Progressive Era Flashcards
What issue did Upton Sinclair expose? How did he expose this?
Expose the processing industry
Wrote The Jungle which included sections regarding his undercover investigation in the meatpacking industry
Some sausages were processed in the same machines as dead rats. Deeply described how the cattle that is butchered is old and weak and often steerly (covered in red bumps/boils). The meat was then stored in cellars for years and fattened in cruel methods
The Durham Ketchups were using totally different meats than they advertised as being flavored
Other Durham meats labeled “devilled” or “potted” included random separate meats and chemicals.
Reforms inspired by Upton Sinclair’s work
The Jungle was an instant bestseller and was popular among progressives
Many sent letters to Pres. Theodore Roosevelt demanding reform. The White House sent a special correspondent to investigate and confirmed the horrors. Roosevelt demanded Congress to reform the meatpacking business and soon passed the Meat Inspection Act- every processing place would be inspected by officials
Congress also established the Pure Food & Drug Act- every processed food must be correctly labeled and not mislead customers
What issue did Jacob Riis expose? How did he expose this?
Published How the Other Half Lives which informs the public about the struggles of immigrants.
He exposes the crowded living tenementsShared the desperation of the poor in cities
Reforms inspired by Jacob Riis’s work
Showed public health officials some of the city tenements leading to the destruction of several tenements
Riis then served as secretary of the Advisory Committee and convinced city officials to replace a tenement with a park
Collected funds to restore Sea Breeze Hospital
What issue did Nelly Bly expose? How did she expose this?
Published “Ten Days in Madhouse”
Spent 10 days in an insane asylum to investigate and report the cruel conditions
Chronicled the rotten and disgusting food-the exposing and freezing baths- the unnecessarily painful combing- the extremely rude and violent to the point of deadly behavior of the nurses and staff
Reforms inspired by Nelly Bly’s work
Encouraged launching of several investigations
The investigations lead to raised funds for care in asylums by $850,000
Strict guidelines for hospital admission, more regulation for asylums.
What issue did Ida Tarbell expose? How did she expose this?
Wrote The History of Standard Oil which attacked John Rockefeller and his trust
Tarbell claimed that Rockefeller’s trust/monopoly used underhanded methods to put competitors out of business
Reforms inspired by Ida Tarbell’s work
The Standard Oil trust was broken up by the government using the Sherman Antitrust ActThis was one of the first trusts/monopolies to be broken up
What issue did Ida Wells expose? How did she expose this?
Published pamphlets and newspapers articles exposing lynching of African Americans in the South
Reforms inspired by Ida Well’s work
No specific reforms passed but she was relentless in her pursuit to bring awareness to the issue even at great expense to herself
What caused the massive spike in new roles for women?
women had fewer children
new technologies reduced some of the housework they were responsible for products that used to be homemade could now be bought cheaply in stores
What were the effects of women looking for jobs outside the home?
women took jobs as telephone operators, store clerks, typists, teachers and nurses
women were expected to quit their jobs when they got married, thus ending their careers
Carry A. Nation
a progressive leader whose family experience with alcoholism led to her using dramatic methods to get alcohol banned (smashing bottles with a hatchet)
Women’s Christian Temperance Union
fought for the ban on alcohol
Women often suffered the worst effect of alcohol:
drunk; domestic violence, financial hardship, crime, no time with family
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
first President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
Susan B. Anthony
NAWSA president; fought to get women’s suffrage one state at a time
Carrie Chapman Catt
NAWSA president; helped get President Wilson’s support during World War I
How did World War I help get women the right to vote?
Carrie Chapman Catt supported President Woodrow Wilson and promised female support for the war effort at home during World War I. Many women took the jobs of men drafted into the military and helped keep the economy going. In return, Wilson urged Congress to grant women suffrage.
William Howard Taft
Taft was picked by Roosevelt to succeed him and carry on his Progressive reforms
He filed twice as many antitrust suits as TR
Sixteenth Amendment: established the first graduated income tax
Seventeenth Amendment: allowed voters to elect their two senators
Republican
Woodrow Wilson
Clayton Antitrust Act: banned some business practices that limited competition; gave the govt. more power to fight trusts; legalized strikes
Federal Reserve Act: increased the flexibility of currency by controlling the money supply and interest rates
Wilson was from the South, believed in segregation, and supported it in the government
Democrat
What was a major reason why Wilson one the election?
