UNIT 6, CH 20

In the Progressive Era, reformers sought to address the problems of industrial America—such as monopolies, political corruption, poor working conditions, and social inequality—by expanding the role of government and increasing democratic participation. They pushed for antitrust laws, labor protections, consumer regulations, and political reforms like initiatives, referendums, and recalls to make government more responsive to the people. Reformers also worked to limit child labor, improve public health, and regulate big business. Overall, they were partially successful: while Progressives made important gains in regulating industry and expanding democracy, many reforms excluded African Americans and women, and economic inequality and corporate power persisted.

Mary E. Lease

populist reformer and speaker who urged farmers to oppose corporate power and political corruption

“Waving the bl**dy shirt”

political tactic used after the Civil War to remind voters of wartime loyalities to gain support

Gilded Age

late 1800s period marked by rapid industrial growth, extreme wealth inequality, and widespread political corruption

Pendleton Act

1883 law that created a merit-based civil service system to reduce patronage

Mugwumps

reform-minded Republicans who opposed political corruption and party loyalty

Sherman Antitrust Act

1890 law aimed at limiting monopolies and promoting business competition

Lodge Bill

proposed law to protect African American voting rights; it failed to pass the Senate

Omaha Platform

1892 Populist Party platform calling for reforms like free silver and government regulation of railroads

Free silver

movement supporting unlimited coinage of silver to increase the money supply and help farmers

Williams v. Mississippi

Supreme Court case that upheld voting restrictions that disenfranchised African Americans

Solid South

term describing Southern states’ strong support for the Democratic Party after Reconstruction

William Jennings Bryan

Populist and Democratic leader who supported free silver and ran for president multiple times

Lochner v. New York

Supreme Court case that struck down labor regulations, favoring business over workers’ rights

Theodore Roosevelt

progressive president known for trust-busting, conservation, and the Square Deal

Newlands Reclamation Act

law that funded irrigation projects to support Western farming

Robert La Follette

progressive reform governor and senator who pushed for political reforms and regulation of corporations

Wisconsin Idea

progressive reforms that expanded democracy and used experts to guide government policy

Recall

progressive reform allowing voters to remove elected officials before their term ends

Referendum

process allowing citizens to vote directly on laws

National Child Labor Committee

organization formed to end child labor and promote child welfare laws

Muller v. Oregon

Supreme Court case upholding limits on women’s work hours to protect their health

Louis Brandeis

progressive lawyer and Supreme Court justice who supported regulation and workers’ rights

W. E. B. Du Bois

civil rights leader who advocated for immediate equality and higher education for African Americans

Talented Tenth

Du Bois’ idea that the top ten percent of educated African Americans would lead racial progress

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

civil rights organization fighting racial discrimination through legal action

Industrial Workers of the World

radical labor union advocating for worker control of industry

New Nationalism

Theodore Roosevelt’s reform program emphasizing federal regulation and social justice

Eugene V. Debs

socialist leader and labor activist who ran for president multiple times

Federal Reserve Act

Law creating the Federal Reserve System to regulate banking and currency

Clayton Antitrust Act

strengthened antitrust laws and protected labor unions from being treated as monopolies