Progressive Era Overview

Food Regulation Upton Sinclair and The Jungle – A muckraker who wrote a book that highlighted the labor and food conditions of the meat packing industry Meat Inspection Act – Required federal inspection of meat processing to ensure sanitary conditions Pure Food and Drug Act – Outlawed interstate transportation of impure or distilled foods and the deliberate mislabeling of food and drugs

Muckrakers Jacob Riis and Tenements – Well known urban reformer who used writings and photographs to show the need for better housing Jane Adams and Settlement Houses – A progressive that pushed for women’s suffrage, labor reform, immigrant housing, etc… Hull House – A settlement founded by Jane Adams in Chicago, which offered people (especially immigrants) education, child care, social activities, and help finding jobs

Muckrakers Cont. Lincoln Steffens and The Shame of the Cities – Investigated corruption in municipal government in American cities 17th Amendment – Direct election of senators by the people (reduced the influence of the corporations or political bosses) Ida Tarbell and Standard Oil – Muckraker who wrote about the Standard Oil Company, which highlighted Rockefeller’s oil monopoly

Temperance and Prohibition Prohibition and the 18th Amendment – Outlawed/banned the making, selling, and transportation of alcohol (1919) Carrie A Nation – Radically fought for prohibition with vandalism and extreme measures 21st Amendment – Repealed (cancelled) the 18th Amendment

Women’s Rights 19th Amendment (suffrage) – In 1920, the amendment was ratified giving women the right to vote Susan B Anthony – A leader for women’s suffrage Alice Paul – A leader for women’s suffrage through aggressive measures including picketing, shouting, and acting “unlady-like”

African American Rights Jim Crow Laws – Laws created to segregate whites from blacks KKK – Extreme organization that fights for white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration Lynching – the illegal execution of a minority, usually through hanging Literacy Test – Test given to immigrants and blacks which required them to be literate to vote Poll Tax – Tax required to vote (most blacks and immigrants could not pay it, so they could not vote) Grandfather Clause – Blacks were given the right to vote as long as their grandfather had the right to vote NAACP – Organization focused on eliminating discrimination and creating equal rights for all people regardless of race or skin color

Discrimination towards Immigrants Nativism – Favoring the status for established inhabitants of a nation compared to newcomers or immigrants Steerage – The ship that was the cheapest form of transportation for immigration from Europe Ellis Island – An island off the shore of NY, NY; most immigrants come through Ellis Island before entering the US Immigration Quotas – Limited the number of immigrants who could enter the US and attempted to prevent immigrants from taking American jobs Chinese Exclusion Act – Restricted all immigration from China

Regulating Business Trust-busting – Break up of all trusts or organizations that are corrupt Sherman Anti-Trust Act – Prohibits certain business activities that federal government regulators deem to be anti-competitive Clayton Anti-Trust Act – Strengthened the government’s control over business practices that threatened competition, prevented price-fixing, and from buying stocks from competitors’ firms Monopolies – Businesses that own a majority of the market Triangle Shirt Waste Factory Fire – One of the deadliest industrial disasters. It highlighted the dangers and unsafe working conditions of workers

Conservation Theodore Roosevelt was interested in protecting the environment and wilderness lands Conservation – Preserving, protecting, or restoring the natural environment and wildlife

Federal Reserve System Federal Reserve Act – Divided the banking system into 12 districts each with a federal reserve bank. The new banks could: Issue new currency Control the amount of money in circulation Shift money from one bank to another 16th Amendment – Gave Congress the power to levy an income tax