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Women's Christian Temperance Union
Advocated prohibition and used the idea that women were pure and morally superior as a rallying point. -
Interstate Commerce Act
The Interstate Commerce Act was designed to regulate the railroads and reduce its monopolistic practices such as forcing railroads to have reasonable rates, but did not give the government the power to fix rates. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act banned companies from forming monopolies, and was the first step in Congress' antitrust movement. -
Ida B. Wells
Exposed the statistics on African American lynches and urged Blacks to boycott white owned shops and public transportation -
National American Woman Suffrage Association
Major advocate for the right for women to vote. -
How The Other Half Lives
An early publication of photojournalism by Jacob Riis which exposed horrid living conditions in New York City slums during the 1880s. -
Anti-Saloon League
Lobbied for the prohibition of alcohol. -
Eugene V. Debs
Leader of the National Railroad Union and candidate for the Socialist Party 5 times. Called for labor reforms and was outspoken against big business. -
Anthracite Coal Strike
Pennsylvanian workers struck for higher wages, better conditions, and improved hours. Roosevelt summoned both sides to the white house and eventually, under the threat of seizure and federal troops, reached a compromise of a 10% increase and pay, and a reduction of a 9 hour work day -
Lincoln Steffens
With a series of articles titled "The Shame of the Cities," he exposed the rampant corruption between big business and municipal government. -
Square Deal Policies
A series of decisions and compromises orchestrated by Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency that mainly called for an even compromise between businessmen and laborers. Roosevelt reflected three basic goals: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection. The first instance of this doctrine occurred during the Anthracite Coal Strike. -
Margaret Sanger
Advocated for birth control education, and the movement eventually evolved into Planned Parenthood -
Northern Securities Antitrust
J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill had formed a railroad monopoly, violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. Roosevelt attacked the Northern Securities Trust and the court upheld Roosevelt's antitrust suit and ordered for them to be dissolved -
Elkins Act
Basically an amendment to the Interstate Commerce Act, this allowed the ICC to impose heavy fines on railroads who offered rebates and shippers who accepted them. -
Department of Commerce and Labor
This short lived Cabinet department eventually split off into the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor. Its functions were mainly to handle the domestic economy, businesses, and protect workers rights -
Ida Tarbell
A leading muckraker who exposed the corruption of the oil industry. -
John Dewey
Considered the father of progressive education, was a philosopher who believed in "learning by doing" which formed the foundation of progressive education. -
Robert La Follette
In Wisconsin, as governor he would push and establish progressive ideas and reforms such as railroad regulation, tax reforms, and direct primaries. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
Banned the sale of unsafe and mislabeled food and drugs, it gave the government broad powers to ensure the safety drugs in order to abolish the "patent" drug trade. Still in existence as the FDA. -
Meat Inspection Act
This act banned the mislabeling and adulteration of meat in the US, and ensured that meat was being handled in safe and sanitary conditions when being sold as food. -
The Jungle
Written by Upton Sinclair, this as a major muckraking novel. It exposed the awful conditions in Chicago stockyards, which in turn resulted in the Pure Food and Drug Act being passed. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
A fatal fire in a sweatshop in NYC that began a national movement for safer working conditions. Approximately 146 people died in the fire. -
Progressive (Bull Moose) Party
A dissident faction within the Republican party who rejected the conservative views of its other members and split off. Chose Theodore Roosevelt as their nomination for the election of 1912. It called for political nomination reform and social reforms. -
17th Amendment
Calls for the election of senators through a direct popular vote instead of appointment by state legislatures. -
Underwood Tariff
Its purpose was to reduce levies on manufactured and semi-manufactured goods and to eliminate duties on most raw materials. It reimposed the income tax after the 16th amendment and lowered basic tariffs from 40% to 25%. -
Federal Reserve Act
Established the Federal Reserve, which would serve as the central bank of the US and provide economic stability. Congress is given the power to amend it, which it has done so several times throughout the years. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
This act strengthens the Sherman Antitrust Act, which created many loopholes for companies to use. Instead of banning monopolies, the Clayton Antitrust Act banned specific business practices that reduce competition -
Federal Trade Commission
Established to protect consumer rights and to protect competition, such as outlawing monopolies. -
Keating-Owen Child Labor Act
This act prohibited the shipment and sale of products manufactured by children under 14 years old. The Supreme Court ruled this as unconstitutional in 1918 in Hammer vs. Dagenhart -
18th Amendment
This amendment began Prohibition by outlawing the sale, distribution, manufacturing, and consumption of alcohol. -
19th Amendment
Granted suffrage to women.