TR formed his own party (Bull Moose Party), making republicans voters spilt. This gave Wilson the election.
16th Amendment
graduated income tax (the more you make, the more you pay)
One six – makes me sick
17th Amendment
voters elect their state’s 2 senators instead of politicians picking them
one seven – Senator Kevin
18th Amendment
banned alcohol from 1919-1933
One eight – stay straight
19th Amendment
gave women the right vote
One nine – she’s fine
21st Amendment
repealed (canceled) the 18th Amendment
two one – let’s have fun
Theodore Roosevelt
Republican president during the Progressive Era. Roosevelt pursued various reforms successfully unlike most of his predecessors.
Square Deal
meant fairness for all Americans as a square’s sides are all equal. He wanted businesses, consumers, and workers to be treated fairly and have equal access to success to opportunity under his presidency. He did not want to favor anyone.
During TR’s presidency he was known for:
Trustbuster
Helping workers
Conservationist
Cleaned up the food industry
Sherman Antitrust Act:
a law that prevented the formation of monopolies and trusts. This law was not enforced for over a decade until Theodore Roosevelt became president (nicknamed a trustbuster for breaking up 44 trusts).
How did TR help workers?
During a coal miner strike in Pennsylvania, he threatened to send in troops to run the mines. This forced the mine owners to negotiate with the workers which set a precedent that he would protect worker rights.
How was TR a conservationist?
He set aside millions of acres of land to be protected from development or exploitation; he created the US Forest Service to help promote conservation, controlling how America’s natural resources were used.
How did TR clean up the food industry?
Passed the Pure Food & Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act in response to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
3 Goals of Progressive Reform
Social Welfare
Economic Reform
Expansion of Democracy
Social Welfare
reforms aimed at the welfare of the people (living, working conditions, minimum wage laws, prohibition of alcohol etc. )
Economic Reform
fixing corrupt businesses/trusts, worker pay
trust
legal body created to hold stock in many companies in the same industry. Essentially, a trust was many companies working together to form a monopoly
Expansion of Democracy
give more direct voice to the people rather than corrupt politicians
Problems before the reform
Election Fraud
Tainted Food & Medicine
Spoils System or Patronage
Voters Don’t Select Candidates
Unfair Taxation System
Indirect Election of Senators
Elected officials unresponsive to public opinion
No limiting the Power of Big Business & Trusts
Election Fraud
Political leaders often lined up voters who were willing to be bought and gave them ballots on easily identifiable colored paper. Counterfeiting ballots, stuffing ballot boxes, and other illegal practices were widespread which meant that many officials in office were not selected by the voters. In addition, people did not have an avenue to remove elected officials if they were unhappy or dissatisfied with their performance.
Tainted Food & Medicine
Terrible Conditions existed in the food processing industry. Upton Sinclair, a muckraker, told how packing houses often kept meat on dirty floors and other horrific conditions.
Spoils System or Patronage
System of rewarding friends & supporters with jobs from a political official
Why was the spoils system a problem?
This resulted in many people who had jobs that were unqualified for the government jobs they held.
Voters Don’t Select Candidates
Candidates running for office were usually chosen by a small group of party leaders. Voters had no say in who the candidates would be.
Unfair Taxation System
Taxes were usually based on the amount of property a person owned. But many wealthy people hid some of their property from the government. Consequently, they did not pay their fair share of the taxes being collected.
Indirect Election of Senators
Two Senators that each state sent to Congress were chosen by the members of the various state legislatures and not the voters.
Elected officials unresponsive to public opinion
Elected officials sometimes disregarded the needs and desires of the people. While citizens could petition the government, they could not propose a law unless it was sponsored by a lawmaker. There was also increasing concern about corruption among legislators and citizens wanted to pass some laws through direct votes.
Limiting the Power of Big Business & Trusts
Progressive reformers wanted to limit the power of big business and regulate its activities. By the late 1800s, business leaders in some major industries had formed trusts. The businesses in a trust worked together to cut prices and squeeze out competitors. Then the trust would raise prices and make large profits similar to a monopoly.
Industrialization took a toll on the environment, especially all of the pollution from the factories.
Solution?
conservation
conservation
Roosevelt was a strong crusader for conservation or controlling how America’s natural resources were used. Roosevelt preserved 194 million acres of public lands, including the Grand Canyon and California’s Muir Woods. He also created the U.S. Forest Service.
Election Fraud
Solution?
recall election: special election held where voters can vote to recall or remove a politician from office
Example: Governor Newsom of California was subject to a recall election. He defeated the recall and was allowed to remain in office for the remainder of his term.
recall election
special election held where voters can vote to recall or remove a politician from office
Tainted Food & Medicine
Solution?
Pure Food & Drug Act
Meat Inspection Act
Pure Food & Drug Act
Pure Food and Drug Act which banned the sale of impure foods/medicines and required accurate labeling.
Meat Inspection Act
requires inspection of meat
Spoils System or Patronage
Solution?
Pendleton Act/ Civil Service Commission
Why is Pendleton Act/ Civil Service Commission a better system?
Made it fair for all and since it is based on merit, the most qualified is hired for the job
Pendleton Act/ Civil Service Commission
The Civil Service Commission gives a civil service exam so that government jobs are given out to the best candidates, not friends or supporters. The system is based on merit.
Voters Don’t Select Candidates
Solution?
Direct Primary
Direct Primary
voters select the candidates who will appear on the ballot in the primary election. This is the election before the real election.
Unfair Taxation System
Solution?
Sixteenth Amendment
Indirect Election of Senators
Solution?
17th Amendment
Elected officials unresponsive to public opinion
Solution?
Initiative - citizens can propose or initiate a law
Referendum- citizens vote on proposed laws
Initiative
citizens can propose or initiate a law
Referendum
citizens vote on proposed laws
Big Business & Trusts
Solution?
Sherman Antitrust Act
Why was The Square Deal called that?
Roosevelt’s Square Deal meant fairness for all Americans as a square’s sides are all equal. He wanted businesses, consumers, and workers to all be treated fairly and have equal access to success to opportunity under his presidency. He did not want to favor anyone.
Roosevelt’s legacy regarding the civil rights
Roosevelt’s legacy regarding the civil rights of African Americans is mixed. TR promoted civil rights, denounced lynchings, appointed African Americans to jobs in the South, and invited Booker T. Washington to the White House, but eventually backed off after losing political support in the South.
How do the reforms enacted by Theodore Roosevelt affect our lives today?
Roosevelt’s reforms continue to affect life today in many ways. TR’s investigation of the meatpacking industry and laws that he signed continue to protect food and make sure that it is properly labeled. Americans are able to enjoy millions of acres of untouched land, forests and national parks thanks to his conservation efforts. The competition that exists among businesses was instigated by TR. Many small business owners owe their existence to the antitrust laws enforced by TR.
How did Booker T. Washington differ from WEB DuBois?
Both Washington and Du Bois were aware that the need for African Americans to become technologically literate was crucial. However, Washington favored vocal protest and higher education, while Du Bois preferred a gradual approach of occupational education and economic advancement.
Jim Crow Laws
enacted in Southern states designed to separate white and black people
segregation
the separation of races
Plessy v. Ferguson
1896 Supreme Courtcase that upheld the legality of segregation
Booker T. Washington
African-American leader who did not believe in challenging segregation
W. E. B. Du Bois
African-American leader who fought against segregation and for equal rights
helped found the NAACP
NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
lynch
to kill by hanging without due process of the law
Whites weakened African-American political power by restricting their __________
voting rights
Southern states passed laws that set up _____________
literacy tests and poll taxes
literacy tests and poll taxes- How did they do what they were meant to do?
prevented African Americans from voting. White officials made sure that blacks failed literacy tests by giving unfair exams. For example, white officials sometimes gave blacks tests written in Latin. Poll taxes kept many blacks from voting because theydidn’t have enough money to pay the tax.
*Such voting laws threatened to prevent poor and uneducated whites from voting too.
How did Southerners “fix” this?
To keep them from losing the vote, several Southern states added grand-father clauses to their constitutions.
Grandfather clauses
stated that a man could vote if he or an ancestor, such as a grandfather, had been eligible to vote before 1867. Before that date, most African Americans, free or enslaved, did not have the right to vote. Whites could use the grandfather clause to protect their voting rights. Blacks could not.
Clayton Antitrust Act
banned some business practices that limited competition; gave the govt. more power to fight trusts; legalized strikes
Federal Reserve Act
increased the flexibility of currency by controlling the money supply and interest rates
