwell promote?
Who was James J. Hill?
Who was James J. Hill?
What was Cornelius Vanderbilt known for?
What was Cornelius Vanderbilt known for?
Who created the romantic image of the new, independent woman?
Who created the romantic image of the new, independent woman?
Who invented the telephone?
Who invented the telephone?
What did Thomas Edison invent?
What did Thomas Edison invent?
What principle did Andrew Carnegie organize his industry on?
What principle did Andrew Carnegie organize his industry on?
Who was John D. Rockefeller?
Who was John D. Rockefeller?
What was J.P. Morgan's significant achievement?
What was J.P. Morgan's significant achievement?
Who was Henry Grady?
Who was Henry Grady?
Who was Terence V. Powderly?
Who was Terence V. Powderly?
Who was William Graham Sumner?
Who was William Graham Sumner?
Who was John P. Altgeld?
Who was John P. Altgeld?
Who was Samuel Gompers?
Who was Samuel Gompers?
Study Notes
Land Grants and Railroads
- Land grants involved federal acreage allocated to railroad companies to stimulate rail line construction.
- Union Pacific Railroad, commissioned by Congress, built its transcontinental rail line westward from Omaha.
- Central Pacific Railroad, led by Leland Stanford, utilized Chinese labor for its rail lines across mountainous regions.
- Great Northern Railroad, established by James J. Hill, was the northernmost transcontinental line emphasizing economic prudence.
Railroad Regulation and Practices
- Stock watering was a deceptive strategy where railroad promoters artificially inflated stock and bond prices.
- The Wabash case (1886) ruled that states could not regulate railroads or interstate commerce.
- The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was formed to oversee rail regulation but often favored stabilizing the industry over strict regulation.
Innovations and Major Companies
- The telephone emerged in the late 19th century, revolutionizing communication, with women dominating this new workforce.
- Standard Oil became the first major industrial trust, employing horizontal integration to eliminate competition.
- United States Steel Corporation (USSC), created when J.P. Morgan acquired Andrew Carnegie's company, marked the first American corporation valued at over one billion dollars.
Social and Labor Movements
- New South referred to the ideal of a technologically advanced industrial South, promoted by southern advocates.
- The Colored National Labor Union (CNLU) represented Black labor interests in the late 1860s.
- Knights of Labor was a secretive organization that included both skilled and unskilled workers; it collapsed following the Haymarket Square bombing.
- Craft unions, such as carpenters and printers, succeeded in strikes and raising wages focusing on skilled labor.
- American Federation of Labor (AFL) organized a specific segment of American workers, often excluding marginalized groups.
Key Figures in Business and Labor
- Leland Stanford was a California governor and organizer of the Central Pacific Railroad.
- Russell Conwell, a clergyman, delivered "Acres of Diamonds" speeches critiquing poverty.
- James J. Hill promoted agriculture among farmers serviced by his rail lines.
- Cornelius Vanderbilt was a notable railroad builder known for his aggressive consolidation tactics.
- Charles Dana Gibson illustrated the image of the modern, independent woman through his magazine work.
Inventors and Industrial Leaders
- Alexander Graham Bell, a former teacher for the deaf, invented the telephone and initiated a new industry.
- Thomas Edison, an inventive genius, was responsible for innovations such as the electric light and phonograph.
- Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, built a vast steel industry via vertical integration.
- John D. Rockefeller led the energy industry, employing tough measures to create a horizontal integration trust.
- J. Pierpont Morgan was a powerful financier who purchased Andrew Carnegie’s business and formed the USSC.
Influential Social Commentators
- Henry Grady served as a southern newspaper editor advocating for industrialization as a solution to economic challenges.
- Terence V. Powderly led the Knights of Labor, achieving significant successes in the 1880s prior to its downfall.
- William Graham Sumner defended laissez-faire capitalism, asserting that wealthy individuals owed nothing to the less fortunate.
- John P. Altgeld, Illinois governor, notably pardoned those involved in the Haymarket incident.
- Samuel Gompers was a key figure in conservative craft unions, promoting better wages for skilled workers.
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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key terms from Chapter 24 of AP U.S. History. Learn about important concepts like land grants and major railroads that shaped America. Perfect for students preparing for exams or anyone interested in U.S. history.