Progressive Era Investigative Journalism and Reforms: Key Figures and Legislation

Q: "____ (1866-1936) launched a series of articles in McClure's titled The Shame of the Cities (1902) that fearlessly unmasked the corrupt alliance between big business and municipal government."

A: Lincoln Steffens

Q: "The Shame of the Cities (____) by Lincoln Steffens exposed ____."

A: 1902; the corrupt alliance between big business and municipal government

Q: "____ (1857-1944) published a devastating exposé of the Standard Oil Company in McClure's, earning a national reputation for investigative journalism in 1904."

A: Ida M. Tarbell

Q: "The issue of concern in Ida Tarbell's ____ (1904) was ____."

A: History of the Standard Oil Company; monopolistic practices of Standard Oil

Q: "____, a speculator who had made $50 million on the stock market, exposed the practices of his accomplices in 'Frenzied Finance,' a series of articles in Everybody's."

A: Thomas W. Lawson

Q: "The main issue Lawson exposed in Frenzied Finance was ____."

A: the malpractices of stock market speculators and financiers

Q: "____ shocked the nation with a series in Cosmopolitan titled The Treason of the Senate (1906), charging that seventy-five of ninety senators did not represent the people but the railroads and trusts."

A: David G. Phillips

Q: "The issue of concern in David G. Phillips' ____ (1906) was ____."

A: The Treason of the Senate; corruption in the U.S. Senate and domination by trusts

Q: "____ focused on racial injustice in Following the Color Line (1908), highlighting the subjugation of America's 9 million blacks, most living in the South, one-third illiterate."

A: Ray Stannard Baker

Q: "The main issue in Baker's ____ (1908) was ____."

A: Following the Color Line; racial inequality and discrimination against African Americans

Q: "____ exposed the abuses of child labor in The Bitter Cry of the Children (1906)."

A: John Spargo

Q: "The issue of concern in Spargo's ____ (1906) was ____."

A: The Bitter Cry of the Children; child labor and exploitation

Q: "____, chief chemist of the Department of Agriculture, with his 'Poison Squad,' conducted experiments on himself to expose ____."

A: Dr. Harvey W. Wiley

Q: "Wiley's experiments were published in ____ to support ____."

A: Collier's; consumer protection and regulation of patent medicines

Q: "The ____ allowed voters to directly propose legislation, bypassing the boss-bought state legislatures."

A: initiative

Q: "The significance of the initiative was ____."

A: it enabled the people to propose laws themselves, reducing the control of corrupt legislators

Q: "The ____ placed laws on the ballot for final approval by the people, especially laws railroaded through compliant legislatures by agents of big business."

A: referendum

Q: "The significance of the referendum was ____."

A: it gave voters final approval on legislation, increasing direct democracy and curbing the influence of corporate interests

Q: "The ____ allowed voters to remove faithless elected officials, particularly those bribed by bosses or lobbyists."

A: recall

Q: "The significance of the recall was ____."

A: it empowered citizens to hold corrupt officials accountable and strengthen public oversight of government

Q: "The ____ was a secret ballot designed to counteract boss rule by making bribery less feasible."

A: Australian ballot

Q: "The significance of the Australian ballot was ____."

A: it reduced the ability of political bosses to manipulate elections and promoted fairer voting practices

Q: "The ____ (ratified in 1913) provided for the direct election of U.S. senators by the voters rather than by state legislatures."

A: 17th Amendment

Q: "The significance of the 17th Amendment was ____."

A: it curbed corruption in the Senate and made senators more responsive to the electorate rather than to wealthy interests

Q: "The ____ mobilized female consumers to pressure for laws safeguarding women and children in the workplace."

A: National Consumers League

Q: "The significance of the National Consumers League was ____."

A: it pressured businesses to improve conditions for women and children and brought women into Progressive reform activism.

Q: "The ____ was a federal agency established in 1912 to investigate and report on child welfare issues."

A: Children's Bureau

Q: "The significance of the Children's Bureau was ____."

A: it marked the federal government's first major commitment to protecting children's welfare.

Q: "The ____ was created in 1920 as part of the Department of Labor to promote women's issues in the workplace."

