APUSH Chapter 24 Flashcards

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.

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.