Progressive Era Vocab

16th Amendment

Gave Congress the power to lay and collect taxes on income without apportionment (1913).

17th Amendment

Established the election of two senators from each state by the people for six-year terms (1913).

18th Amendment

Prohibited the consumption, buying, and selling of alcoholic beverages (1919).

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote (1920).

Homestead Strike

A violent strike by steelworkers against Carnegie Steel over pay cuts in 1892.

Coal Strike

A strike by coal miners in 1902 for better wages and hours, settled with the help of President Roosevelt.

Pullman Strike

A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 triggered by wage cuts while rent remained high.

Meat Inspection Act

Required cleanliness and inspection of meat before sale, following Upton Sinclair’s revelations.

Pure Food & Drug Act

Prohibited the sale of unsafe food and fake medicines; mandated truthful labeling (1906).

U.S. Forest Service

Established in 1905 to protect forests and permit the President to designate natural areas as parks or monuments.

Direct Primary

A preliminary election where voters choose party candidates to run in a general election.

Recall

A process allowing citizens to vote to remove an elected public official from office.

Referendum

An election in which the people vote directly on specific measures.

NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization founded in 1909.

Muckraker

Investigative journalists in the early 1900s who uncovered misconduct by powerful entities.

Eugenics

The belief that some races are superior and should breed to increase their populations.

Election of 1912

A four-way presidential election where Woodrow Wilson won after Roosevelt split the Republican vote.

Eugene V. Debs

A socialist leader who ran for president and championed labor movements.

Upton Sinclair

Author of 'The Jungle', which exposed the unethical practices of the meatpacking industry.

Jacob Riis & How the Other Half Lives

A photographer and writer who documented the poor living conditions in urban slums.

John Muir

Known as the 'Father of the National Parks', he was a conservationist and naturalist.

Jane Addams

Co-founder of Hull House, a social reformer, pacifist, and co-winner of the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize.

Booker T. Washington

An African American leader advocating for education and economic progress to combat racism.

Ida B. Wells

A journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade and fought for women's suffrage.

Florence Kelley

A social reformer known for child labor reform and advocating for women's rights.

Carrie Nation

A temperance activist known for using a hatchet to destroy bars during the prohibition movement.