Key Terms:
|
|
reservation system
- System that gave land with set boundaries to Native American tribes in the West. Ended with the Dawes Severalty Act. Most land was used communally.
Little Bighorn, Battle of the
- Violet example of warfare between whites and Native Americans. Began because the U.S. government tried to make Native Americans remain on the reservations given in the reservation system and Native Americans tried to defend their territory from white gold-seekers.
Wounded Knee, Battle of
- Between the U.S. Army and the Dakota Sioux because of Sioux practice of the "Ghost Dance" which had been outlawed and the issue of whether Sioux reservation land should be broken up because of the Dawes Act.
Dawes Severalty Act
- Broke up Indian reservations given in the reservation system and distributed the land to individual households and whatever was left was sold to fund U.S. governments efforts to civilize Native Americans.
mining industry
- After the discovery of gold and silver in the west, people rushed to the west to get their fortune. Once all the surface metals were gone because of the California Gold Rush, people tried to find a way to get it out of the ground leading to the development of mining machinery.
Homestead Act
- Gave settlers 160 acres of land for $30 if they lived on it for 5 years and improved it but many people found their land was infertile.
mechanization of agriculture
- The creation of engine-driven machines which helped productivity of land, and would soon be the reason of too much surplus leading to the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA).
Populists
- A.K.A the People's party who represented Westerners and Southerners who thought that the U.S. economic policy favored Eastern businessmen not the nation's farmers. They wanted nationalizing the railroads, a graduated income tax, and they supported the unlimited coinage of silver. Feared McKinley.
Pullman strike
- Strike by railroad workers that were mad about major wage cuts. Cleveland eventually sent in federal troops to end the strike.
fourth party system
- A term for the time the Republicans had a right grip on the White House and the issues of industrial regulation and labor concerns were prominent. Came with the election of McKinley.
Gold Standard Act
- Promised that paper currency would be redeemed freely in gold with moderate inflation taking care of the currency needs during McKinley's presidency.