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Labor Reform: American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was founded in Ohio in May of 1886. It was one of the first federal labor unions in America. The union focused on securing higher wages, better working conditions, and a shorter work week. The AFL mediated arguments within rival unions, proposed unemployment benefits and overall attempted to better the lives of those working in America. -
Muckraker: Jacob Riis
Jacob Riis was a muckraker photographer; a reform minded journalist who investigates and publishes truthful reports. Jacob Riis was a Danish American photographer who captured the horrifying quality of life in the slums of New York City. In 1889 Riis wrote an 18 page article called How the Other Half Lives displaying photographs and drawings of the horrible living conditions. He opened the eyes to people all over America causing them to demand change and turn towards progressive reforms. -
Corrupt Practices Reform: Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed July 2, 1890. It protects the consumer in the capitalist setting of America. The law prohibits any business activities that the government deems anticompetitive. It also requires the government to step up and investigate any trusts or companies suspected of being in violation. It was written by Senator John Sherman, an Ohio Republican. Progressive reformers and American citizens pushed for this act because it eliminates monopolies and benefits the consumer. -
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan ran for president of the United States three times throughout his life, never succeeding in winning the election. He promoted Free Silver, anti-imperialism, trust busting, and was a strong supporter of the prohibition, He lost to both McKinley and Taft. In 1891 he was selected by Woodrow Wilson as the Secretary of State. He was a dominant force in the Democratic party and supported many progressive reforms like the Prohibition and the attack on big businesses. -
Eugene Debs
Eugene Debs was a leading American politician. He was a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies), and ran for President of the United States several times in 1900, 1904, 1908 and 1912. He helped found the Social Democratic Party late in 1898 and he supported worker's control of the government and the public's ownership of large industries which helped him gain progressive voters' support. -
Business Reform: Elkins Act
The Elkins act was passed in 1903. The Elkins Act permitted the government to impose heavy fines on railroads that offered rebates and on the shippers that accepted those rebates. Rebates were refunds to businesses which shipped large quantities on the railroads, and many railroad companies disliked it. Railroad corporations, their officers, and their employees, were all made liable for discriminatory practices involving rebates. This progressive reform benefited the railroad workers. -
Public Service Reform: Federal Meat Inspection Act
The Federal Meat Inspection Act was passed in 1906 and prohibited misbranded meat/meat products from being sold as food. It ensured that meat and meat products were slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions. This act also applied to the imported meats which had to undergo extensive examination. The act was motivated by Upton Sinclair's book, The Jungle, which displayed the horrible conditions of meat in America. The act helped people start wanting more reforms and turn towards progress -
H. G. Wells
Herbert George "H. G." Wells was an English writer during the Progressive Era. He is known as the father of science fiction and has written many novels including The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The Island of Doctor Moreau. In January 1906 he published The Future in America: A Search After Realities. The novel calls attention to many issues of America in that time and insists upon reforms; promoting progressivism. -
Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair was a muckraker in the Progressive Era. A muckraker is a reform minded journalist who investigates and publishes truthful reports. In February of 1906, Upton Sinclair published a muckraking novel entitled The Jungle. Sinclair spent seven weeks undercover in a Chicago meatpacking plant in order to reveal the truth about the meat industry. The results, including disgusting conditions and unsanitary meat, horrified people and caused a rush towards the change in progressive reforms. -
Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes was heavily involved in government for most of his life. He was the senator of New York from 1907-1910. He was the Republican Presidential Candidate in 1916 against Woodrow Wilson. Although he was a Republican he supported some Progressive reforms but he lost to President Wilson in 1912 in an extremely close election and decided against running again. -
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson was a leading American progressive reformer. He served as the 23rd governor from 1911 to 1917 and as a U.S. Senator from 1917 to 1945. He was Theodore Roosevelt's running mate in the 1912 presidential election for the Progressive party. In 1919 he became leader of the Progressive party due to Roosevelt's death. He was a strong advocator for reforms like women's suffrage and other progressive ideas. -
Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt was the Republican president of the United States from 1901-1909. In 1912, he wanted to run for a third term but was rejected by the Republican party for being "too liberal". He was then asked to represent the progressive party, also known as the bull-moose party, in the upcoming election; which he lost to Woodrow Wilson. -
16th Amendment
The 16th Amendment was passed by Congress on July 2nd, 1909 and ratified February 3rd, 1913. It stated that Congress had the right to impose a federal income tax. This tax would help pay the debt from the civil war and give the heaviest burden to the wealthy. Progressives in Congress pushed for a federal income tax and the Conservatives had finally agreed doubting that it could get ratified by three-fourths of the state. To their surprise, it did and the amendment was put into action in 1913. -
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States. He came into office March 4, 1913. Wilson was an important leader in the Progressive movement. He persuaded Congress to pass many Democratic reforms including the Federal Reserve Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Federal Farm Loan Act and an income tax. He supported women suffrage and child labor was reduced by the Keating–Owen Act of 1916, but the U.S. Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in 1918. -
17th Amendment
In the U.S. senate there was allowed two senators for each state, each given a six year term. Prior to the seventeenth amendment, senators were chosen by the state legislature who was easily manipulated and corrupted. Progressive reforms called the senate a "millionaire’s club" only voting for what benefited their private interests. The seventeenth amendment stopped the corruption in the senate and gave the individual people the right to choose their own representation in the senate. -
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a leading reformer in the progressive era. She was a leader in the women's suffrage movement as well as world peace. She was the first American woman to be awarded the Noble Peace Prize. She was an advocator for the needs of children, public health, and world peace. In January of 1915, Addams was elected the first president of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. -
Social Justice Reform: Keating–Owen Act
The Keating–Owen Act, also known as the Wicks's Bill, addressed child labor in America. The bill was named after Edward Keating and Robert Latham Owen. It prohibited the sale of any goods that were manufactured in a factory that employed children under fourteen, mines that employed children under sixteen, and any facility where children under sixteen worked at night or more than eight hours daily. Once again, it attracted progressive reformers and helped take a step in the right direction. -
18th Amendment
The 18th amendment effectively established a prohibition of alcoholic beverages in America. It declared the production, transport, and sale of alcohol illegal although the consumption and private possession of it was still allowed. Although President Wilson vetoed the bill it was passed on October 29, 1919 and put into action January 17, 1920. Progessive reformers supported this bill because they viewed alcohol as a social evil that caused the breakdown of marriages, violence and abuse. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment prohibits any United States citizen to be denied the right to vote based on their sex. The women's suffrage movement was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony. Progressives supported women suffrage because, similar to women, they wanted change to the way the government was run and they expected a large amount of support from new women voters, -
Robert La Follette
Robert La Follette, also known as fighting Bob, was a republican who turned into a progressive politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and served on the U.S. Senate representing Wisconsin. Follette was a great advocator for progressive reforms. He was an opponent of railroad trusts, bossism, and War. Follette ran for president in the 1924 election representing the progressive party. He lost, receiving 17% of the electoral votes.
