Chapter 4Patents – licenses to make, use, or sell an invention.Productivity – the amount of goods and services created in a given period of time.Transcontinental railroad – a railway extending from coast to coast.Bessemer process – made it much easier and cheaper to remove impurities from iron.Social Darwinism – “society should do as little as possible to interfere with people’s pursuit of success. If government would stay out of the affairs of business, those who were most ‘fit’ would succeed and become rich. Society as a whole would benefit from the success of the fit and the weeding out of the unfit.” Most Americans agreed with this.Monopoly – complete control of a product or service. To do this, a business bought its competitors or drove them out of business.Cartel – a loose association of businesses that make the same product. Members of a cartel agreed to limit the supply of their product and thus keep prices high.Trust – a management of many companies, allowing them to keep their own name, but owning them nonetheless.Sherman Antitrust Act – this law outlawed any combination of companies that restrained interstate trade or commerce. It, however, proved ineffective against trusts for nearly 15 years, because the federal government rarely enforced it. Horizontal consolidation – involved bringing together many firms that were in the same businessVertical consolidation – gaining control of them any different businesses that make up all phases of a product’s development. Economies of scale – “as production increases, the cost of each item produced is often lower.”Business cycle – “boom and bust” period of economy.Peak – top of the business cycleRecession – falling from the topTrough – bottom of the business cycleRecovery – recovery from the trough.Panic – occur when investors feared that key businesses, heavily in debt, might not be able to repay their loans. Investors rushed to sell stock, stock prices fell, and companies went bankrupt. The resulting unemployment caused widespread misery. Piecework – a system which meant that those who worked fastest and produced the most pieces earned the most money, favoring young and strong workers. Division of labor – a system which divided different parts of the tasks of building something to a certain person, not allowing them to ever actually see the finish product. Thought it proved to be efficient, it took much of the joy out of the work.Socialism – an economic and political philosophy that favors public control of property and income, not private control. Socialists believe that society at large, not just private individuals, should take charge of a nation’s wealth. That wealth, they say, should be distributed to everyone.Collective bargaining – a process in which workers negotiate as a group with employers. Scabs – workers called in by an employer to replace striking laborers.Anarchists – radicals who violently oppose all government.Haymarket Riot – At the May 4 event someone threw a bomb into a police formation, killing seven officers. Homestead Strike – on November 20^th, homestead reopened under militia protection.Pullman strike – railroad strike that affected the mail.Chapter 6Gilded Age – term coined by Mark Twain, suggesting that a thin but glittering layer of prosperity covered the poverty and corruption of much of society. Laissez-faire – holds that government should play a very limited role in business. Subsidy – a payment made by the government to encourage the development of certain key industries, such as railroads.Blue laws – regulations that prohibited certain private activities, such as drinking alcoholic beverages on Sundays.Civil service – the government’s non-elected workers.Pendleton Civil Service Act – created a Civil Service Commission, which classified government jobs and tested applicants’ fitness for them. It also stated that federal employees could not be required to contribute to campaign funds and could not be fired for political reasons.Munn v. Illinois – allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads.Steerage – a large open area beneath the ship’s deck. It offered limited toilet facilities, no privacy, and poor food, but the fare was relatively cheap.Quarantine – a time of isolation to prevent the spread of a disease.Chinese Exclusion Act – prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country. It did not, however, prevent entry by those who had previous established residence or who had family already living in the U.S.Segregation – forced separationGentlemen’s Agreement – called on San Francisco to end its school segregation and Japan to stop issuing passports to laborers. Alien – noncitizenSuburbs – residential communities surrounding the cities.Tenements – low-cost apartment buildings designed to house as many families as the owner could pack in. Ghettos – areas in which one ethnic or racial group dominated.Restrictive covenants – agreements among homeowners not to sell real estate to certain groups of people. Covenants often prevented African