American Pageant - Ch.28 (Key Terms/People)

social gospel

Reform movement applying Christian ethics to social problems, emphasizing social justice and aid to the poor.

muckrakers

Progressive-era journalists who exposed corruption, scandals, and societal problems.

initiative

Process allowing citizens to propose laws directly on the ballot.

referendum

Procedure enabling voters to approve or reject laws passed by legislatures.

recall

Mechanism allowing voters to remove elected officials before their term ends.

Australian ballot

Secret ballot system to reduce voter intimidation and corruption.

Muller v. Oregon (1908)

Supreme Court upheld laws limiting women’s work hours, citing health and motherhood.

Lochner v. New York (1905)

Supreme Court struck down law limiting bakers’ work hours, favoring “freedom of contract.”

Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire (1911)

Deadly factory fire in NYC; led to stronger labor and safety regulations.

Elkins Act (1903)

Strengthened ICC by banning railroad rebates and ensuring fair rates.

Meat Inspection Act (1906)

Required federal inspection of meatpacking plants to ensure safety and cleanliness.

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

Prohibited mislabeling and adulteration of food and drugs.

Hetch Hetchy Valley

Site in Yosemite National Park dammed to provide water for San Francisco, sparking conservation debate.

panic of 1907

Financial crisis exposing need for banking reform; led to Federal Reserve creation in 1913.

Brownsville Affair (1906)

Black soldiers wrongly accused of violence in Texas; dishonorable discharges ordered by Roosevelt.

dollar diplomacy

Taft’s policy of promoting U.S. financial and business interests abroad to extend influence.

Payne-Aldrich Bill (1909)

Tariff law intended to lower rates but kept many high; angered Progressives.

New Nationalism

Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 platform calling for strong federal regulation, social justice, and economic reform.

New Freedom

Woodrow Wilson’s 1912 platform promoting antitrust action, small businesses, and limited government.

Ida Tarbell

Muckraker who exposed Standard Oil’s monopolistic practices.

Henry Demarest Lloyd

Journalist who attacked corporate greed in Wealth Against Commonwealth (1894).

Thorstein Veblen

Economist who criticized conspicuous consumption in The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899).

Eugene Debs

Labor leader and five-time Socialist presidential candidate; helped found IWW.

Jacob A. Riis

Photojournalist who exposed urban poverty in How the Other Half Lives (1890).

Robert M. (“Fighting Bob”) La Follette

Progressive governor of Wisconsin; championed reforms like direct primaries and regulation.

Hiram W. Johnson

Progressive governor of California; fought railroad corruption and promoted direct democracy.

Florence Kelley

Social reformer advocating for labor rights, child protection, and consumer protection.

Frances E. Willard

Leader of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union; pushed for prohibition and women’s rights.

Gifford Pinchot

First chief of U.S. Forest Service; leading conservationist supporting managed use of natural resources.