AP U.S. History Flashcards: Responses to Immigration in the Gilded Age
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What were settlement houses during the Gilded Age?
They were institutions, often run by women like Jane Addams, that worked to help immigrants adapt to U.S. language and customs.
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What were settlement houses during the Gilded Age?
They were institutions, often run by women like Jane Addams, that worked to help immigrants adapt to U.S. language and customs.
Who was a key figure associated with the settlement house movement?
Jane Addams was a prominent woman who worked in settlement houses to help immigrants adapt to life in the United States.
What major public debate accompanied the growth of international migration during this period?
The growth of international migration led to increasing public debates over assimilation and Americanization.
A Gilded Age commentator argues that the poverty of new immigrants is a natural outcome of their inferiority. What theory does this reflect?
This reflects theories later described as Social Darwinism, which were used to justify the success of those at the top of the socioeconomic structure.
How did many immigrants navigate the pressures of assimilation?
Many immigrants negotiated compromises between their original cultures and the culture of the United States, rather than fully abandoning their heritage.
Describe the role of women in the settlement house movement.
Many women, exemplified by Jane Addams, played a central role in establishing and working in settlement houses to provide aid to immigrant communities.
Define "Americanization" in the context of Gilded Age immigration.
Americanization was the process, often publicly debated, through which immigrants were encouraged to adapt to U.S. language and customs.
What was the primary purpose of the services offered by settlement houses?
The primary purpose was to help immigrants adapt to U.S. language and customs, assisting their transition into American society.
How was Social Darwinism used to justify the socioeconomic hierarchy of the Gilded Age?
It was used to argue that the success of the wealthy was a natural and inevitable outcome, thus justifying the existing social and economic inequalities.
What is Social Darwinism in the context of the Gilded Age?
It was a theory used by social commentators to justify the success of those at the top of the socioeconomic structure as both appropriate and inevitable.