Americans, Mexicans, Asian Americans, and Jews from buying land or houses in the better neighborhoods.Jacob Riis looks like a freaking weirdo.Political machine – an unofficial city organization designed to keep a particular party or group in power and usually headed by a single, powerful “boss.”Graft – the use of one’s job to gain profitNativism – favoring native-born Americans over immigrantsTemperance movement – an organized campaign to eliminate alcohol consumptionProhibition – a ban on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beveragesVice – immoral or corrupt behaviorSocial gospel movement – sought to apply the gospel teachings of Jesus directly to society and focused on the gospel ideals of charity and justice, especially by seeking labor reforms.Settlement house – a kind of community center, they offered social services.Chapter 7Literacy – the ability to read and writeAssimilation – the process by which people of one culture become part of another culture.Philanthropists – people who give donations to worthy causesNiagara Movement – a group of African Americans that called for full civil liberties, an end to racial discrimination, and recognition of human brotherhood.Vaudeville – a type of inexpensive variety show that first appeared in the 1870s which was very popularYellow Journalism – a reference to the yellow ink used in a popular comic strip of the era.Ragtime – originated among black musicians playing in saloons in the South and Midwest in the 1880s. Consisted of melodies with shifting accents over a steady, marching-band beat. Poll tax – special feeGrandfather clauses – a passage in a piece of legislation that exempts a group of people from obeying a law provided they met certain conditions before that law was passed.Jim Crow – a system of legal segregation that further degraded African AmericansPlessy v. Ferguson – African American Herman Plessy argued that his right to “equal protection of the laws” was violated by a Louisiana law that required separate seating for white and black citizens on public railroads. Lynching – a mob’s illegal seizure and execution of a person.NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who made the magazine “Crisis,” was headed by W.E.B. Dubois.Department stores – retail establishments that carry a wide variety of goodsRural free delivery – the free shipment to any group of farmers who petitioned their congressman.Mail-order catalogs – printed materials advertising a wide range of goods that could be purchased by mail.Chapter 8Imperialism – stronger nations attempt to create empires by dominating weaker nations economically, politically, culturally, or militarily.Nationalism – devotions to one’s nation.Banana-republics – a reference to the Central American nations.Arbitration – the settlement of a dispute by a person chosen to listen to both sides and come to a decision. Jingoism – the intense burst of national pride and the desire for an aggressive foreign policySpheres of influence – areas of economic and political controlOpen Door Policy – U.S. to have equal access to China’s millions of consumersConcession – a grant for a piece of land in exchange for a promise to use the land for a specific purpose.Roosevelt Corollary – extension of a previously accepted idea, by denying that the U.S. wanted any more territory Dollar diplomacy – a mockery of Taft’s approach of maintaining orderly societies abroad by increasing American investment in foreign economiesRacism – a belief that differences in character or intelligence are due to one’s race.Compulsory – requiredGreat White Fleet – Roosevelt sent part of the U.S. Navy on a cruise around the world, designed to demonstrate the nation’s impressive naval power to the world.Chapter 9Municipal – city governmentInjunctions – court ordersHome rule – a system by which cities exercise a limiteddegree of self-rule. Muckrakers – Journalists who alerted the public to wrongdoing in politics and businessProgressive Era – a reference to the era because all these groups were working to bring about “progress” in societySocial welfare programs – ensured a basic standard of living for all Americans, including unemployment, accident, and health insuranceDirect Primary – an election in which voters cast ballots to select nominees for upcoming elections. Initiative process – citizens can propose new laws by obtaining a certain percentage of voters’ signatures on a petition.Referendum process – gave voters a more direct role in legislation. With this, citizens may demand via petition that a law passed by the legislature be “referred” to voters for their approval or rejection. Recall – gave voters the ability to remove public officials from office before the next election.Holding companies – corporations that hold the stocks and bonds of numerous companies and by doing so holding companies gain control of smaller companies and thus create a monopoly.Conservationists – people concerned with care and protection of natural resources.New Nationalism – stronger workplace protections