Unit 3 Progressivism

Progressive Era

A period of widespread social activism and political reform in the United States from the 1890s to the 1920s, aiming to address issues caused by industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and political corruption.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

A tragic fire in 1911 at a New York City garment factory that killed 146 workers, highlighting dangerous working conditions and leading to workplace safety reforms.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption and societal issues during the Progressive Era through investigative reporting.

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

A novel that depicted unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry, leading to the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.

Ida Tarbell

muckraker known for her investigation of Standard Oil, which revealed its corrupt business practices and led to its breakup.

Jane Addams

A social reformer who co-founded Hull House to provide services and education to immigrants and the poor.

Suffrage Movement

The struggle for women's right to vote in the United States, culminating in the 19th Amendment.

19th Amendment

Ratified in 1920, this amendment granted women the right to vote.

Alice Paul

A leader of the women's suffrage movement who founded the National Woman's Party and utilized aggressive tactics for advocacy.

National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

A major organization advocating for women's suffrage through lobbying and peaceful protests.

Recall

A political reform allowing citizens to remove an elected official from office before their term expires.

Initiative

A political reform enabling citizens to propose new laws directly by gathering signatures.

Referendum

A political reform allowing citizens to vote directly on laws passed by the legislature.

17th Amendment

Ratified in 1913, this amendment established the direct election of U.S. Senators.

Teddy Roosevelt Trustbuster

Nickname for President Theodore Roosevelt due to his efforts to break up monopolies harmful to the public.

Square Deal

Roosevelt's domestic program focusing on conservation, corporation control, and consumer protection.

Children's Bureau

Established in 1912, this federal agency focused on children's welfare under the leadership of Julia Lathrop.

Anti-Saloon League

A political organization advocating for the prohibition of alcohol in the U.S.

Clayton Anti-Trust Act

Passed in 1914 to strengthen the Sherman Act and protect labor unions from anti-trust prosecution.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Created in 1914 to protect consumers and maintain fair competition.

Meat Inspection Act

A law mandating federal inspection of meatpacking facilities, passed in 1906.

Sherman Anti-trust Act

The first federal law prohibiting monopolies, enacted in 1890.

Political Machines

Unofficial organizations that gain and maintain power through manipulation and patronage.

Direct Primary

A reform allowing voters to directly choose political candidates before general elections.

Jacob Riis

A Danish-American social reformer and photojournalist, known for documenting the squalid living conditions in New York City's slums in his book How the Other Half Lives, aimed at exposing urban poverty and inspiring reform.

Lincoln Steffens

A prominent muckraker known for his 1904 book The Shame of the Cities, which exposed rampant political corruption in various American cities, highlighting the need for municipal reform.

Helen Hunt Jackson

An activist and writer who chronicled the injustices committed against Native Americans in her 1881 book A Century of Dishonor, advocating for improved government treatment and policies.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A leading figure of the early women's rights movement, a principal author of the Declaration of Sentiments, and a key organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention. Her work laid foundational groundwork for the later suffrage movement.

Carrie Chapman Catt

An American women's suffrage leader who served as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and was instrumental in securing the passage of the 19th Amendment through her strategic organizational efforts.

National Women's Party (NWP)

A political party founded in 1916 by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns that employed more militant tactics, such as picketing the White House, to advocate for women's suffrage and pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Commission Government

A form of municipal government where legislative and executive powers are merged into a small elected commission, often adopted during the Progressive Era (e.g., after the 1900 Galveston Hurricane) to promote efficiency and reduce corruption.

1900 Galveston Hurricane

A devastating natural disaster that struck Galveston, Texas, leading to massive destruction and loss of life, and prompted the city to adopt the commission form of government as a more efficient way to manage recovery and administration.

Primary goal of the Progressive Movement

To use government power to regulate industrial capitalism, address social problems stemming from industrialization and urbanization, promote social justice, and enhance democratic participation and political reform for the general public.

Roosevelt and Conservation

President Theodore Roosevelt was a leading conservationist, establishing numerous national parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges, and advocating for the responsible use and protection of America's natural resources.

16th Amendment

Ratified in 1913, this amendment established the federal income tax, allowing the national government to levy a tax on individual and corporate incomes. Before this, federal revenue primarily came from tariffs and excise taxes.

President Taft's Reforms

While president, William Howard Taft continued many Progressive policies, including initiating numerous anti-trust lawsuits, supporting the 16th and 17th Amendments, and strengthening the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Federal Reserve System

Established in 1913 by the Federal Reserve Act, it is the central banking system of the United States, designed to provide the nation with a safe, flexible, and stable financial and monetary system.

Temperance Movement

A widespread social and political movement advocating for the moderation or complete abstinence from alcohol consumption, driven by moral and social concerns, which ultimately led to the 18th Amendment (Prohibition).

Pure Food and Drug Act

A landmark law passed in 1906, largely stimulated by muckraking journalism like The Jungle, which prohibited the sale of adulterated or misbranded food and drugs and mandated accurate labeling of ingredients.

Robert LaFollette

Progressive Governor of Wisconsin

Hiram Johnson

Progressive governor of California

Laissez-faire

An economic doctrine advocating for minimal government intervention in the economy, allowing businesses to operate with little regulation; a concept that the Progressive Movement directly challenged through its reforms.

William 'Boss' Tweed

A powerful political boss who led the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City during the late 19th century, symbolizing the widespread political corruption that Progressive reformers sought to dismantle.

Chinese Tongs

Benevolent associations established by Chinese immigrants in the United States, some of which became associated with organized crime, gambling, and opium dens, reflecting complex social dynamics within immigrant communities during the Progressive Era.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Founded in 1920, the ACLU is a non-partisan organization dedicated to defending and preserving the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in the United States by the Constitution and laws.

Mergers

The combining of two or more companies into a single new entity, a business practice that often led to the formation of large trusts and monopolies which Progressive reformers sought to regulate or break up.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

regulate railroads by ensuring fair rates and preventing discrimination

Lucy Burns

An American suffragist and women's rights advocate, a close friend and co-founder with Alice Paul of the National Woman's Party, known for her militant tactics and willingness to endure imprisonment for the cause.

Margaret Culbertson

A social reformer who worked with Jane Addams at Hull House, focusing on urban social issues and advocating for improved conditions for immigrants and the urban poor.

Donaldina Mackenzie Cameron

A Presbyterian missionary and social reformer in San Francisco, known for her extensive work in rescuing and sheltering Chinese immigrant women and girls from forced prostitution and servitude, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Joseph Mayer Rice

An American educator and prominent muckraker who, through investigative journalism in the Forum magazine during the 1890s, exposed the poor conditions and ineffective teaching methods in American public schools, advocating for comprehensive educational reform.

Areas of Progressivism

Key areas of focus for the Progressive Movement included: business reform (targeting monopolies and trusts), ending child labor, improving working conditions and safety in factories, advocating for higher wages, combating political corruption, ensuring a sanitary food supply, and promoting environmental conservation.