Front

Antebellum

Back

The period before a war; commonly used to describe pre-Civil War United States.

Front

Artisan

Back

An independent, skilled craftsperson.

Front

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

Back

Founded in 1827, connecting Baltimore to the Midwest, boosting trade and transportation.

Front

Commonwealth v. Hunt

Back

An 1842 court case that ruled labor unions were legal and that workers could organize and strike for better conditions.

Front

Cult of domesticity

Back

The early 19th century belief that women were the guardians of religious virtue and family within the home.

Front

Erie Canal

Back

A man-made waterway that connected New York to the Great Lakes.

Front

Factory Girls Association

Back

A group of female workers in Lowell, Massachusetts, who organized in the 1830s to demand better wages and working conditions in textile mills.

Front

Factory system

Back

A method of manufacturing involving powerful machinery, usually run by water, allowing the use of unskilled labor and greater output than in the artisan tradition.

Front

Know-Nothings

Back

A 1850s political group that opposed immigration, particularly from Ireland and Germany, and wanted to limit the influence of immigrants.

Front

Lowell System

Back

A factory system used to mass-produce textiles, primarily in New England, relying on young women workers who lived in factory communities.