Key Concepts of the Progressive Era

Progressivism

A reform movement in the early 20th century that aimed to correct social, political, and economic injustices caused by industrialization.

Secret Ballot

Voting method that keeps a voter's choices confidential to reduce bribery and intimidation.

Direct Primaries

Elections in which voters choose candidates to represent their political party instead of party leaders doing it.

Initiative

A process that allows citizens to propose new laws by gathering signatures for a ballot measure.

Recall

A procedure allowing voters to remove elected officials from office before their term ends.

Trustbusting

Government actions to break up monopolies and restore competition in the economy.

Gas-and-Water Socialism

A form of municipal socialism where local governments control utilities like gas and water.

Sixteenth Amendment

Gave Congress the power to collect an income tax.

Seventeenth Amendment

Allowed voters to directly elect U.S. Senators.

Eighteenth Amendment

Banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the U.S. (Prohibition).

Nineteenth Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

Susan B. Anthony

A leader in the women's suffrage movement and a key figure in securing voting rights for women.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption, social injustices, and abuses during the Progressive Era.

Eugene V. Debs

A Socialist Party leader and labor activist who ran for president five times.

Theodore Roosevelt

26th U.S. President known for trustbusting, conservation, and the Square Deal.

Square Deal

Roosevelt's domestic program focusing on consumer protection, corporate regulation, and conservation.

Hepburn Act

Strengthened federal regulation of railroads by increasing the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Pure Food and Drug Act

Required truthful labeling of food and drugs and banned harmful substances.

Meat Inspection Act

Mandated federal inspection of meat processing to ensure sanitary conditions.

Segregation

The enforced separation of racial groups in public spaces, services, and institutions.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Literacy Tests

Reading and writing tests used to prevent African Americans and poor whites from voting.

Poll Taxes

Fees required to vote, used to suppress voting among African Americans and the poor.

Grandfather Clause

Law that allowed people to vote only if their ancestors had voted before the Civil War, used to disenfranchise Black voters.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

Booker T. Washington

African American leader who promoted vocational education and economic self-reliance over political agitation.

W.E.B. Du Bois

Civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP and demanded immediate equality for African Americans.

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

Organization founded in 1909 to fight for civil rights and end racial discrimination.

Panama Canal

U.S.-built waterway in Central America that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed in 1914.

Yellow Fever

Mosquito-borne disease that caused major problems during the construction of the Panama Canal.

Malaria

Mosquito-borne illness combated during the Panama Canal project.

Roosevelt Corollary

Extension of the Monroe Doctrine; stated the U.S. would intervene in Latin America to maintain stability.

William Howard Taft

27th President of the U.S.; promoted 'Dollar Diplomacy' and later served as Chief Justice.

Joseph Cannon

Powerful Speaker of the House criticized for limiting progressive legislation.

Dollar Diplomacy

Taft's policy of using U.S. financial power to influence foreign countries, especially in Latin America.

Progressive Party

Also known as the Bull Moose Party; formed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 after splitting from the Republicans.

Woodrow Wilson

28th President; enacted major progressive reforms and led the U.S. during World War I.

Underwood Tariff Act

Lowered tariffs and introduced a graduated income tax.

Federal Reserve Act

Created the Federal Reserve System to regulate the banking industry and control the money supply.

Clayton Antitrust Act

Strengthened antitrust laws and protected labor unions from prosecution under antitrust rules.

Federal Trade Commission Act

Created the FTC to prevent unfair business practices and enforce antitrust laws.

Henry Ford

Founder of Ford Motor Company; revolutionized industry with the use of the assembly line.

Assembly Line

A method of production where workers add parts to a product in sequence, increasing efficiency.

Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright; invented and flew the first powered airplane in 1903.

Progressive Education

Education movement focused on experiential learning, critical thinking, and the whole child.

George Washington Carver

African American scientist and inventor who developed new agricultural techniques, especially using peanuts.

John Dewey

Philosopher and educator who advocated for democracy in education and learning by doing.

Secular Humanism

A belief system that emphasizes reason, ethics, and justice while rejecting religious dogma.

Modernism

A religious movement that sought to reinterpret Christianity in light of modern science and historical scholarship.

Social Gospel

Christian movement that applied religious ethics to social issues like poverty and injustice.

Billy Sunday

Popular evangelist known for his energetic preaching and support of Prohibition and traditional Christian values.