Politics, Populists, and Progressives Flashcards
Waving The Bloody Shirt
Phrase used about politicians who used civil war politics to get people on their side. (economic issues, slavery, white supremacy)
Gilded Age
Glittery outside, but inside is currupt and suffering
Pendleton Act
(1883) Federal positions must be earned/based on merit
Mugwumps
Name calling against liberal republicans, who seemed to have their faces on one side of the fence and their butts on the other.
Sherman Antitrust Act
(1890) First attempt to regulate trusts/major corporations in this way
Lodge Bill
Bipartisan federal board would investigate election issues and seat correct winner. Law was never passed.
Omaha Platform
Populists declaration that government needed to be bigger to fix problems
Free Silver
U.S. mint would not charge fee for mining silver. Grover Cleveland clung to gold standard even to the point of making secret deals with a banker.
Williams V. Mississippi
(1898) Court upheld literacy test and poll taxes to vote. Voter suppression was aimed at Black Americans, but also impacted poor white and immigrant Americans.
Solid South
Democrats had almost complete control. Was seen as the “white man’s party”.
Lochner V. New York
(1905) Supreme court ruled that Congress could not limit the workday on due process clause of the 14th amendment. Idea that people had the right to work or not to work.
Hepburn Act
(1906) Allows commerce commission to set shipping rates. Strengthened federal regulation of railroads.
Newlands Reclamation Act
(1902) Federal government sold public land to raise money for projects that expanded agriculture in developing west.
Wisconsin Idea
Progressive policy of economists recommending policy to create a more hands on government.
National Child Labor Committee
Investigated child labor conditions getting Theodore Roosevelt to bring national attention to the issue.
Muller V. Oregon
(1908) Court limited women’s workday to 10 hours. Only applied to women placing argument on their being possible mothers. Lead the way for social sciences to be used in the courtroom.
Talented Tenth
W.E.B. Du Bois wanted African Americans to develop new aggressive tactics since compromise didn’t work. The talented tenth was the 1/10 black men who already had the education to step up as leaders.
Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW) Wobblies supported Marxist class struggle. Wanted to overthrow capitalism.
New Nationalism
Theodore Roosevelt’s idea to run again w/ very progressive platform.
Federal Reserve Act
(1913) Created Federal Reserve and district banks to impose regulations, issue currency, and set interest rates. Made banking more stable.
Clayton Antitrust Act
(1914) Amended Sherman to become ore flexible, making it easier to stop trust actions.
Theodore Roosevelt
Becomes president after McKinley’s assassination. Focused on regulating business and protecting workers. Eventually ran (but lost) under progressive party nicknamed Bull Moose Party.
William Howard Taft
Republican that ran after T. Roosevelt with his support. Eventually made decisions that hurt his progressive record. T. Roosevelt eventually became even more progressive, which let to both seeking Republican nomination in 1912, it goes to Taft.
Eugene V. Debs
Ran in 1912 election on socialist ticket. Advocated for more radical change making “the working class the ruling class”.
Woodrow Wilson
Won the 1912 election due to Republicans being split between Taft and T. Roosevelt. Wanted to eliminate trusts as part of his New Freedom plan. Took up major reforms (progressive income tax and inheritance tax), but abandoned African Americans, many of whom supported him.
