Progressivism: Key Figures, Events, Reforms, and Legislation

Vocabulary flashcards defining key reformers, legislation, political mechanisms, and historical events of the Progressive Era.

Jacob Riis

A Danish-American journalist and photographer who exposed the harsh, unsanitary living conditions of New York City's tenement slums in his influential 1890 book How the Other Half Lives, sparking housing and sanitation reforms.

George Waring

A sanitary engineer and New York City Commissioner of Street Cleaning in the 1890s who modernized urban sanitation by organizing uniformed street-sweeping crews ("White Wings") and implementing organized garbage collection and recycling systems.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

A deadly 1911 factory fire in New York City that killed 146 garment workers—mostly young immigrant women—because exit doors were locked and fire escapes were inadequate, leading to strict workplace safety and labor laws.

Settlement House

A community center located in poor, predominantly immigrant urban neighborhoods that provided social services such as childcare, English and citizenship classes, healthcare, and cultural programs.

Jane Addams

A pioneering social reformer and co-founder of Hull House in Chicago (1889), the most famous settlement house in the United States, who advocated for immigrant rights, child labor laws, and women's suffrage.

Progressive

A member of the late 19th- and early 20th-century reform movement who believed government should actively address social, economic, and political problems caused by rapid industrialization, urbanization, and corporate corruption.

Social Gospel

A Protestant reform movement that applied Christian ethics to social problems—such as poverty, inequality, alcoholism, and poor labor conditions—urging believers to improve society as a moral duty.

John Muir

A Scottish-American naturalist, author, and early preservationist who co-founded the Sierra Club and campaigned to protect wilderness areas, helping establish Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

National Park Service

A federal agency created in 1916 (under the Organic Act) to manage, protect, and preserve all national parks and monuments in the United States for public enjoyment and future generations.

Direct Primary

An election in which voters—rather than party leaders or conventions—directly choose a political party's candidates to run in the general election.

Political Machine

A tightly organized political group led by a powerful "boss" that maintained control over city or state government by trading jobs, services, and favors for votes, often relying on bribery and election fraud.

Secret Ballot

A voting method (also known as the Australian ballot) in which voters mark their choices privately on a standardized, government-printed ballot, preventing political bosses and employers from intimidating voters.

Muckraker

An investigative journalist or writer during the Progressive Era who exposed political corruption, corporate monopolies, unsafe products, and social injustices to stir public demand for reform.

Upton Sinclair

A muckraking novelist whose 1906 book The Jungle exposed the horrific working conditions and unsanitary practices of the Chicago meatpacking industry, directly prompting federal food safety laws.

Meat Inspection Act

A 1906 federal law requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to inspect all livestock and meat products sold across state lines and enforcing strict sanitary standards in meatpacking plants.

Pure Food and Drug Act

A 1906 federal law prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or interstate transport of contaminated, mislabeled, or adulterated foods and medicines, requiring accurate ingredient labels and paving the way for the FDA.

16th Amendment

Ratified in 1913, this constitutional amendment granted Congress the authority to levy a direct federal income tax without apportioning it among the states based on population.

17th Amendment

Ratified in 1913, this constitutional amendment established the direct popular election of U.S. Senators by the voters of each state, replacing their selection by state legislatures.

Initiative

A democratic reform process allowing citizens to propose a new law or constitutional amendment directly by gathering a required number of voter signatures on a petition to place it on the ballot.

Referendum

A process allowing citizens to vote directly to approve or reject a law or measure passed by a state or local legislature.

Recall

A procedure enabling voters to remove an elected public official from office before the end of their scheduled term through a special petition and election.

Monetary Policy

Actions taken by a nation's central bank to manage the money supply, credit availability, and interest rates in order to promote economic stability and growth.

Federal Reserve Act

A 1913 law passed under President Woodrow Wilson that established the Federal Reserve System—the central banking system of the United States—to regulate banks, stabilize the currency, and prevent financial panics.

Theodore Roosevelt

The 26th President of the United States (1901–1909) who championed the "Square Deal," regulating powerful corporate trusts, supporting consumer protection laws, and conserving millions of acres of public land.