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Eugene Debs
Eugene Debs was a labor leader who helped organzie the socialist party in 1901. She disliked the uneven balances between big business's, government, and the public under the free-market system of capitalism. -
Teddy Roosevelt
During his presidency, Roosevelt was an effective advocate for “trust-busting,” he broke up enormous monopolies that had controlled prices and prevented competition. He also advocated for fair trade and pro-labor laws, including a decreased workweek, child labor restrictions, and workplace safety rules. Teddy focosed on protecting social wellfare, and creating econimic reform, and fostering effiency. -
William Jennings Bryan
Bryan was in congress for two terms, but never became president. In 1901, he created a newspaper called "the Commoner" which ran for twelve years. Bryan recognized he would never be a president, so he aided Woodrow Wilson, and was appointed Secretary of State. This supported the Progressive era by influencing the government. -
H.G Welles
Wells was a scientific fiction author. He beleived Darwins ideas and wrote books supporting his theories. Welles believed that people under a certain intelligence should not reproduce because we should create our species to thrive. He pushed for change throughout the progressive movement. -
Elkins Act ( Business Reform)
The Elkins Act makes it a crime for railroads to grant freight rates other than those which they have published. This act also made it illegal for railroads to give, and shippers to receive, rebates for using particular railroads. This act is a buisness reform because it is regulating rules for companies. This is a progressive reform because it is protecting the social wellfare of the farmers. -
Ida Tarbell (muckraker)
Ida Tarbell was a muckraker who wrote of the unfair business practices of John D Rockefeller in McClure's monthly magazine. In Tarbell's "The History of the Standard Oil Company" she exposed the ruthlessness in whick John D Rockefeller had turned his oil business into and all-powerful monopoly. In her works Tarbell describes how Standard Oil used lower transportation rates to drive out smaller refineries. Her works help to improve and protect social wellfare. -
Robert La Follette
Under the leadership of "Fighting Bob" Wisconson led th way to leading big buisiness. During his governorships he persuaded the legislature to pass legislation to tax the railroads, establish a transportation commission to regulate the railroads, reform the state civil service, and create direct primaries for party candidates. Follettes influence helped the progressive party to create economic reform and also to protect social wellfare. -
The Hepburn Act (Corrupt Practices Reform)
The Hepburn Act of 1906 limited to distribution of free railroad passes, a common form of bribery for the railroad bussiness's. The act also gave the ICC power to set maximum railroad rates. The passage of this act boosted government power to regulate the railroads. This is act is an example of a corrupt practice reform because the railroad companies were showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain and the act provided a way to end this corruption. -
The Jungle
The release of this political fiction novel, written by Upton Sinclair, created public outrage. The Novel exposed shocking details of the meatpacking industry in Chicago. The novel raised public wareness and promoted congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act. Upton Sinclaires novel helped to improve the socail wellfare of the public. -
Meat Inspection Act (Public Service Reform)
This act dictated strict cleanliness requirments for meatpackers. This act also created a program of federal meat inspection. This inspection program was in use until it was replaced by more sopisticated techniques in the 1900's. This act can be categorized as a publice service reform because it is protecting the health of the general public by providing safe and clean food products. -
Charles Evan Hughes
In 1906, Hughes became governer of New York. As governer he established more effective labor legislation, insurance reforms, and he created the Public Service Commission. Each act was backed by the support of the Progressives as he tried to make a difference. In 1910 he became a member of the Supreme Court. Finally, he ran for President in 1916 but lost to Wilson. -
Hiram Johnson
Governer of California in 1910, Hiram Johnson, was against corruption and all for progress. He supported the initiative, referendum and recall processes along with other progressive ideas. He contributed to changes made in California's state constitution in order to give more power to the people. -
Labor Reform
Supporters of Florance Kelley, a feminist and child labor reformer, and the Progressive Party became frustrated with the unfair employment system. The state of Massachusetts reacted to their complaints and finally set a minimum wage law. This created a set salary for women and children. -
Sixteenth Amendment
The Sixteenth Amendment allows congress to collect income tax, and authorizing the federal government to collect income taxes. The sixteenth ammendment shows projressiveism because it protects social wellfare and reforms the government. -
Seventeenth Ammendment
Before 1913 each states legislature had chosen its own united states senator. This put even more power into the hands of party bosses and wealthy corporation heads, To force senetors to be more responsive to the public progressives pushed for the popular election of the senators. Congress aproved the senate in 1912 and the ratification of the senenteenth ammendment in 1913 gave the public more power in the government. -
Woodrow Wilson
Under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, he created Underwood Tarriff reform Act. This act reduced tariffs and introduced a graduated income tax, charged American manufacturers who wanted to sell their goods overseas, required banks to keep a certain level of assets on hand to meet customer demand, and made it more difficult for private industry to take natural resources from public lands. This is an example of how Woodrow Wilson acts on progressivism because this acts protects social wellfare. -
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a feminist by philosophy. In those days before women's suffrage she believed that women should make their voices heard in legislation and therefore should have the right to vote. In January, 1915, she accepted the chairmanship of the Women's Peace Party, an American organization, and four months later the presidency of the International Congress of Women convened at The Hague largely. Jame Addams was a progressive because she pushed for womens rights and social reform. -
Keating Owen Act (Social Justice Reform)
This act prohibited the transportation of goods produced by child labor across state lines. Two years after this act was passed, the Supreme court deemed the act unnconstitutional due to interference with states rights' to regulate labor. After the act was deemed unconctitutional reformers effected legislation and banned child labor and set maximum hours for children. This act is considered a social justice reform because it is providing justice to the children. -
18th amendment
The Eighteenth Amendment effectively established the prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the United States illegal. The production, transport and sale of alcohol was no longer tolerated in the states. The amendment was repealed in 1933 by the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, the only time ever in US history that a constitutional amendment was repealed. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the full right to vote. The Amendment was supported by progressivism because it supported women's suffrage and helped create equal rights for women.
