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John Dewey
Leading american advocate of the new progressive philosophy. Argued that the "good" and the "true" could not be known in the abstract as fixed and changeless ideas. Said that people should experience with ideas and laws and test them in action. -
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
This organization advocated for the prohibition of alcohol, using women's supposedly greater purity and morality as a rallying point. Sent missionaries around the world to spread the gospel of temperance. -
Interstate Commerce Act
United States federal law that was designed to regulate the railroad industry, particularly its monopolistic practices. The Act required that railroad rates be "reasonable and just," but did not empower the government to fix specific rates. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
It is an act to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies. Was passed by congress in 1890 under the presidency of Benjamin Harrison. -
Ida B. Wells
Was an African-American journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, sociologist, feminist, Georgist, and an early leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Devoted her efforts to campaigning against lynching and Jim crow laws. -
National American Woman Suffrage Association
It was an American women's rights organization formed as a unification of the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). It pushed for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women's voting rights, and was instrumental in winning the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. -
How the Other Half Lives
This book written by Jacob Riis published articles on tenement life. It documented squalid living conditions in New York City slums -
Anti-Saloon League
The most successful political action group that forced the prohibition issue into the forefront of state and local elections and pioneered the strategy of the single-issue pressure group. It increased public awareness of the social effects of alcohol on society. -
Eugene V. Debs
Leader of the American Railway Union, he voted to aid workers in the Pullman strike. He was jailed for six months for disobeying a court order after the strike was over. Ran for election 5 times between 1900 and 1920. In 1920, he campaigned from prison where he was being held for opposition to American involvement in World War I. -
Margaret Sanger
American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900's. As a nurse in the poor sections of New York City, she had seen the suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy. Founded the first birth control clinic in the U.S. and the American Birth Control League, which later became Planned Parenthood. -
Anthracite Coal Strike
Miners struck for higher wages, shorter workdays and the recognition of their union. It was the first time in American history that the President took direct, non-militant action. Theodore Roosevelt acted as a moderator for a compromise that happened at the White House. -
Elkins Act
Federal law that amended the Interstate Commerce Act. Heavy fines could now be imposed both on the railroads that gave rebates and on the shippers that accepted them -
Department of Commerce and Labor
Department established by Roosevelt to deal with domestic economic affairs. Later split into two departments for better management. It was designed to settle problems between labor and capitalists. It included the Bureau of Corporations, which was authorized to probe businesses engaged in interstate commerce. -
Robert La Follette
Progressive Wisconsin governor who attacked machine politics and pressured the state legislature to require each party to hold a direct primary. Nicknamed Mr. Progressive. He developed the Wisconsin Idea which was created by the state's progressives to do away with monopolies, trusts, high costs of living, and predatory wealth. -
Ida Tarbell
Was an American teacher, author and journalist. One of the leading "muckrackers" during the progressive era. She is best know for her book the History of the Standard Oil Company. -
Lincoln Steffens
Wrote the book the Shame of the Cities which described in the corrupt deals that characterized big city policies from Philadelphia to Minneapolis. Wrote series of muckraking articles -
Square Deal Policy
Theodore Roosevelt's domestic policy based on three basic ideas: protection of the consumer, control of large corporations, and conservation of natural resources. -
Northern Securities Antitrust
Roosevelt wanted to bust the trust of a combination of railroads known as the Northern Securities company. The supreme court upheld his actions. He later directed his attorney to take antirust actions against other large corporations. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
For preventing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors, and for regulating traffic therein, and for other purposes. -
Meat Inspection Act
It is an American law that makes it a crime to adulterate or misbrand meat and meat products being sold as food. It also ensures that meat and meat products are slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions. -
The Jungle
A muckraking book by Upton Sinclair that describes in horrifying detail the conditions in the Chicago stockyards and meatpacking industry. Caused congress to enact to regulatory laws. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
An industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York, causing the death of 146 garment workers who either died from the fire or jumped to their deaths. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -
Progressive (Bull Moose) Party
It was known for its strong commitment to progressive causes that had become popular over the past two decades. The party advocated additional regulation of industry and trusts, sweeping reforms of many areas of government, compensation by the government for workers injured on the job, pensions for the elderly and for widows with children, and women suffrage. -
17th Amendment
Progressive reform from 1913 that required U.S. senators to be elected directly by voters; previously, senators were chosen by state legislatures. -
Underwood Tariff
The revenue act of 1913 which substantially reduced import fees and enacted a graduated income tax. -
Federal Reserve Act
Created the new Federal Reserve Board, which oversaw a nationwide system of twelve regional reserve districts, each with its own central bank, and had the power to issue paper money. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
It extended the Sherman Anti-Trust Act's list of practices that were objectionable, exempted labor unions from being called trusts (as they had been called by the Supreme Court under the Sherman Act), and legalized strikes and peaceful picketing by labor union members. -
Federal Trade Commission
Federal agency that administers antitrust and consumer protection legislation in pursuit of free and fair competition in the marketplace. It empowers a presidentially appointed position to investigate the activities of trusts and stop unfair trade practices such as unlawful competition, false advertising, mislabeling, adulteration, & bribery. -
Keating-Owen Child Labor Act
A statute enacted by the U.S. Congress which sought to address the evils of child labor by prohibiting the sale in interstate commerce of goods manufactured by children in the United States, thus giving an expanded importance to the constitutional clause giving Congress the task of regulating interstate commerce. -
18th Amendment
The prohibition amendment that outlawed the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol or any alcoholic beverage. -
19th Amendment
Established that no citizen can be denied the right to vote on account of sex. Granted women the ability to vote. The right of citizens of the United States to vote could never again be legally "denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
