Key Terms of the Progressive Era and Women's Suffrage

Progressive Movement

A reform movement (late 19th to early 20th century) aimed at addressing social, political, and economic injustices, including corruption, poor working conditions, and lack of rights for women and minorities.

Florence Kelley

A social reformer and advocate for improving working conditions, child labor laws, and women's rights. She helped create the National Consumers League and pushed for labor protections.

Prohibition

The legal ban on the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the U.S., enacted by the 18th Amendment (1919) and later repealed by the 21st Amendment (1933).

Muckraker

Journalists and writers in the early 1900s who exposed corruption, poor working conditions, and social injustices, such as Upton Sinclair (The Jungle) and Ida Tarbell (The History of the Standard Oil Company).

Scientific Management

A method of improving efficiency in businesses and industries by analyzing work processes and breaking tasks into simpler, more efficient steps (also called Taylorism, developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor).

Robert M. La Follette

A Progressive politician and governor of Wisconsin who pushed for political reforms, including the Wisconsin Idea, which promoted direct democracy and regulation of big businesses.

Initiative

A political process that allows citizens to propose and vote on new laws directly, bypassing the legislature.

Referendum

A political process where voters approve or reject laws passed by the legislature.

Recall

A political process that allows voters to remove an elected official from office before their term ends.

NACW (National Association of Colored Women)

A civil rights organization founded in 1896 to support African American women by promoting education, childcare, and social reform.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Susan B. Anthony

A key leader in the women's suffrage movement, co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), and an activist for women's voting rights. She was arrested for voting illegally in 1872.

NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association)

A major women's suffrage organization formed in 1890 by merging the NWSA and the AWSA. It played a critical role in passing the 19th Amendment (1920).

1st Amendment

Protects freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms.

3rd Amendment

Prohibits the forced quartering of soldiers in private homes during peacetime.

4th Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

5th Amendment

Protects against self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and guarantees due process.

6th Amendment

Guarantees a fair and speedy trial, an impartial jury, and the right to legal counsel.

7th Amendment

Provides for trial by jury in civil cases.

8th Amendment

Prohibits excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.

9th Amendment

Declares that rights not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution are still protected.

10th Amendment

States that powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or the people.

11th Amendment

Limits lawsuits against states by citizens of another state or country.

12th Amendment

Modifies the electoral process by requiring separate votes for President and Vice President.

13th Amendment

Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude.

14th Amendment

Grants citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

15th Amendment

Grants African American men the right to vote.

16th Amendment

Establishes the federal income tax.

17th Amendment

Allows for the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people.

18th Amendment

Establishes Prohibition (banning alcohol).

19th Amendment

Grants women the right to vote (ratified in 1920).