Terms & Names: Chapter 19

Munn v. Illinois: Ruled that states could regulate business as a public interest.

the Grange: A farmer’s association, prelude to the Farmer’s Alliance. Wanted gov’t to regulate freight rates, and warehouse charges.

Interstate commerce Act: (1877) Outlawed railroad pools, discriminatory rates, long-haul vs. short-haul differentials. Required just and reasonable rates, and created the Interstate Commerce Commission to judge this on a case by case basis, but gave them little enforcement power.


Sherman Anti-Trust Act: And act used to outlaw trusts and monopolies in large companies. The courts, however, did not wish to go after these Robber Barons, and so little was actually done. The Act was actually used later to help shut down Unions.

“Conspicuous Consumption”: The Robber Barons spent a lot of money in strange ways, like buying many expensive paintings. Basically just a way to flaunt their excessive wealth.

“Robber Barons”: An economic elite, who owned much of the wealth in America. They did this by owning railroads, oil deals, steel mills, etc. They greatly helped the country, and caused it to overtake Britain as the world’s industrial super power. However, due to their dubious nature, and cut throat business tactics, they earned a lot of resentment. Examples: Rockefeller, Carnegie, Gould.

Jay Gould: railroad tycoon. He got a lot of money, and swindled people put of theirs with clever schemes. He bought the Eerie Line (a railroad), and began secretly selling it off, causing massive “profits”, and making lots of people buy the stock. He then sold his, and revealed to the stock holders that they basically owned nothing. He did this several times

Great Railroad Strike: (1877) Because of the depression that was occurring, the railroads cut labor nationwide. This caused much anger, and people went on strike all over the country. Many people on both sides were killed, and Federal troops had to calm everyone down. This caused class conflict to be brought to the fore, with a middle-class working-class rivalry. Caused tensions that later led to other strikes and riots.

Knights of Labor: A national federation of Unions that emerged in the 1880s. Organized by industry, some allowed blacks and women. They advocated improving the existing system, like getting better hours, wages, and conditions. They led successful strikes in 1884 and 1885 against Union Pacific railroad, and Missouri Pacific. In 1856 they led a failed strike again Missouri Pac again, and this crippled them.

Terrence Powderly: Led the Knights of Labor, wanted worker co-op factories.

“Trusts”: Essentially stocks sold between companies to create dangerous alliances and monopolies and edge out other competition. Bad news for a lot of people.

Looking Backward: A book written by Bellamy, as if looking back from the year 2000. It glorified a society without social strife, and set for the “nationalist” concept of public ownership.

Samuel Gombers: Founded the American Federation of Labor, was the head of it for a long time, an influential head of labor. He worked with the companies, and this made them like him. He was somewhat moderate.

American Federation of Labor: They replace the Knights of Labor when they were destroyed. An exclusive skilled union that accepted the capitalist system and the wage system.

Haymarket Affair: Anarchists in Chicago led a general strike, which happened to take place at the same time as a strike at a machinery plant. A bomb went off, killing some police, who attacked the strikers. The anarchists were accused of the bombing but with no evidence, and seven of the eight were hanged. This divided the country.

Homestead Strike: The management of the Homestead Steel plant wanted to remove unionist labor and replace them with non-union workers. They used a dispute over wages as an excuse to shut down the plant and attempted to replace the workers, who wouldn’t leave. Violence with the Pinkertons ensued, and federal troops removed the workers. Crippled the Amalgamated Steel Workers Association.

Eugene V. Debs: Leader of the Railway Union, jailed after the Pullman Strike. While in jail, he became a socialist.

Pullman Strike: The Pullman Sleeper Car Company cut wages due to the depression, but didn’t lower the prices on all of the other aspects of the worker’s lives that they controlled. Company refused discussion , and the workers went on strike. The American Railway Union assisted, and refused to run trains with Pullman cars, paralyzing the nation. Federal troops eventually restarted the trains.

Coxey’s Army: Army of unemployed people led by coxey, pressured gov’t for funds to build national roads and give people jobs. Didn’t work.

Free Silver: Minting of silver coins at a 16 to 1 value with gold. Lots of silver was brought in through the west, i.e. Comstock Lode. Several acts went in place to insure minting, supported by Democrats and Populists.

“Greenbacks”: A relatively short lived movement backed by farmers, for paper money. Died out and became the free silver movement.

Sherman Silver Purchase Act: Increased the amount of silver coinage (1890). Repealed by Congress and Cleveland in 1893, which helped opposition to the democrats in the upcoming election.

“Gold Bugs”: Those who advocated moving toward the gold standard. Most republicans.

William Jennings Bryan: Spokesperson for the free silver movement among democrats, and won their nomination for president in 1896. Also won nomination from the populists, thereby merging them. He gave a vigorous campaign, often giving 30 speeches in a day. He did not win the election because of republican propaganda.

“Cross of Gold” Speech: Jennings gave a speech at the democratic national conventions saying that there was no need to “crucify” the American of the gold standard, won him the nomination.

Farmer’s Alliance: Set up cooperatives to avoid predatory middlemen. Served the social and economic needs of farming families. They wanted gov’t ownership of utilities and things, free silver, graduated income tax, direct election of senators. Eventually became the populists, which were later adopted by the democrats.

William McKinley: Ohio politician nominated fro republican candidate. He was a pawn of the Robber Barons, representing their business interest in politics. Ran a lazy “Front Porch” campaign, wanting voters to come to him. He relied on propaganda to scare the public into believing that Bryan’s Free Silver policy would destroy the nation. He own the election, the economy turned around with little help from him ...Read more