Download Gilded Age Test Terms

Gilded Age Test Terms
People
James A. Garfield- President of the United States. Wanted to reform the Civil Service
System. Assassinated by a deranged lawyer.
Jane Addams- Middle-class social reformer. Founded the Hull House, a settlement house
in Chicago, Illinois.
Washington Gladden- Early leader of the Social Gospel movement. Also supported
populism.
Billy Sunday- Christian fundamentalist evangelist who preached alcohol consumption
and working women were the root of social problems.
William M. Tweed- City boss of Tammany Hall political machine in New York City.
Mark Twain- folk writer and satirist during the Gilded Age.
Organizations
Grange- Nation’s first national farmer organization.
Tammany Hall- famous political machine in New York City in the late 19th Century.
Hull House- famous settlement house in Chicago, Illinois.
People’s Party (Populists)- political party mainly focusing on the issues of farmers and
increased money supply.
Salvation Army- Christian organization that offered practical aid and religious counseling
to the urban poor.
civil service- bureaucratic jobs of the federal government.
Acts or Decisions
Pendleton Act- reform of the civil service passed by Congress to help end the Spoils
System.
Interstate Commerce Act- law passed by Congress to create the Interstate Commerce
Commission to regulate railroad companies and ensure fair and reasonable rates to
customers.
Granger Laws- laws passed in several western states that helped to regulate the railroads
and limit shipping rates.
Wabash v. Illinois- Supreme Court case over railroad rates. Supreme Court established
the principle that only the federal government can regulate interstate commerce.
Terms
“Stalwarts”- those Republican politicians in favor of the Spoils System.
“Half-Breeds”- Republican politicians in favor of reforming the Civil Service and ending
the Spoils System.
Spoils System- corrupt system that allowed for presidential campaign workers to gain
civil service jobs when their candidate took office.
Social Gospel- movement worked to better conditions in cities according to biblical
ideals of charity and justice.
settlement house- established in poor neighborhoods where middle-class residents lived
and helped the poor residents.
political machine- organization linked to a political party that often controlled local
government.
Populism- a movement to increase farmer’s political power and to work for legislation in
their interest.
gold standard- economy based on the nation’s supply of gold.
Tariffs- taxes on foreign imports into the United States. Higher tariffs help to protect
U.S. industries and also create revenue for the Federal government but also result in
higher prices of goods.