Progressive Era Test Flashcards
Cities at the turn of the century
Dirty, largely controlled by corrupt city bosses
Growing at Turn of the Century
A main target of progressives
Controlling public utilities
The progressives stopped cities utilities, such as water, from being owned by private companies
Now utilities are owned by public companies/the government
City Managers
Galveston, Texas was the first to use
City managers are experts in their field
Keating-Owen Child Labor Act
Prohibited the shipment in interstate commerce of goods manufactured by children under 14
Ruled unconstitutional in Hammer v. Dagenhart because it was not Congress’s power to regulate production
Production is different than commerce?
Newlands Reclamation Act
1902
Part of Roosevelt’s conservationism
Money from the sale of public land goes to irrigation projects in the West
Federal Trade Commission
Part of Wilson’s 1914 New Freedom program
Empowered to investigate and take action against any “unfair trade practice” in every industry
Does not include banking and transportation
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Naval officer that said controlling the sea was key to world dominance
Helped stimulate the naval race
Wanted a steel navy
War Boards Function
Led by Bernard Baruch, a Wall Street broker
Centralized control on raw materials and prices
Set production priorities
War Boards Purpose
America was not economically prepared to go into a major war
The War Boards were supposed to provide order and structure to American manufactoring
Met with a lot of backlash from Democrats and Laissez-faire supporters that this infringed on business rights
National War Labor Board
Headed by William Taft
Arbitrated disputes between workers and employers
Wages rose, eight hour workday was more common, and union membership increased
Creel Committee
Headed by George Creel
Was supposed to convince Americans to support the war
Speeches, billboards, leaflets and tons of propaganda was printed by the millions
Movies depicted the Germans as Huns were widely popular
Creel aroused patriotism and support for the war
Women’s suffrage
In some cases a more militant approach was used to gain support. Notably Alice Paul started picketing.
19th amendment is passed in 1920. Dedicated efforts of women on the home front during the war helped get this passed
16th amendment
Congress has the power to levy income taxes
17th amendment
Direct election of US senators
18th amendment
Establishes prohibition
Foraker Act
Gave Puerto Ricans a limited degree of popular government
Also outlawed cockfighting
Insular Cases
The Supreme Court decrees that Puerto Ricans and Filipinos were not protected under the constitution
They did not enjoy full American rights
Federal Farm Loan Act
Wilson
Made credit available to the farmers at low interest rates
This was demanded by Wilson’s populist voters
US Entry into WWI
Unrestricted German submarine warfare
Zimmerman Telegraph (German-Mexico alliance)
Russian Revolution (Allies are democratic)
Opposition to the war
Populist, Progressives, and Socialists were antiwar activists that did not want any involvement in the European war
League of Nations
One of Wilson’s 14 points and his most beloved point
Why did the United States not ratify the Treaty of Versailles and join the League of Nations?
Republicans thought the League of Nations might decrease American sovereignty and violate the Monroe Doctrine
Irreconcilable Republicans
Could not accept U.S. membership in the League of Nations under any terms
Reservationists
Led by Henry Cabot Lodge
They would accept the League of Nations if some reservations were added
