Vocab Chart #9

Progressive Movement

A period of intense social, political, and economic activism aimed at reforming U.S. society and its economic system

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists and writers who exposed corruption in business and government; a famous example is Upton Sinclair, who wrote The Jungle

The Jungle – Upton Sinclair

A muckraking author and his famous book that exposed the unsanitary and dangerous conditions in the meatpacking industry.

Meat Inspection Act

A law that set strict standards for cleanliness in the meatpacking industry and created a federal program for meat inspection

FDA

A government agency created to protect public health by making sure our food, drugs, and cosmetics are safe and labeled correctly.

USDA

A government department that oversees farming and agriculture, including the inspection of meat to ensure it is high quality and safe to eat.

breaker boys

Young boys used in coal mining to separate impurities from coal, highlighting the need for child labor laws

Keating Owen Labor Act

An early federal law that attempted to address and restrict child labor

Theodore Roosevelt New Nationalism

Roosevelt’s platform focused on government intervention to promote social justice and economic welfare

Square Deal (3 C’s)

Roosevelt’s domestic program based on Conservation of natural resources, Control of corporations, and Consumer protection.

Robert M. La Follette

A prominent Progressive politician from Wisconsin who championed government regulation and democratic reforms

Elkins & Hepburn Acts

Laws that strengthened the government’s power to regulate railroad rates and unfair business practices.

John Muir and Gifford Pinchot

Key figures in the environmental movement; Muir focused on preservation (keeping nature untouched) while Pinchot focused on conservation (managing resources for the future)

Howard Taft

Roosevelt’s successor who continued many Progressive reforms but often clashed with more radical Progressives

Payne-Aldrich Tariff

A tax law signed by Taft that failed to significantly lower tariffs, causing a split in the Republican Party

"Uncle Joe" Cannon

A powerful and conservative Speaker of the House who often blocked Progressive legislation

Progressive Party

Also known as the "Bull Moose Party," it was formed by Roosevelt in 1912 to challenge Taft and promote Progressive ideals

Eugene V. Debs

A socialist leader and labor organizer who ran for president multiple times during the Progressive Era

Woodrow Wilson

Wilson’s platform that focused on restoring economic competition and breaking up monopolies

New Freedom

Woodrow Wilson’s political platform that focused on restoring economic competition by breaking up monopolies and reforming the "triple wall of privilege" (tariffs, banks, and trusts).

triple wall of privilege

Wilson’s targets for reform: the tariff, the banks, and the trusts.

Clayton Anti-Trust Act

A law that strengthened anti-monopoly rules and protected the rights of labor unions to strike

Underwood Tariff

A law that significantly lowered tariff rates for the first time in years.

16th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that gave Congress the power to collect an income tax.

Federal Reserve Act

A law that created the modern central banking system to manage the nation's money and economy.

17th Amendment

The amendment that allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people.

19th Amendment

The amendment that guaranteed women the right to vote

Louis D. Brandeis

The first Jewish Supreme Court Justice and a key Progressive legal thinker

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

A tragic industrial disaster that led to major improvements in workplace safety and fire codes

Booker T. Washington

An African American leader who advocated for economic progress through vocational training and "gradualism" (gradual social change).

Separatism

The idea that different groups should live or work separately to maintain their own identity and independence.

gradualism

The belief held by Booker T. Washington that African Americans should focus on long-term economic progress and vocational skills rather than demanding immediate social equality

Tuskegee Institute

A vocational school in Alabama founded by Booker T. Washington to provide African Americans with the practical skills and education needed to achieve economic independence

W.E.B. Du Bois

A Black civil rights leader and scholar who disagreed with Washington; he pushed for immediate political and social equality for African Americans.

Talented Tenth

W.E.B. Du Bois’s concept that the top 10% of college-educated African Americans should lead the race toward social change and equality

NAACP

NAACP also known as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was a civil rights organization co-founded by W.E.B. Du Bois that used the court system to fight for equal rights and end racial discrimination