Chapter 15 Terms

Terms/Names Significance

Angel Island An island in San Francisco Bay that served as an immigration station for the newly arrived immigrants (primarily Chinese)

Chinese Exclusion Act a law, enacted in 1882, that prohibited all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials from entering the US

Ellis Island An island in New York harbor that served as an immigration station for the newly arrived immigrants

Gentlemen’s Agreement a 1907-1908 agreement by the government of Japan to limit Japanese immigration to the US

Terms/Names Significance

Melting Pot a mixture of people from different cultures and races who blend together by abandoning their native languages and cultures

Nativism favoring the interests of native-born people over foreign-born people

Americanization movement education program designed to help immigrants assimilate to American culture

Terms/Name Significance

Jane Adams activist who founded Chicago’s Hull House in 1889

Mass Transit transportation systems designed to move large numbers of people along fixed routes

Settlement House a community center providing assistance to residents- particularly immigrants- in a slum neighborhood

Social Gospel Movement a 19th century reform movement based on the belief that Christians have a responsibility to help improve working conditions and alleviate poverty

Terms/Names Significance

Tenement a multifamily urban dwelling, usually overcrowded and unsanitary

Urbanization The growth of cities

Benjamin Harrison Republican president that raised tariffs

Boss Tweed William Tweed, head of Tammany Hall, New York City’s powerful Democratic political machine

Terms/Names Significance

Chester A. Arthur Took over the Presidency when Garfield is assassinated

Civil Service the nonmilitary branches of government administration

Graft the illegal use of political influence for personal gain

Terms/Name Significance

Grover Cleveland first Democratic nominee to win the Presidency in 28 years, only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms

James A. Garfield Republican president that was assassinated

Patronage an officeholder’s power to appoint people--- usually those who have helped him or her get elected--- to positions in government

Term/Name Significance Pendleton Civil Service Act a law, enacted in 1883, that established a

bipartisan civil service commission to make appointments to government jobs by means of the merit system

Political Machine an organized group that controls a political party, in a city and offers services to voters and businesses in exchange for political and financial support

Rutherford B. Hayes Republican president that exposed corruption and fired people within his own political party