Chapter 21: The Progressive Era 1901-1918 Flashcards
Pragmatism
The prevailing philosophy of romantic transcendentalism in America
~It enabled them to challenge fixed notions that stood in the way of reform
Frederick Taylor
Started the scientific management system
~Discovered ways of organizing people in an efficient manner
Lincoln Steffens
Wrote “The Shame of the Cities” (1904). Muckraker
~Caused a sensation by describing in detail the corrupt deals that characterized big city politics from Philadelphia to Minneapolis
Theodore Dreiser
Wrote “The Financier” and “The Titan”. Muckraker
~Portrayed the advance and ruthlessness of an industrialist
Ida Tarbell
Owned a magazine called ‘The History of the Standard Oil Company’
~Muckraking magazine
Jacob Riis
Photojournalist who documented articles on tenement life
~Published “How the Other Half Lives” (1890)
Australian Ballot
Ballots printed by the state and required voters to mark their choices secretly within the privacy of a curtained booth
~Stopped political party corruption concerning voting
Direct Primary
The new system for bypassing politicians and placing the nomination process directly in the hands of the voters
~Method for nominating party candidates by majority vote
Robert La Folette
Progressive governor of Wisconsin
~Introduced the direct primary system
17th Amendment
Requires that all U.S. senators be elected by popular vote
~Adopted in 1913 by the federal government
Initiative
Method by which voters could compel the legislature to consider a bill
Referendum
A method that allowed citizens to vote on proposed laws printed on the ballot
Recall
Enabled voters to remove a corrupt or unsatisfactory politician from office by majority vote before that official’s term had expired
Commission Plans
Voters elected the heads of city departments (fire, police, and sanitation) not just the mayor
Theodore Roosevelt
Became president after President McKinley’s assassination
~Progressive president
~Responsible for the “square deal” as well as many other reforms
“The Square Deal”
The deal that favored neither business nor laborer, but both
~Worked on a compromise that helped both parties
~Started by Theodore Roosevelt
Anthracite Coal Mine Strike (1902)
On coal, many Americans feared that they would freeze that winter
~Roosevelt stepped in with is “Square Deal”
Elkins Act (1903)
Gave the ICC greater authority to stop railroads from granting rebates to favored customers