Key Terms Chapter 28/29

Social Gospel: A religious movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries advocating for social justice, poverty alleviation, and the improvement of labor conditions based on Christian principles.

Muckrakers: Journalists and writers in the early 20th century who exposed corruption, social injustices, and corporate wrongdoing, helping spark reforms.

Initiative: A process allowing citizens to propose new laws or constitutional amendments.

Referendum: A process in which citizens vote on proposed laws or policies.

Recall: A procedure allowing voters to remove elected officials from office before their term ends.

Muller v. Oregon: A landmark Supreme Court case (1908) in which the Court upheld a law limiting women’s work hours, using the argument that women needed protection for their health and well-being.

Lochner v. New York: A 1905 Supreme Court decision that invalidated a state law limiting bakery workers' hours, citing the right to contract freely, later overturned during the New Deal era.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire: A tragic industrial accident in 1911 where 146 workers died, leading to reforms in workplace safety and labor laws.

Elkins Act: A 1903 law aimed at regulating railroad rebates, making it illegal for railroads to offer secret rebates to big shippers, and ensuring fair competition.

Ida Tarbell: A leading muckraker known for her investigative reporting on the Standard Oil Company, which exposed its monopolistic practices and led to antitrust actions.

Meat Inspection Act: A 1906 law requiring federal inspection of meatpacking plants to ensure sanitary conditions and quality control after the publication of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle.

Pure Food & Drug Act: A 1906 law designed to prevent the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs, ensuring the safety and accuracy of consumer products.

Dollar Diplomacy: A U.S. foreign policy under President William H. Taft that aimed to expand American influence abroad through economic investments and loans rather than military intervention.

Payne-Aldrich Bill: A 1909 tariff reform law that raised certain tariffs, which angered progressives who had hoped for lower tariffs, leading to a split in the Republican Party.

New Nationalism: Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive political philosophy that emphasized government intervention to regulate businesses, protect workers, and promote social welfare.

New Freedom: Woodrow Wilson’s political philosophy that focused on reducing government interference in business, emphasizing competition and individual liberties.

Eugene Debs: A labor leader and five-time presidential candidate who founded the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and advocated for socialism and workers' rights.

Jacob Riis: A muckraker and photographer whose work, particularly his book How the Other Half Lives, exposed the squalid conditions of urban tenements and spurred social reform.

Florence Kelley: A social reformer who worked to improve labor conditions for women and children and was influential in the creation of child labor laws and workplace protections.

John Muir: A naturalist and conservationist who helped establish national parks, co-founded the Sierra Club, and advocated for the preservation of wilderness areas.

Henry Demarest Lloyd: A muckraker and social critic who wrote Wealth Against Commonwealth, attacking the monopolistic practices of big corporations like Standard Oil.

Australian Ballot: A system of voting that ensures secrecy and privacy, where voters mark their choices in a private booth, and the ballot is printed and distributed by the government.

Hetch Hetchy Valley: A valley in California that became the center of a debate between conservationists like John Muir and proponents of using natural resources for human development, ultimately leading to its flooding to create a reservoir.

Brownsville Affair: A 1906 incident in which a group of black soldiers were wrongfully accused of a shooting in Brownsville, Texas, leading to their dishonorable discharges and a long legal battle over racial injustice.

Gifford Pinchot: The first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, known for his advocacy of conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. He clashed with John Muir over the Hetch Hetchy Valley.

Underwood Tariff: A 1913 law that lowered tariff rates and implemented an income tax to compensate for the loss of revenue, part of President Wilson's progressive agenda.

Federal Reserve Act: A 1913 law that established the Federal Reserve System, creating a central banking system to regulate the nation's money supply and manage financial stability.

Clayton Anti-Trust Act: A 1914 law aimed at strengthening antitrust laws by specifying illegal business practices (e.g., price discrimination, mergers) and protecting labor unions from being considered illegal combinations.

Workingmen’s Compensation Act: A 1916 law that provided compensation for federal workers who were injured on the job, part of a broader effort to improve labor rights.

Adamson Act: A 1916 law that established an eight-hour workday for railroad workers and authorized overtime pay, addressing labor unrest.

Jones Act: A 1917 law that granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans and established a territorial government in Puerto Rico.

U Boats: German submarines used during World War I, known for their effectiveness in disrupting Allied shipping, and particularly for sinking the Lusitania.

Lusitania: A British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing over 1,100 people, including 128 Americans, which contributed to U.S. entry into World War I.

Zimmerman Telegram: A 1917 secret German diplomatic communication proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S., intercepted by the British, which helped galvanize U.S. entry into World War I.

Fourteen Points: President Woodrow Wilson’s proposal for post-World War I peace, including ideas for open diplomacy, free trade, self-determination, and the creation of the League of Nations.

Committee on Public Information (CPI): A U.S. government agency created during World War I to promote support for the war through propaganda, led by George Creel.

Espionage Act: A 1917 law that criminalized interference with military operations or recruitment, and penalized people for spreading anti-war propaganda during World War I.

Schenck v. US: A 1919 Supreme Court case that upheld the Espionage Act, ruling that free speech could be restricted during wartime if it posed a "clear and present danger."

War Industries Board: A U.S. government agency during World War I that coordinated the production of war materials and ensured the efficient use of resources.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW): A radical labor union formed in 1905 that advocated for industrial workers’ rights and socialism, often associated with militant strikes and activism.

Great Migration: The movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West during and after World War I, seeking better economic opportunities and escaping racial discrimination.

19th Amendment: A 1920 amendment to the U.S. Constitution that granted women the right to vote, marking a major victory for the women's suffrage movement.

League of Nations: An international organization founded after World War I to promote peace and cooperation among nations, though the U.S. did not join due to Senate opposition.

Treaty of Versailles: The 1919 peace agreement that ended World War I, imposing heavy penalties and territorial losses on Germany, and leading to the creation of the League of Nations.

Louis Brandeis: A progressive lawyer and Supreme Court justice known for his advocacy of social justice, labor rights, and privacy protections.

George Creel: The head of the Committee on Public Information during World War I, responsible for creating propaganda to build support for the war.

Herbert Hoover: The 31st President of the U.S., known for his role in managing food relief efforts during and after World War I and his later presidency during the onset of the Great Depression.

Alice Paul: A leading suffragist and women’s rights activist who played a key role in the passage of the 19th Amendment and led campaigns for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Henry Cabot Lodge: A U.S. Senator and strong opponent of the League of Nations, leading the fight against U.S. membership in the organization after World War I.