Bessemer process
Developed Henry Bessemer around 1850. Allowed steel to be made more quickly, and cheaper.
Thomas Alva Edison
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.
Alexander Graham Bell
Invented the telephone in 1876, allowed for world wide communication network
Transcontinental Railroad
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
George M. Pullman
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.
Interstate Commerce Act
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
Social Darwinism
The application of ideas about evolution and "survival of the fittest" to human societies.
Sherman Antitrust Act
An 1890 law that banned the formation of trusts and monopolies in the United States.
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
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
JP Morgan
Banker who buys out Carnegie Steel and renames it to U.S. Steel. Was one of the "Robber barons"
Haymarket Riot
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.
Great Strike of 1877
Large number of railroad workers went on strike because of wage cuts
Collective Bargaining
Process by which a union representing a group of workers negotiates with management for a contract
Grangers
An organization of farmers who tried to get the government to regulate the railroads and pass other farm friendly policies.
Laissez Faire
Idea that government should play as small a role as possible in economic affairs
Monopoly/Trust
Complete control of a product or business by one person or group
Robber Baron
Refers to the industrialists or big business owners who gained huge profits by paying their employees extremely low wages.
Henry Ford
American businessman, founder of Ford Motor Company, father of modern assembly lines
Nativists
Americans who opposed immigration
Labor Unions
An organization of workers in a particular industry or trade, created to defend the interests of members through strikes or negotiations with employers.