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Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner publish The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.
The book argued that having such large companies with rich owners was contrary to the pillars of democracy. It criticized congress for allowing such a lopsided economy to exist. -
McDonald Tax Evasion
John McDonald was part of the Grant administration, and admitted to allowing the Whiskey Ring to evade taxes, a conspiracy between politicians, distributors, and whiskey manufacturers. -
Urbanization
Throughout the Industrial Revolution, especially the second, rural inhabitants seeking a better life and more income moved to urban areas to have access to factory jobs. This created urbanization, and allowed people to have more opportunities. -
Civil Service Act
Following President Garfield's assassination, Chester A. Arthur passed this bill to elect civil servants, like mayors and public office positions, on basis of merit rather than inheritance. -
Mugwumps
Mugwumps were by definition people who were independent and made their own political decisions, instead of being dictated in belief by their respective political parties. Being a mugwump grew in popularity during Grover Cleveland's election, and were part of the party switch. -
Interstate Commerce Act
The ICC forced railroad companies to not have price discrimination for short or long haul routes, allowing for more free trade outside of being within a certain state. -
National Consumers League
Led by Florence Kelley, this committee advocated for safety in women's and children's labor, as well as awareness for people who buy products, to know how they are made. -
Adoption of Omaha Platform
During a formative convention of the People's party in Omaha, Nebraska, the Populists agreed to give silver a valuation of 1/16 of that of gold, along with elimination of private banks, among other common citizens' ideas. -
Mail Order Catalogs
The Sears catalog started as a way to bring convenience and contemporary luxuries to the growing middle class. It charged lower prices and utilized railroads for commerce, but also created a very powerful business that would overpower local businesses that sold the same products, often for more money. -
William Jennings Brown runs for president
Bryan was a Democratic nominee for president, and ran the first modern political campaign costing an estimating $10 million. He was a secretary of state, but was defeated in the presidential race by McKinley. -
President McKinley is elected
William McKinley served as president for one term before being assassinated. He favored high tariffs and low government funding. -
Bimetalism
Support for a currency system backed by gold and a fixed ratio of 16:1 for silver was divided in the late 19th century. The concept was later challenged by the Gold Standard Act of 1900, allowing for only gold as an official backing to the US dollar. -
Square Deal
Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal ensured that the common people would be citizens on the same plane as billionaires, with the 3 C's (conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection) bringing progressive values to the White house -
Muckrakers
A muckraker was the 20th century equivalent of a whistleblower and uncovered corruption and controversial parts of a system or person. This was essential to the progressive era as muckraking aided decisions in what parts of society to reform. -
Roosevelt Panic
When Roosevelt announced he would not for office after two terms, there was a panic among the public that the huge trusts that had taken over America before his administration's tenure, would regain their power again without his policy, which in turn caused the economy to take a hit. -
Aldrich Vreeland Act
This act, passed by the end of Roosevelt's presidency, authorized national banks to issue emergency currency backed by various
kinds of collateral. -
Mann-Elkins Act
This reform from the Progressive Era brought the Interstate Commerce Commission more power when it came to regulation of tariffs and railroad/telegraph rates, ensuring free trade among states. -
Moral Diplomacy
This kind of foreign policy dictated that there should be reciprocal relations only between America and other countries that share similar American values and not anything else or lesser than those values. -
Children's Bureau
A core part of the progressive era is more women having a part in social action. One organization aiding that was the Children's bureau, which encouraged the care of children by men and women alike and encompassed many family issues, like adoption and finding safe homes. It was ran by mostly women, too. -
16th Amendment
The amendment allowed congress to collect federal tax without regard to states size or population. It brought in tax revenue in addition to tariffs. -
Women's Bureau
The bureau was established to raise public awareness and change public policy to allow women a place in American society, with jobs on the level of men, not just in manufacturing.
