The Rise of Progressivism

Flashcards covering the key terms and figures associated with the rise of Progressivism.

Progressivism

A political response to industrialization and the associated social problems.

Populism vs. Progressivism

Populism was primarily an agrarian movement, while Progressivism was primarily urban. Populists rejected industrial capitalism, while Progressives accepted it but wanted to reform it.

Thorstein Veblen

Argued that modern society was based on social stratification and that scientific efficiency and technical expertise is the best way to reform society.

William James - Pragmatism

Argued that a statement’s truthfulness depends on reality and the ability to put something into practice. Emphasized practical applications and not abstract reasoning.

Jane Addams - Hull House

Settlement house in Chicago whose main purpose was to provide social and educational opportunities for working class and Immigrant people utilizing the three R's: Residence, Research, and Reform.

John Dewey - Theory of Instrumentalism

Argued that schools must foster respect for democracy and cooperation and that ideas are useful instruments and must be thought through education.

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr - Theory of Legal Realism

Argued that the law must evolve with society and decisions should be based on reality; Criticized judges for over-relying on legal precedent.

Muckrakers

Journalists and novelists that stimulated the progressive movement by exposing corruption and corporate wrongdoings.

Upton Sinclair - The Jungle (1906)

Exposed the health violations and unsanitary practices in the American meat packing industry, leading to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.

Jacob Riis - How the Other Half Lives

Exposed the condition of urban poor immigrants through the use of photography, leading to better housing conditions, plumbing, and garbage collection.

John Spargo - The Bitter Cry of the Children

Attacked child labor conditions, leading to the passage of child labor laws.

Ida B. Wells - The Red Record

Spoke out against the unpunished lynchings of thousands of blacks.

18th Amendment

Prohibition passed in 1918

17th Amendment

Electoral process passed in 1912 and ratified in 1913

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Led to the creation of the New York Factory Investigating Commission and labor reform.

Women’s Suffrage Movement

Began at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848; 19th Amendment passed in 1919, ratified in 1920.

Eugene V. Debs

Leader of the Pullman Strike and national leader of the Socialist Party.

Theodore Roosevelt - Square Deal

President in 1901; Policies included Control of Corporations, Consumer Protections, and Conservation.

William Howard Taft

Teddy's hand-picked successor who continued the anti-trust campaign, created the Children’s Bureau, and passed the 16th Amendment.