A: Women's Bureau

Q: "The significance of the Women's Bureau was ____."

A: it gave women a federal platform to advocate for fair labor standards and employment protections for women.

Q: "In ____ , the Supreme Court in Muller v. Oregon upheld a law limiting women's working hours by accepting evidence about women's 'weaker' physical structure."

A: 1908

Q: "The significance of Muller v. Oregon was ____."

A: it validated special legal protections for women at work and was considered a Progressive victory for labor reform.

Q: "In ____, the Supreme Court in Lochner v. New York invalidated a state law setting a ten‑hour workday for bakers."

A: 1905

Q: "The significance of Lochner v. New York was ____."

A: it demonstrated judicial resistance to Progressive labor reforms and emphasized freedom of contract over worker protections.

Q: "The ____ in 1911 killed 146 workers, mostly young women, and highlighted dangerous factory conditions."

A: Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Q: "The significance of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was ____."

A: it generated public outrage that led to stronger factory safety regulations and labor protections.

Q: "The ____ was a major women's organization that campaigned against alcohol and helped advance the Progressive temperance movement."

A: Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)

Q: "The significance of the Women's Christian Temperance Union was ____."

A: it mobilized women nationwide for temperance and influenced local and state anti‑alcohol laws.

Q: "The three major goals of Theodore Roosevelt's domestic policy, the ____ were designed to protect consumers, control corporations, and conserve natural resources."

A: Three C's (Control of corporations, Consumer protection, Conservation of natural resources)

Q: "The significance of the Three C's was ____."

A: they defined Roosevelt's Square Deal and guided Progressive reforms to balance the interests of business, consumers, and the environment.

Q: "During the ____ (1902), coal miners struck for higher wages, shorter hours, and union recognition, threatening a national fuel shortage."

A: Anthracite Coal Strike

Q: "The significance of the 1902 coal strike was ____."

A: Roosevelt intervened as a neutral arbitrator, setting a precedent for federal mediation in labor disputes and strengthening the executive's role in labor issues.

Q: "The ____ was created in 1903 as a federal agency to investigate and report on corporate activities and interstate commerce."

A: Department of Commerce and Labor

Q: "The significance of the Department of Commerce and Labor was ____."

A: it allowed the federal government to oversee corporations, regulate business practices, and gather information on industrial conditions.

Q: "The ____ (1903), a subdivision of the Department of Commerce, was empowered to probe corporations and publicize monopolistic practices."

A: Bureau of Corporations

Q: "The significance of the Bureau of Corporations was ____."

A: it marked the first step toward federal regulation of big business and helped enforce antitrust policies.

Q: "The ____ (1903) prohibited railroad rebates and discriminatory rates, strengthening the Interstate Commerce Commission."

A: Elkins Act

Q: "The significance of the Elkins Act of 1903 was ____."

A: it curbed railroad favoritism and illegal rebates, giving the ICC more enforcement power over fair rates.

Q: "The ____ (1906) gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the authority to set maximum railroad rates and extended its regulatory reach."

A: Hepburn Act

Q: "The significance of the Hepburn Act of 1906 was ____."

A: it significantly increased federal control over railroad rates and helped prevent corporate abuses in interstate commerce.

Q: "The ____ (1904) was a Supreme Court case in which Roosevelt's administration sued a Northern Pacific Railroad holding company to prevent the creation of a monopoly."

A: Northern Securities Company

Q: "The significance of Northern Securities was ____."

A: the Supreme Court ordered the company dissolved, establishing Roosevelt as a 'trust-buster' and reinforcing federal antitrust power.

Q: "In 1907, Roosevelt helped facilitate the sale of the ____ to prevent a financial panic, using his authority to ensure the merger did not reduce competition."

A: Tennessee Coal and Iron Company

Q: "The significance of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company intervention was ____."

A: it demonstrated the federal government's willingness to regulate big business for national economic stability while maintaining competition.

Q: "____ (1906) wrote The Jungle, exposing the appalling conditions in the Chicago meatpacking industry."

A: Upton Sinclair

Q: "The significance of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair was ____."

A: it shocked the public and prompted federal reforms in food safety, leading to the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act.

