-
Period: to
Progressive Era Timespan
-
Assassination of William McKinley
On September 6, 1901, William McKinley became the third U.S. president to be assassinated after he was fatally shot at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He was assassinated by Leon Czolgosz who said “It was in my heart; there was no escape for me,” “All those people seemed bowing to the great ruler. I made up my mind to kill that ruler.” After McKinley’s shooting, the Secret Service “formally became the protector of the President.” Their first task: guarding Theodore Roosevelt. -
Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President
After President McKinley was assassinated, vice President Theodore Roosevelt became president of the United States. He is best known for expanding the powers of the presidency, the federal government, and American foreign policy. He is also known for “trust-busting” (that is, breaking up monopolies), mediating an end to the Russo-Japanese War, and initiating the construction of the Panama Canal. -
Muller V. Oregon
Muller v. Oregon (1908) is a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court considered whether a state could limit the amount of hours a woman could work while not also limiting the hours of men. The Fourteenth Amendment does not prohibit the state from limiting women's working hours since it has a strong interest in safeguarding their health. A rule that forbade employers in Oregon from requiring female employees to perform shifts greater than ten hours was implemented. -
The National Conservation Commission
National Conservation Commission was created by President Theodore Roosevelt as a response to the Conference of Governors held at the White House in 1908 to discuss conservation of the nation's natural resources. The National Conservation Commission was divided into four sections, water, forests, lands, and minerals, with each having its own chairman, it prepared the first inventory of the nation's natural resources. -
1912 Presidential Election
The Progressive Party was founded by Republicans as a rival party when the Republican party decided to back President William Howard's reelection. This is also known as the Bull Moose Party, a reference to the power that previous president Theodore Roosevelt is seen to possess. As a result of the Progressive Party splitting the Republican vote, Woodrow Wilson(Democrat),wins the presidency. This was significant because it brought southerners back into influential positions in national affairs. -
16th Amendment ratified
Amendment Sixteen to the Constitution was ratified in 1913. It grants Congress the authority to issue an income tax without having to determine it based on population. “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” The federal government used to collect most of its revenue from tariffs and excise taxes, which were largely seen as unfair. -
17th amendment ratified
Passed by Congress on May 13, 1912, and ratified on April 8, 1913, the 17th Amendment modified Article I, Section 3, of the Constitution by allowing voters to cast direct votes for U.S. senators. Prior to its passage, senators were chosen by state legislatures. The 17th Amendment was the result of the rise of “Progressivism,” pushed by intellectuals and social reformers who believed that our constitutional system of government was outdated and needed to be reformed. -
The Clayton Act
Federal antitrust law underwent both procedural and substantive changes as a result of the Clayton Act. In essence, the act forbids certain kinds of behavior that are not thought to be in the best interests of a competitive market in order to prevent anticompetitive behaviors before they have a chance to develop. This law aims to promote fair competition and prevent unfair business practices that could harm consumers. -
Keating-Owen Child Labor Act
The Keating-Owen Act of 1916, Congress restricted child labor through its power to regulate interstate commerce. The act limited children's working hours and prohibited the interstate sale of goods produced by child labor. The 1900 census revealed that approximately 2 million children were working in mills, mines, fields, factories, and on city streets across the United States. This was the first child labor bill. It was significant because it was the start to setting limits in child labor -
19th Amendment
The right to vote for American women is constitutionally guaranteed under the 19th amendment. It took many years and difficult struggles to reach this milestone, decades of protests and uprising were necessary for victory. This was very significant for the Progressive Era since it was the start to gaining equal rights for women and it pushed women to fight for other rights beyond the right to vote, like reproductive rights, equal pay and more.