The unification of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroads created a rail line that went all the way from the Midwest to the Pacific Ocean.

These were the major rail lines that crossed the country.

Invented by Samuel F.B. Morse, this method of sending messages through wires using electricity became one of the most important innovations of the 19th century and a precursor to the telephone.

A process of turning iron ore into steel. It revolutionized the steel industry by making steel production much faster than the old methods.

One of the first prospectors to drill for oil. His success encouraged others to drill for oil in places like Pennsylvania and Texas.

The son of former slaves who invented a way to keep moving machine parts lubricated.

By inventing the compressed-air brake, he allowed train cars to stop simultaneously, thereby increasing the safety of trains.

Inventor of the telephone, this invention spread rapidly to millions of businesses and homes.

American inventor who was granted more than 1,000 patents for his numerous inventions that included the lightbulb, an improved telegraph, and the first power plant.

Edison's assistant whose ability to draft plans of inventions and his role in defending Edison's patents made him crucial to Edison's success.

An economy in which government allows the competition among private businesses to create wages and prices.

An economic system free from government control.

An economic system in which the community shares ownership of property and profits are shared.

The idea that Darwin's biological theory applies to society as a whole. People who subscribed to this notion thought that the wealthy should do nothing to help the poor.

A business that sells shares of its ownership to individuals who then take a certain percentage of profits in relation to how many shares they bought.

A board of trustees that controls a number of companies in order to maximize efficiency.

When a single trust controls an entire industry.

A method of cutting business expenses that involved purchasing other companies that produced one's raw materials. Andrew Carnegie bought mines and rail lines so that he would not have to pay miners or railroads to for his iron or for transportation.

This is when a company producing a certain good takes control of other companies producing that same good. Rockefeller used this method of control to reduce competition in the oil industry.

He wrote a number of novels expressing the idea of individualism.

By investing in the steel industry and using vertical integration to cut costs, he became the richest man in the world. He believed that the wealthy have a duty to help the poor become richer by giving them the means to do so.

Using horizontal integration, he was able to take control of the oil industry. He made deals with suppliers and railroad companies in order to get shipping privileges and cut his competitors out of business. He gave hundreds of millions of dollars to charitable causes.

By buying rail lines and connecting them into one network, He was able to acquire 4,500 miles of railroad track. Like Rockefeller, he often bought out his rivals in order to build his railroad empire.

He became wealthy as a result of his comfortable passenger cars. The company town that he built south of Chicago became controversial due to Pullman's authoritarian style of management.

People who oppose government in any form.

This was an act passed in 1890 that was meant to prevent companies from gaining monopoly control over an industry. The language of the act was vague, however, and difficult to enforce.

This was a labor union that gained popularity after Terence V. Powderly took over and opened up enrollment to women and unskilled workers.

Mayor of Scranton, Ohio who became leader of the Knights of Labor in 1879. His decision to expand membership to women and unskilled workers helped increase the organization's power and helped them to fight for an eight-hour workday.

A woman who joined the Knights of Labor and became one of the leading organizers.

A series of strikes that took place in 1886 that was caused by economic depression and wage cuts. These strikes were often violent and involved federal troops.

This was a strike that occurred during the Great Upheaval. After anarchists took control of a protest that had resulted in two dead strikers, police came in and tried to break up the rally. At some point, a bomb went off and fighting ensued. Seven police officers and one civilian were killed. Four anarchists were convicted and hanged for incitement to murder. The incident gave employers the confidence to exclude union members from work.

This union was created for skilled workers after the Haymarket Riot in 1886.

Leader of the American Railway Union who supported the Pullman strikers. Despite his support, the strike was put down by federal troops sent in by President Grover Cleveland.