for women and children, income and inheritance taxes, direct primaries, and the initiative, referendum, and recall.New Freedom – he promised to enforce antitrust laws without threatening free economic competition.Clayton Antitrust Act – specific activities big business could not do.Federal Reserve System – reorganized the federal banking system.Civil disobedience – a nonviolent refusal to obey a law in an effort to change itChapter 10Militarism – aggressively building up a nation’s armed forces in preparation for war. Under this policy the military gained more authority.Mobilization – the readying of troops for war.Central Powers – Austria-Hungary and GermanyAllies – Russia, France, Serbia, and Great Britain.Stalemate – neither side is able to gain the advantageAutocrat – a ruler with unlimited power.U-boat- unterseeboat, submarine.Sussex pledge – german government promised that u-boats would warn ships before attacking.Filibuster – tactic which senators take the floor, begin talking, and refuse to stop talking to prevent a vote on a measure.Zimmermann noteRussian Revolution – Czar Nicholas II was forced to give up power, and was replayed with a republican government.Selective Service Act – authorizing a draft of young men for military service.American Expeditionary Force – 3 million draftees to serve in war, volunteers, and national guardsmen made up the remainder of this. Convoy – unarmed ships surrounded by a ring of destroyers, torpedo boats, and other armed naval vessels.Genocide – the organized killing of an entire people.Liberty BondsPrice ControlsRationingDaylight saving timeSedition – speech or actions that encourage rebellion.VigilantesFourteen pointsSelf-determinationSpoilsLeague of nationsReparationsVersailles treaty

Can you take us to Mount Splashmore?
Well, obviously anyone that has witnessed an episode of the simpsons knows how extremely funny and wonderful the episodes are. But why? Well, thanks to the Character scheme and hilarious material they have to work with, Matt Groening, Sam Simon, and James L. Brooks really make a great cartoon. There is homer. He is fat, but not the nasty kind. The humorous kind. He works in a Power Plant, and doesnt know a thing about it. He is dumb, but at times can be very smart, which cracks you up. His constantaneous irony really helps bring the unexpected cracks from him. Its not just Homer that makes this show great. There is Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Grandpa Simpson, The Flanders', Milhouse, Nelson, Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers, Doctor Hibert, Doctor Nick Riviera, Patty and Selma, Krusty the Clown, Sideshow Bob, Sideshow Mel, Troy Mcclure, Gil, and so many more. Marge is a perfect mother with some mental issues. When she gets overstressed, her hair falls out. She used to smoke, which led to her scratchy voice. She isnt nearly as funny as homer, but with the different adventures they have together, she makes it all the better. Most peoples' favorite character is Bart. He is a 10 year old boy with a slingshot wherever he goes. He is usually daring, mischevious, and hilarious. At times he can act in a weird way that is extremely funny, like in Lisa the Treehugger when he is the menu delivery boy for a chinese restaurant or in New kids on the blecch when he is a member of the boy band Party Posse. Overall, Bart is what makes The Simpsons, the simpsons. He is dumb, but smart enough to get past security gaurds. He is needed to make up all the storylines and adventures that only bart would think of. Lisa, the 8 year old, is very, very intelligent. But-- not the most intelligent Simpson. Maggie is. But thats not such a big deal. There is always something unfair happening to Lisa, like Martin stealing her science project--or Bart stealing her science project, or a new girl thats younger than her and plays the saxaphone better and is smarter. Always something buggin her. Maggie is the cute little simpsons baby. She has the capability to save Homer from drowning, free a whole house of slave daycare babies while getting back there bibs, and living with a group of bears for an evening. Grandpa Simpson is old and loosing his mind, and was never in better shape. He was in Nam and a bunch of other wars with tons of stories. His arch nemesis is Mr. Burns, who was a coward-traiter in the war with him. Mr. Burns is the richest springfieldian alive. Now, as for cities, Springfield isnt the only one in shown in the Simpsons. There rival city, Shelbyville is the exact opposite. It has Shelbyville Bart, lisa, maggie, bart marge- you name it. They also have another milhouse! Milhouses parents split up due to an argument at one of Marges parties. Now his mom dates this tough gladiator and his dad is living alone, lonely. Milhouse is sort of a nerd, but still bart's friend. All of this information came from my knowledge of the many years from watching simpsons. Its a great show and if you don't like it go play your xbox.

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