Textbook Terms, Chapter 20

Discusses goals, successes, and limitations of the progressive movement.

Alice Paul

Suffragist and leader of the National Woman’s Party who used militant tactics to campaign for a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote

"Bad Trusts"

Corporations or monopolies perceived as abusing power, exploiting workers or consumers, and opposed by Progressive reformers for regulation or breakup

"Bull Moose" Party

Progressive Party formed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 promoting reforms such as women’s suffrage, labor rights, and regulation of big business

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Early leader of the women’s rights movement, co-organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention, and advocate for women’s suffrage and equality

Eugene Debs

Labor leader and socialist who organized the American Railway Union and ran for president multiple times advocating workers’ rights and social reform

Eugenics

Pseudoscientific movement aimed at improving human populations through selective breeding, often used to justify racial discrimination and immigration restriction

Father John Ryan

Catholic priest and social reformer who advocated for progressive economic policies, workers’ rights, and the living wage

Federal Reserve Act

1913 law creating the Federal Reserve System, establishing central banking and regulating monetary policy in the United States

Gifford Pinchot

First Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and advocate for conservation and sustainable management of natural resources

"Good Trusts"

Large corporations that were efficiently run and beneficial to the public, often supported by Progressive reformers for regulation rather than breakup

Hetch Hetchy

Controversial dam project in Yosemite National Park supported by San Francisco and conservationists, raising debate between preservation and resource use

Hull House

Settlement house in Chicago founded by Jane Addams offering social services, education, and support for immigrants and the urban poor

Ida Tarbell

Muckraking journalist who exposed unethical practices of Standard Oil, influencing public opinion and antitrust legislation

Interstate Commerce Act

1887 law regulating railroads and other interstate commerce, establishing the Interstate Commerce Commission to prevent unfair practices

IWW "Wobblies"

Industrial Workers of the World, radical labor union advocating for all workers, including unskilled, promoting industrial unionism and socialism

Jane Addams

Founder of Hull House and leader in social reform, advocating for settlement houses, women’s rights, and progressive social policies

Lincoln Steffens

Muckraking journalist who exposed corruption in city governments, highlighting the need for political and municipal reforms

Louis Brandeis

Progressive lawyer and later Supreme Court Justice who advocated for privacy, regulation of big business, and social justice

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists in the Progressive Era who exposed social, political, and economic corruption to inspire reform

Municipal Reforms

Progressive-era efforts to reduce corruption and inefficiency in city governments, including city commissions and city managers

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded in 1909 to fight racial discrimination and promote civil rights for African Americans

National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

Organization formed to advocate for women’s right to vote through state and federal campaigns

New Freedom

Woodrow Wilson’s 1912 platform calling for antitrust action, banking reform, and tariff reduction to support small businesses and limit corporate power

Newlands Act

1902 law funding irrigation projects in the western U.S., promoting agriculture and settlement of arid lands

New Nationalism

Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 platform advocating federal regulation of business, social welfare programs, and stronger government role in reform

Panic of 1907

Financial crisis caused by bank runs and speculation, highlighting the need for a central banking system

Professional Association

Organizations formed to advance standards, ethics, and training for specific professions, often part of Progressive reforms

Prohibition

Nationwide legal ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol (18th Amendment), promoted by temperance movements

Pure Food and Drug Act

1906 law regulating the labeling and safety of food and drugs, aimed at protecting consumers from unsafe products

Referendum

Progressive reform allowing citizens to vote directly on proposed laws or amendments rather than relying solely on legislatures

Robert La Follette

Progressive governor and senator from Wisconsin who implemented reforms such as direct primaries, regulation of railroads, and tax reform

Settlement Houses

Community centers in urban areas providing education, social services, and assistance to immigrants and the poor, exemplified by Hull House

Sierra Club

Conservation organization founded by John Muir promoting preservation of natural landscapes and protection of wilderness

Social Gospel

Reform movement that applied Christian ethics to social problems, including poverty, labor conditions, and inequality

Social Work

Profession developed in the Progressive Era focused on improving social welfare, providing services, and addressing poverty

Tammany Hall

Political machine in New York City notorious for corruption but also providing social services to immigrants, targeted by Progressive reforms

The "New Woman"

Early 20th-century ideal of women as independent, educated, and engaged in public life, challenging traditional domestic roles

Thorstein Veblen

Economist and critic of conspicuous consumption, author of The Theory of the Leisure Class, analyzing social and economic inequality

Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire

1911 factory fire in New York City that killed 146 workers, leading to labor reforms and improved workplace safety

W.E.B. DuBois

African American intellectual and civil rights leader, co-founder of the NAACP, advocating for political action and higher education for African Americans

Western Progressives

Reformers in western states focusing on labor rights, direct democracy, regulation of railroads, and social reforms

Women’s Christian Temperance Union

Organization advocating for prohibition, social reform, and women’s rights, influential in Progressive Era activism

Women’s Club Movement

Network of women’s organizations providing education, civic engagement, and social reform opportunities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries