Progressive Era Flashcards
Define the main ideas of Progressivism
- the government should be responsible for taking care of its citizens
- the gov. Should call curb the power of wealthy businesses
- the gov. Should have more power so it can protect its citizens
- the gov. Should be less corrupt and more efficient
Define a reformer
A person who believes in the idea of progressivism and work towards it
Define a Muckraker
A journalist who exposes the wrong doing in politics and businesses
Who was Upton Sinclair
The author of The Jungle
- he exposed what happened in meat industries
- went undercover to find out what happened
Who was Theodore Roosevelt
- didn’t like big businesses
- progressivist
Who was Lincoln Stevens
Author of “The Shame of the Cities”
- exposed corruption of political machines
- spurred need for electoral reform
Define graft
An illegal use of political power for personal gain
Define prohibition
Banning of alcoholic beverages (also called temperance)
Define Taylorism
Using motion studies to improve effinciency
Define a political boss
Leaders who get people to vote for them by doing favors/making deals
Political Machine definition:
A group of people who made deals and got votes for political leaders
Define Tammany Hall
The most powerful political machine in NY
Who was Ida Tarbell
- published “the history of standard oil company”
- exposed their corrupt business practices and price rigging
- had to shut down… split up into mini companies
Who was William Tweed
-very powerful political boss
-helped immigrants to get their votes to get power
-found out where gov was going to buy land, buy it and sell it for more
-corruption
-his courthouse, told the gov he needed more and more money but kept the extra
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Who was Thomas Nast:
-defeated Tweed with political cartoons
