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The Rise of the Writers
As the social problems of the country increased, many writers seized this time to create novels about the obscured views of the US. Theodore Dreiser, Edith Wharton,and Herbert Croly all added to the intellectual views of the corrupt machines and people in the counry. They wrote about the closemindedness of society and the greediness of certain heads of business. (Page 551) -
Passing the New York State Tenement House Act
A settlement house worker named Lawrence Veiller pushed until this act was finally passed in 1901. The law required new tenements to be built in open air and light to eliminate disease. It also said that the buildings must have at least one bathroom per three rooms. Before this act, there had been only one bathroom per floor. (Page 554) -
National Child Labor Comittee
Florence Kelley, a reformist, organized this comittee after she saw the harsh conditions of the women and children working in the mills. She pressed the courts and states to pass laws making these conditions illegal. By 1912, labor laws had been passed in 39 states. (Page 553) -
"Tweed's Days in St. Louis" is published
Lincoln Steffens and Claude Wetmore began the first ever type of journalism called 'muckraking'. This explains the people who write about the corruption of politics and people, by 'raking' up the filth. They compared Tweed's ring in New York City to what was happening then. (Page 549) -
Muller v. Oregon Case
An employer challenged the 10-hour-workday law, and whether or not it applies to both men and women. Louis D. Brandeis, a brilliant lawyer, was hired to argue the case. The court came upon the decision that woman's physical structure is restricting or qualifying the conditions she may work under. (Page 555) -
Plan for Redesigning Chicago
A leading architect and city planner named Daniel Burnham helped to produce a plan for the city, along with other members at The First National Conference on City Planning. They planned to create Chicago to be a city that inspires residents to be good citizens. Unfortunately, most of his work was never actually completed. (Page 559) -
The Creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
An influential African American, W.E.B. Du Bois and a group of his fellow African Americans met in New York Ciy to talk about the rising unions and their people's place in that. They decided to dedicate the organization to endng racial discrimination. They also created a magazine to preach their beliefs of racial equality to the country. (Page 563) -
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
New York City's Triangle Waistshirt Company was known for its women laborers and poor conditions. On March 25th, as the workers were leaving at the end of their six-day week, a fire broke out in the rag bin. The eighth floor was consumed in flames, and soon the rest of the building followed. Many women were trapped and jumped to their death or perished in the flames. All in all, 140 workers died. (Page 554) -
The Creation of the Society of American Indians
The Society of American Indians was created when 50 middle-class proffessionals gathered for a meeting. They decided to spend their efforts on improving civil rights, education, health, and government. However, they also faced the problems about whether they should conform to the society, or fight for their heritage. (Page 564) -
IWW Strike
The Industrial Workers of the World had their largest strike in 1912. They led 10,000 textile mill workers on a strike against their employers. Their main demands were for wage increases and shortened hours. After two months of strike, the employers finally gave in. (Page 557)
