Progressive Era 1900-1920

Treaty of Versailles

ended World War I in 1919, imposing harsh penalties and reparations on Germany.

Panama Canal

connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed in 1914, enhancing U.S. global trade and naval power.

Woodrow Wilson

The 28th U.S. president (1913–1921) and advocate for the League of Nations.

League of Nations

An international organization formed after WWI to promote peace and prevent future conflicts.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Established in 1914 to regulate monopolies and prevent unfair business practices.

Progressive Movement

A reform from the 1890s to 1920 aimed at addressing social, political, and economic inequalities.

Creel Committee on Public Information

A government agency led by George Creel during WWI to promote pro-war propaganda.

Roosevelt Corollary

The U.S. right to intervene in Latin America as an extension of the Monroe Doctrine proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1904.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption and poor working conditions in the early 20th century.

Article X

A clause in the League of Nations covenant requiring members to defend each other against aggression.

Fourteen Points

Wilson’s plan for post-WWI peace, including self-determination and the League of Nations.

Federal Reserve System

The U.S. central banking system, established in 1913 to regulate the economy and provide financial stability.

Dollar Diplomacy

President Taft’s policy of using economic power to influence Latin America and East Asia.

Filipino Insurrection

A rebellion against U.S. occupation following the Spanish-American War (1899-1902).

Referendum

A Progressive Era reform allowing citizens to vote directly on laws.

W.E.B. DuBois

A civil rights leader who co-founded the Niagara Movement in 1905 to oppose racial discrimination.

Eugene V. Debs

A socialist leader and labor organizer who ran for president multiple times.

Upton Sinclair (The Jungle)

A 1906 novel exposing unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry.

Birth of a Nation / D.W. Griffith

A 1915 film that glorified the Ku Klux Klan and depicted racist stereotypes.

Underwood-Simmons Tariff

A 1913 law that lowered tariffs and implemented a graduated income tax to try and reduce income inequality.

Zimmerman Note (Telegram)

A 1917 message from Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance against the U.S. This gave way for the US to join into WWI