Q: "The ____ (1906) required federal inspection of meat shipped across state lines and set sanitary standards in meatpacking plants."

A: Meat Inspection Act

Q: "The significance of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 was ____."

A: it protected consumers from contaminated meat and increased federal regulatory power over the food industry.

Q: "The ____ (1906) prohibited the sale of adulterated or mislabeled foods and drugs and required accurate labeling of ingredients."

A: Pure Food and Drug Act

Q: "The significance of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was ____."

A: it safeguarded public health, prevented fraudulent products, and laid the foundation for the modern Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Q: "____ believed that wilderness should be preserved while also allowing some development for public use, establishing a policy of conservation."

A: Theodore Roosevelt

Q: "Roosevelt's conservation policy led him to set aside ____ for preservation and management."

A: federal land

Q: "The significance of Roosevelt setting aside federal land was ____."

A: it created national forests, wildlife refuges, and national parks to protect resources for future generations.

Q: "The ____ (1902) allowed the federal government to manage forests to prevent destruction by logging, grazing, and fire."

A: Forest Reserve Act

Q: "Roosevelt appointed ____ to lead efforts in scientific management of natural resources."

A: Gifford Pinchot, head of the U.S. Forest Service

Q: "The U.S. Forest Service under Pinchot promoted ____ as a method of conserving resources."

A: rational use and planned management of forests

Q: "Roosevelt's environmental reforms included the creation of ____ to protect wildlife and natural areas."

A: national parks, national monuments, and wildlife refuges

Q: "The significance of Roosevelt's conservation reforms was ____."

A: they marked the first time the federal government took an active role in managing natural resources and balancing preservation with responsible use.

Q: "Roosevelt's conservation efforts represented a shift from ____ to ____ regarding the environment."

A: laissez-faire exploitation; active federal oversight and stewardship

Q: Republican candidate for 1908 election

A: William Howard Taft

Q: Republican platform in 1908

A: Continue Roosevelt's progressive policies, maintain regulatory reforms, support stability and big business with some progressive reforms (WON)

Q: Democratic candidate for 1908 election

A: William Jennings Bryan

Q: Democratic platform in 1908

A: Criticized Republican policies, pushed for progressive reforms, accused Republicans of stealing his policies, supported labor and farmers

Q: Socialist candidate for 1908 election

A: Eugene V. Debs

Q: Socialist platform in 1908

A: Advocate for labor rights, public ownership of major industries, and social reforms to benefit workers

Q: Democratic candidate in the 1912 election

A: Woodrow Wilson :

Q: Democratic platform in 1912 (New Freedom)

A: called for tariff reduction, banking reform, and strict antitrust regulation to break up monopolies

Q: Republican candidate in 1912

A: William Howard Taft :

Q: Republican platform in 1912

A: incumbent Taft ran on "progressive conservatism," emphasizing maintenance of stability and continuation of existing GOP policies

Q: Progressive Party candidate in 1912

A: Theodore Roosevelt :contentReference

Q: Progressive (Bull Moose) platform in 1912 (New Nationalism)

A: advocated strong federal regulation of the economy, social insurance programs, eight‑hour workday, and campaign finance reform

Q: Socialist candidate in 1912

A: Eugene V. Debs

Q: Socialist platform in 1912

A: called for public ownership and management of large industries, government control of banking and transportation, and class‑based economic reform

Q: Dollar Diplomacy

A: Taft's policy of using American investments to boost U.S. political interests abroad, especially in the Far East and Caribbean, replacing Roosevelt's "big stick"

Q: Payne-Aldrich Bill

A: 1909 tariff bill that Taft signed, which only slightly reduced tariffs and angered progressives because it kept most rates high

Q: Ballinger-Pinchot controversy

A: Conflict in 1910 where Interior Secretary Ballinger opened public lands to corporate development, and Chief Forester Pinchot criticized him; Taft fired Pinchot, angering conservationists and widening the rift with Roosevelt

Q: Why Taft was called the trustbuster

A: He brought 90 antitrust suits in 4 years, more than Roosevelt's 44 in 7½ years, including Standard Oil and U.S. Steel