Progressive Quest Study Guide

Be able to define and explain the significance/effects of the following terms.

Industrial Revolution: Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century, when agricultural societies
became more industrialized and urban.

Urbanization: Process in which people moved from rural areas to cities.

Progressive Era: a period of social activism and political reform across the United States The purpose of
the Progressive movement were addressing problems caused by industrialization, urbanization,
immigration, and political corruption.

Muckrakers: Crusading journalists who investigated social conditions and political corruption.

Jacob Riis: How the Other Half Lives: Journalist the wrote about how working-class immigrants lived.

Upton Sinclair: The Jungle: Exposes horrid working conditions, bad practices, poor sanitation, and
corruption of the American meatpacking industry

Meat Inspection Act: Required federal inspections of meat sold through interstate commerce

Samuel Hopkins Adams: Fraud in Medicine: (Dr. Pepper, Coke, make medical claims that were not true)

Pure Food and Drug Act: Prohibits the manufacturing and sale of impure and falsely labeled food/drugs,

Food and Drug Administration: responsible for protecting public health

Child Labor: Children worked to make money, harsh conditions, low pay, long hours

Factory Conditions: low safety standards, no light, overcrowded, long hours, disease and injury common

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: fire in a building, many women and children had to jump, due to poor
safety codes, no fire escapes, overcrowding, no preparation

Temperance Movement: Movement urging for reduced or prohibited use of alcohol because it is
believed to cause many problems

Political Machines: corrupt organizations trading necessities to immigrants for votes

Party Bosses – people in control of political machines

Thomas Nast- Political Cartoonist, used satire to address problem

Lincoln Steffens: The Shame of the Cities – addressed government + political corruption

Robert La Follette, Governor of Wisconsin

Direct Primaries, vote for a candidate to run in general elections (17 th amendment)

Initiatives- permitted a group of citizens to introduce legislation

Referendums- allowed citizens to vote for proposed laws directly

Recall Elections- allowed voters an option to demand a special election to remove an elected official

16th Amendment- income tax

17th Amendment- citizens gain power to elect two senators

18th Amendment – prohibits manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol

19th Amendment – women’s right to vote

Seneca Falls Convention- women’s rights convention – New York

NAWSA; Alice Paul; Women’s Suffrage Movement- National Woman Suffrage Association, (NAWSA) and
Alice Paul (NWP)- National Woman’s Party

President Theodore Roosevelt- Increased power of the executive and federal government
 Increased the role of government in dealing with economic and social issues
 Signed into law: meat inspection act
 Created Modern Navy
 Conservationist

Power of the Presidency under Roosevelt and Progressives

“Trust Breaker”, Related to all people
Conservation – protect natural resources
Ida Tarbell: The History of Standard Oil
Trusts – showed corruption in big businesses
Sherman Anti-Trust Act – outlawed unfair practices
President William Howard Taft (anti-trust efforts) – brought down many trusts – initiated 80 anti-trust
suits
Election of 1912- TR as progressive, so republican vote split between Taft and Roosevelt, so Wilson gets
elected

Federal Reserve Act- oversees 12 regional banks

Federal Trade Commission- monitors business practices

 Clayton Anti-Trust Act- Outlawed “unfair trade" practices
 Made it illegal for company to hold stock in another, if it would decrease or "Restrain trade"
 Made business owners responsible if they broke antitrust laws
 Gave citizens right to collect legal damages thru law suits if injured by trusts
 Banned use of injunctions against strikes

Failures of progressive era

- Child labor
- Racial/religious discrimination
- wages