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History Notes 5

The document outlines key terms and concepts of the Progressive Era, highlighting the role of muckrakers, such as Jacob Riis and Ida Tarbell, in exposing social issues and corruption. It discusses various reforms, including the Direct Primary, the City Commissioner form of government, and the Settlement House Movement, aimed at improving democracy and social justice. Additionally, it covers significant events and legislation, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the Federal Reserve Act, that shaped the era's political landscape.

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Varsha Gudapati
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4 views2 pages

History Notes 5

The document outlines key terms and concepts of the Progressive Era, highlighting the role of muckrakers, such as Jacob Riis and Ida Tarbell, in exposing social issues and corruption. It discusses various reforms, including the Direct Primary, the City Commissioner form of government, and the Settlement House Movement, aimed at improving democracy and social justice. Additionally, it covers significant events and legislation, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the Federal Reserve Act, that shaped the era's political landscape.

Uploaded by

Varsha Gudapati
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Progressive Era: Key Terms and Concepts (US History, Ch. 21.1-21.2; 21.

4)

Muckrakers
Investigative journalists who exposed social ills, corruption, and industrial abuses in order to incite reform during the Progressive Era.

- Unlike yellow journalists, muckrakers focused on uncovering truth rather than sensationalism.

- Term coined by Theodore Roosevelt, referencing a character in The Pilgrim’s Progress.

- Notable muckrakers:

- Jacob Riis: Used photojournalism to expose tenement housing conditions in How the Other Half Lives (1890).

- Ida Tarbell: Critiqued Standard Oil monopoly.

- Lincoln Steffens: Investigated urban corruption.

- Ray Stannard Baker: Exposed coal mine working conditions.

Jacob Riis
Danish-American journalist and photographer.

- His work (How the Other Half Lives) revealed the dangerous and overcrowded living conditions of New York’s poor.

- Prompted middle-class concern and reforms for urban housing.

Features of Progressivism
- Goals: Expand democracy, promote social justice, increase government efficiency, and regulate big business.

- Emphasized scientific management, professional expertise, and government intervention.

- Advocated both for increasing suffrage and restricting it for "unfit" populations.

- Often paternalistic; assumed reformers knew best, ignoring voices of those they aimed to help.

Direct Primary
- Allowed party members, not just delegates, to vote for candidates.

- Intended to break control of political machines.

- First adopted statewide by South Carolina (1896) and for presidential nominations by Florida (1901).

City Commissioner Form of Government


- Adopted first in Galveston, Texas (1901) after a hurricane exposed governmental corruption and inefficiency.

- Each commissioner was responsible for a specific aspect of city governance (e.g., water, fire, police).

- Reduced power of political bosses and increased accountability.

Taylorism
- Developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor in The Principles of Scientific Management (1911).

- Advocated for increased factory efficiency through time-motion studies and standardized tasks.

- Removed worker autonomy, but sometimes increased productivity and lowered prices.

- Workers often disliked the system for being dehumanizing.

Settlement House Movement


- Led by women like Jane Addams, Ellen Gates Starr, and Lillian Wald.

- Provided social services, education, and healthcare to working-class women and children.

- Hull House (Chicago) and Henry Street Settlement (NYC) were notable centers.

Keating-Owen Act (1916)


- Banned interstate commerce of goods produced by child labor.

- Prompted by campaigns from the National Child Labor Committee and Lewis Hine’s photography.
- Declared unconstitutional, but paved the way for the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938).

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911)


- Fire in a New York City garment factory that killed 146 young immigrant women.

- Exit doors were locked to prevent union organizers.

- Sparked public outrage and led to workplace safety laws.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)


- Radical labor union founded in 1905, also known as the Wobblies.

- Emphasized industrial unionism and direct action (e.g., strikes).

- Founded by William “Big Bill” Haywood; critical of mainstream unionism and capitalism.

Alice Paul
- Leader in the women’s suffrage movement.

- Headed the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage and later founded the National Woman’s Party.

- Organized the 1913 suffrage parade and Silent Sentinels who picketed the White House.

- Advocated for a constitutional amendment and later the Equal Rights Amendment.

Roosevelt and Trusts


- Used Sherman Antitrust Act to break up monopolies, starting with Northern Securities (1902).

- Believed in regulating “bad trusts” while allowing “good trusts” to operate.

- Created the Bureau of Corporations to investigate business practices.

Hepburn Act (1906)


- Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission’s ability to regulate railroad rates.

- Extended ICC oversight to pipelines, ferries, and bridges.

Progressive Party
- Formed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 after a split with Taft.

- Known as the “Bull Moose Party.”

- Platform included direct democracy reforms, women’s suffrage, labor protections, and trust regulation.

Election of 1912
- Four major candidates: Woodrow Wilson (Democrat), Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive), William Howard Taft (Republican), Eugene V. Debs (Socialist).

- Wilson won with 42% due to Republican split.

- Progressivism dominated the political conversation.

Sixteenth Amendment (1913)


- Authorized federal income tax.

- Allowed the federal government to collect taxes based on personal income, addressing tariff dependency.

- Part of Wilson’s New Freedom agenda to reduce tariffs and increase revenue.

Federal Reserve Act (1913)


- Created a central banking system with 12 regional banks.

- Designed to control inflation and adjust interest rates.

- Established the Federal Reserve Board to oversee monetary policy.

- Still the foundation of U.S. banking today.

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