Progressive Era Events

Chinese Exclusion Act

May 6, 1882

This act prevented Chinese workers from moving to the US. This was the first act to remove a whole ethnic group. c

Interstate Commerce Act

Apr 7, 1887

This was a law to regulate railroads, as they were charging whatever they wanted, and no one could afford it. This helped make some rates 'reasonable and just', but did not empower the government to fix certain rates.

Jane Addams-Hulls House

1889

Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr rented an abandoned residence at 800 South Halsted Street that had been built by Charles G. Hull in 1856 for the purpose of educating and socializing immigrants.

Muckrackers

1890

Reform minded journalists in the Progressive Era. They exposed the corruption in large business and had large popular audiences.

Sherman Antitrust Act

Jul 2, 1890

This act outlawed trusts, monopolies and cartels, between companies. This increased competitiveness.

Plessy V. Ferguson

May 18, 1896

Stated, 'separate but equal', to which meant that African Americans were people too, but had to be in other places than white people. A man named Homer Plessy sat in a train car for whites, and refused to move, hence this decision by supreme Court.

President McKinley Assassinated

Sep 14, 1901

The president was assassinated six months into his second term.

Coal Strike of 1902

1902

There was a coal miner strike in 1902 from May to October. The miners fought for higher pay, shorter days, and recognition from their union

Ida Tarbell - "The History of Standard Oil"

1904

This was written by Ida Tarbell, to expose the oil company, which was run by Rockefeller at the time.

The Jungle

1906

This was a book written by the journalist Upton Sinclair, which was written to expose the lives and the exploitation of immigrants.

Federal Meat Inspection Act

Mar 5, 1906

This was an act to force distributors to sell their meat without lying about what it was and to have the animals slaughtered in safe and sanitary conditions.

Roosevelt's Antiquities Act

Jun 8, 1906

Protection of cultural and natural resources.

Food and Drug act

Jan 1, 1907

This was a series of laws that was meant to protect the people from harmful things in food and drugs given to them.

Muller vs. Oregon

1908

This was a woman's rights movement about their work hours, in which the government limited.

Taft Wins

Mar 11, 1908

William Howard Taft won the 1908 election against William Jennings Bryan.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Mar 25, 1911

This was a fire in a factory building, in which lots of people died due to the height of the building. The fire ladders could not reach the higher floors, and lots of people died.

Teddy Roosevelt's Square Deal

1912

The Square Deal was President Theodore Roosevelt's domestic program, which reflected his three major goals: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection.

Wilson Elected

1912

In the 1912 election, Woodrow Wilson was elected president

Department of Labor

1913

The development of this union was to improve the welfare of the working people.

Underwood-Simmons Tariff

1913

Revenue act of 1913. Reestablished income tax and lowered tariff rates.

16th Amendment

Feb 3, 1913

Passed by Congress on July 2, 1909, and ratified February 3, 1913, the 16th amendment established Congress's right to impose a Federal income tax.

17th Amendment

Apr 8, 1913

17th Amendment gives voters the power to directly elect their senators. It also states that the U.S. Senate includes two senators from each state, and that each senator has one vote in the Senate. Senators are elected for six-year terms.

Federal Reserve Act

Dec 23, 1913

First banking system

Federal Commission Act

1914

Outlaws unfair methods of competition and unfair acts or practices that affect commerce

Federal Trade Commission

Sep 26, 1914

Protected and enforced law and consumer protection.