The Progressive Era and American Imperialism

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key figures, legislation, constitutional amendments, and foreign policy developments of the Progressive Era and the Spanish-American War period.

16th Amendment

A constitutional amendment establishing a federal income tax under the principle that the more an individual makes, the more they pay.

17th Amendment

A constitutional amendment that established the direct election of U.S. Senators by citizens.

18th Amendment

A constitutional amendment establishing Prohibition, which outlawed the production and consumption of alcohol.

19th Amendment

A constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote after they proved themselves by stepping into men's roles in factories, nursing, and municipal jobs during World War I.

1902 Mine Workers Strike

A Pennsylvania strike by $140{,}000$ coal miners over unsafe working conditions, long hours, and low pay; Theodore Roosevelt arbitrated the dispute at the White House, establishing that the federal government must intervene when the public good is threatened.

Alice Paul

A radical suffragist who picketed the White House, disrupted the Democratic Party Convention, and adopted militant tactics from British suffragettes.

Bull Moose Party (Progressive Party)

A political party founded by Theodore Roosevelt after splitting from the Republican Party in the $1912$ election; it favored increased government regulation of big businesses, workers' protections, and women's suffrage, ultimately splitting the Republican vote and aiding Woodrow Wilson's victory.

Bully pulpit

The presidency viewed as a powerful platform used by Theodore Roosevelt to utilize the media, shape legislation, and expand the power of the office.

Carrie Chapman Catt

President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association who organized state-by-state campaigns and lobbying efforts to help secure the passage of the 19th Amendment.

Chester A Arthur

The 21st U.S. president who took office following the assassination of James Garfield and signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act of $1883$.

Clayton Anti-Trust Act

An addition to the Sherman Antitrust Act that outlawed monopolizing and the practice of buying stock in other competing companies.

Conservation

President Theodore Roosevelt's policy to preserve animals, water, and land, under which he protected roughly $230\text{ million}$ acres of public land, established $5$ national parks, and created numerous national forests and wildlife refuges.

Eugene Debs

A labor union worker who helped found the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and campaigned for improved wages and working conditions for laborers.

Federal Reserve System

A banking framework consisting of a national bank, $12$ district banks, and regional branches designed to facilitate easy credit and the smooth flow of currency across the United States.

Federal Trade Commission

A regulatory agency tasked with monitoring interstate commerce and enforcing the Clayton Antitrust Act; it issued over $400$ cease-and-desist orders during its first term.

Initiative

A progressive reform procedure that allows citizens to collect signatures to propose a new law directly.

Referendum

A progressive reform mechanism by which citizens vote directly on whether to approve or reject a specific law.

Recall

A progressive political process allowing citizens to vote to remove an elected official from office before their term concludes.

Jacob Riis

A muckraker who wrote the $1890$ work 'How the Other Half Lives,' exposing the harsh living conditions of the impoverished in New York City.

James Garfield

The 20th U.S. president whose assassination six months into his term motivated the nation to end the spoils system and base federal employment on merit.

Jane Addams

A social reformer who established Hull House in Chicago to offer childcare, education, job training, and other community resources to impoverished immigrants.

John Muir

A conservationist who advised Theodore Roosevelt on protecting the natural world and openly opposed William Howard Taft's disregard for the environment.

Meat Inspection Act

A federal law passed under Theodore Roosevelt that mandated inspections and sanitary standards to ensure safe meat for consumers.

Muckraker

A writer or journalist who investigated and revealed societal abuses to encourage progressive reform.

NAWSA

The National American Woman Suffrage Association, associated with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, which demanded comprehensive rights including suffrage, property ownership, and civil liberties.

New Freedom

Woodrow Wilson's progressive reform program that viewed concentrated economic power as a threat to liberty and attacked the 'triple wall of privilege' composed of trusts, tariffs, and high finance.

Northern Securities

A railroad trust organized by J.P. Morgan and other businessmen that eliminated competition until Theodore Roosevelt sued it for antitrust violations, leading to a $1904$ Supreme Court dissolution order.

Payne-Aldrich Tariff

A tariff law that raised rates on imported goods to safeguard American businesses, resulting in slowed trade and a rift among progressive Republicans.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

An $1883$ law requiring that specific government positions be awarded based on merit and competitive examinations rather than political favoritism or patronage.

Pure Food and Drug Act

Legislation passed under Theodore Roosevelt requiring accurate labeling on products and prohibiting the sale of contaminated or falsely advertised food and pharmaceuticals.

Robert M. La Follette

A Wisconsin governor and senator nicknamed 'Fighting Bob' who combated political corruption, taxed railroad property at standard business rates, and championed direct primaries.

Scientific management

Frederick Taylor's efficiency theory based on analyzing individual work tasks to identify the most effective methods of performance.

Square Deal

Theodore Roosevelt's domestic reform philosophy centered on providing a fair chance to all members of society, including laborers, entrepreneurs, and the poor.

Teddy Roosevelt

The 26th U.S. president known for trust-busting, conservation of public lands, consumer health regulations, assertive naval diplomacy, and mediating the 1905 Russo-Japanese peace that earned him the $1906$ Nobel Peace Prize.

Trustbusting

The government policy of dismantling large business trusts under antitrust legislation to end monopolies that exploit laborers and consumers.

Upton Sinclair

The author of 'The Jungle,' a novel exposing unsanitary conditions and inadequate inspections in the meatpacking industry that motivated Theodore Roosevelt to pursue reform.

William Howard Taft

The 27th U.S. president who held the view that all trusts were detrimental, signed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, and experienced conflicts regarding environmental conservation.

Woodrow Wilson

The 28th U.S. president who aimed to dismantle monopolies and curb corporate dominance by creating the Federal Reserve and the Federal Trade Commission.

Alfred T Mahan

A U.S. Navy officer who wrote 'The Influence of Sea Power Upon History,' advocating that the United States develop a formidable navy and acquire overseas bases to achieve world power status.

Guantanamo Bay

A strategic naval base established in Cuba that provided the United States with a permanent military presence and the ability to intervene in Cuban affairs.

Open Door Policy

A U.S. diplomatic stance asserting that the American economy relies on exports, the U.S. holds the right to keep international markets accessible, and closing a foreign market threatens national survival.

Panama Canal

A $40\text{-mile}$ canal constructed between $1904$ and $1914$ for approximately $\$400\text{ million}$ within a $10\text{-mile-wide}$ Canal Zone after Panama secured independence from Colombia.

Platt Amendment

A measure barring foreign influence and excessive debt in Cuba, while securing the right of the United States to intervene militarily and lease naval installations.

Roosevelt Corollary

An addition to the Monroe Doctrine asserting the right of the United States to act as an international police force in Latin America to stabilize economic affairs if nations cannot repay international debts.

Rough Riders

A volunteer cavalry regiment led by Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War that achieved fame at the Battle of San Juan Heights in Cuba.

Teller Amendment

A congressional provision stating that the United States would not annex Cuba following the Spanish-American War, guaranteeing Cuban self-governance.

USS Maine

An American battleship sent to protect U.S. interests in Cuba that exploded in Havana Harbor in February $1898$, killing over $250$ sailors and serving as a major trigger for the Spanish-American War.

Yellow Journalism

A style of sensationalized newspaper reporting and imagery, driven by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, that stirred American sympathies for Cuba and encouraged war with Spain.