Progressive Era

Thomas Nast

Exposed the danger of political machines (Boss Tweed) which led to the investigation of Tweed and arrest

Jacob Riis

Exposed the dangers of terrible living conditions in NYC tenement houses, used photography in his book “How The Other Half Lives“,

Ida Tarbell

Exposed the corrupt, ruthless business tactics of Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company (trust), used essays in magazines

Upton Sinclair

Exposed the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry, wrote the book “The Jungle”

Lewis Hine

Exposed the danger of child labor use photography

Lincoln Steffens

Exposed corrupt city politics wrote book titles “The shame of the cities

Ida B wells

Exposed the horrors of lynching that was still occuring

Promote Moral Improvement

Temperance Movement : to outlaw the making, distributing, and transporting of alcohol because it caused immoral behavior

Reform Politics

Get rid of political machines, fight for more local voices to be heard in politics 17th Amendment→ direct election of senators Recall- when local voters can remove an elected official for wrongdoing

Regulate Big Business

Interstate Commerce Act (1887) → regulated the railroad industry so they were more fair for farmers 

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) → forming a trust is illegal 

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) → the Sherman Antitrust Act was never enforced so this law was passed to actually make trusts illegal

19th Amendment

Women have the right to vote

16th amendment

Created federal income tax

17th amendment

people can vote for their Senators rather than the Senators be chosen by the state governments (prevent corruption)

18th amendment

the production, transportation, and distribution of alcohol is illegal

Woodrow Wilson

Democrat**

1912-1920 

16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Amendments 

Federal Reserve Act

William H. Taft

Republican

1908-1912

Broke up 90 trusts, created the Child Bureau to investigate child labor, created the Bureau of the Mines

Teedy Roosevelt

Republican**

1901-1908 

Broke up 40 trusts, passed the Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, Food and Drug Administration, took down JP Morgan’s trust, created the National Park Service

Janes Addams

Created the first settlement house in Chicago, called Hull House 

Settlement Houses→  The settlement houses provided services such as daycare, English classes, and healthcare to improve the lives of the poor in these areas

Florence Kelley

Fought for child labor laws and was a childrens’ advocate

Carrie Nation

One of the most vocal women for Temperance, wanted alcohol to be banned

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Fought for womens suffrage

W.E.B DOUIS

• Focused on social equality 

• Co-Founded the NAACP

Booker T Washington

• Focused on economic equality

• Founded the Tuskegee Institute (vocational school for African American students)