Progressive Era

Here’s a detailed breakdown of each term using APUSH definitions:

Progressive Era (1890s–1920s)

A period of widespread social activism and political reform aimed at addressing the issues brought about by industrialization, urbanization, and political corruption. Progressives sought to regulate big business, improve working conditions, expand democracy, and promote social welfare.

WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union)

Founded in 1874, the WCTU was a leading organization advocating for temperance, women's rights, and social reform. It played a significant role in the push for Prohibition and other Progressive reforms.

Carrie Nation

A radical temperance advocate known for using a hatchet to smash saloons and liquor bottles as part of the movement against alcohol. She was a major figure in the fight for Prohibition.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who exposed corruption, social injustices, and abuses of power in business and government. Their work played a crucial role in prompting Progressive reforms.

McClure’s Magazine

A popular Progressive-era magazine that published investigative journalism exposing corruption and societal issues. It featured works from leading muckrakers such as Ida Tarbell and Lincoln Steffens.

Ida Tarbell

A leading muckraker known for her exposé The History of the Standard Oil Company (1904), which detailed the unethical practices of John D. Rockefeller’s monopoly and led to increased calls for antitrust regulation.

Lincoln Steffens

A muckraker who wrote The Shame of the Cities (1904), exposing corruption in urban politics and municipal governments, urging political reforms.

Upton Sinclair

Author of The Jungle (1906), which exposed the unsanitary and dangerous conditions in the meatpacking industry. His work led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.

The Jungle

Upton Sinclair’s novel that revealed the horrors of the meatpacking industry, leading to public outcry and government intervention in food safety regulations.

Supreme Court and Workers After 1900

The Supreme Court ruled on several key cases regarding labor rights and government regulation of businesses. Lochner v. New York (1905) struck down a law limiting work hours, while Muller v. Oregon (1908) upheld protective labor laws for women, marking a shift in favor of some Progressive labor reforms.

Political Reforms

A series of government changes designed to increase democracy and reduce corruption, including direct primaries, secret ballots, and mechanisms for direct citizen involvement in legislation.

Initiative

A process that allows citizens to propose and vote on laws directly, bypassing the legislature.

Referendum

A process where voters can approve or reject laws passed by the legislature.

Recall

A political reform that enables voters to remove elected officials from office before their term expires.

Women’s Issues

A broad category addressing suffrage, labor rights, education, and social reforms affecting women, particularly in the Progressive Era.

Suffragette

A woman advocating for the right to vote, often associated with the women’s suffrage movement leading to the 19th Amendment.

Susan B. Anthony

A key leader in the women’s suffrage movement, co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), and a lifelong advocate for women's rights.

Alice Paul

A suffragist and leader of the National Woman’s Party (NWP), known for her more radical tactics, including protests and hunger strikes, to push for the 19th Amendment.

Carrie Chapman Catt

President of NAWSA who developed the "Winning Plan" to secure women's suffrage, focusing on state-by-state campaigns and federal lobbying.

NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association)

Founded in 1890, it was the primary organization advocating for women's voting rights, eventually leading to the 19th Amendment’s passage.

William McKinley Assassination

President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901 by anarchist Leon Czolgosz, leading to Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.

Theodore Roosevelt Administration (1901–1909)

Roosevelt pursued Progressive reforms, focusing on trust-busting, conservation, labor rights, and government regulation of businesses.

Square Deal

Roosevelt’s domestic policy aimed at controlling corporations, consumer protection, and conserving natural resources.

(RR) Interstate Commerce Act (1887)

The first federal law regulating railroads, aimed at curbing monopolistic practices and ensuring fair rates.

(RR) Hepburn Act (1906)

Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission by allowing it to regulate railroad rates and prevent unfair pricing.

(RR) Elkins Act (1903)

Prohibited railroad rebates to favored shippers and strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Meat Inspection Act (1906)

Passed in response to The Jungle, this law required federal inspection of meat processing plants and established cleanliness standards.

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

Prohibited the sale of adulterated or mislabeled food and drugs, laying the foundation for modern consumer protections.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Established to enforce the Pure Food and Drug Act and ensure consumer safety in medicine and food products.

Conservation

A major Progressive goal, led by Theodore Roosevelt, emphasizing the protection of natural resources through national parks and regulatory policies.

William Howard Taft (1908–1912)

Roosevelt’s successor who continued Progressive policies but clashed with Roosevelt, leading to a Republican split.

Bull Moose Party

A Progressive third party founded by Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 election after splitting from the Republicans.

Election of 1912

A four-way race between Taft, Roosevelt (Progressive), Woodrow Wilson (Democrat), and Eugene Debs (Socialist). Wilson won due to the Republican split.

Black America

Refers to the struggles and activism of African Americans during the Progressive Era, including civil rights efforts and responses to segregation.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A Supreme Court case that upheld segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, legitimizing Jim Crow laws.

Booker T. Washington

A Black leader who advocated for economic self-sufficiency and vocational education for African Americans, promoting gradual racial progress.

Tuskegee Institute

Founded by Booker T. Washington to provide vocational education and training for African Americans.

W.E.B. DuBois

A Black intellectual and activist who co-founded the NAACP and demanded immediate racial equality.

Niagara Movement

Founded by DuBois in 1905, it called for immediate civil rights and opposed Washington’s gradualist approach.

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

Founded in 1909 to fight for civil rights, challenge segregation, and promote African American equality.

The Souls of Black Folk (1903)

A book by W.E.B. DuBois criticizing Booker T. Washington’s approach and advocating for immediate racial equality.

Marcus Garvey

A Black nationalist who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), promoting Pan-Africanism and Black economic independence.

Woodrow Wilson Administration (1913–1921)

Wilson implemented Progressive reforms such as the Federal Reserve System and antitrust laws but had a poor record on racial issues.

16th Amendment (Income Tax, 1913)

Allowed Congress to levy a federal income tax.

17th Amendment (1913)

Established the direct election of U.S. senators by voters, reducing corruption in Senate appointments.

18th Amendment (Prohibition, 1919)

Banned the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol, leading to the Prohibition era.

19th Amendment (Women’s Suffrage, 1920)

Granted women the right to vote.

New Freedom

Wilson’s domestic policy aimed at breaking up monopolies, reducing tariffs, and reforming banking.

Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)

Strengthened antitrust laws by preventing unfair business practices and protecting labor unions.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC, 1914)

Created to regulate unfair business practices and protect consumers.

Federal Reserve System (1913)

Established to stabilize the banking system and control the money supply.

Federal Income Tax

Introduced by the 16th Amendment, allowing the federal government to tax personal income.