Progressive Era Flashcards
What issue did Upton Sinclair expose? How did he expose this?
Expose the processing industry
Wrote The Jungle which included sections regarding his undercover investigation in the meatpacking industry
Some sausages were processed in the same machines as dead rats. Deeply described how the cattle that is butchered is old and weak and often steerly (covered in red bumps/boils). The meat was then stored in cellars for years and fattened in cruel methods
The Durham Ketchups were using totally different meats than they advertised as being flavored
Other Durham meats labeled “devilled” or “potted” included random separate meats and chemicals.
Reforms inspired by Upton Sinclair’s work
The Jungle was an instant bestseller and was popular among progressives
Many sent letters to Pres. Theodore Roosevelt demanding reform. The White House sent a special correspondent to investigate and confirmed the horrors. Roosevelt demanded Congress to reform the meatpacking business and soon passed the Meat Inspection Act- every processing place would be inspected by officials
Congress also established the Pure Food & Drug Act- every processed food must be correctly labeled and not mislead customers
What issue did Jacob Riis expose? How did he expose this?
Published How the Other Half Lives which informs the public about the struggles of immigrants.
He exposes the crowded living tenementsShared the desperation of the poor in cities
Reforms inspired by Jacob Riis’s work
Showed public health officials some of the city tenements leading to the destruction of several tenements
Riis then served as secretary of the Advisory Committee and convinced city officials to replace a tenement with a park
Collected funds to restore Sea Breeze Hospital
What issue did Nelly Bly expose? How did she expose this?
Published “Ten Days in Madhouse”
Spent 10 days in an insane asylum to investigate and report the cruel conditions
Chronicled the rotten and disgusting food-the exposing and freezing baths- the unnecessarily painful combing- the extremely rude and violent to the point of deadly behavior of the nurses and staff
Reforms inspired by Nelly Bly’s work
Encouraged launching of several investigations
The investigations lead to raised funds for care in asylums by $850,000
Strict guidelines for hospital admission, more regulation for asylums.
What issue did Ida Tarbell expose? How did she expose this?
Wrote The History of Standard Oil which attacked John Rockefeller and his trust
Tarbell claimed that Rockefeller’s trust/monopoly used underhanded methods to put competitors out of business
Reforms inspired by Ida Tarbell’s work
The Standard Oil trust was broken up by the government using the Sherman Antitrust ActThis was one of the first trusts/monopolies to be broken up
What issue did Ida Wells expose? How did she expose this?
Published pamphlets and newspapers articles exposing lynching of African Americans in the South
Reforms inspired by Ida Well’s work
No specific reforms passed but she was relentless in her pursuit to bring awareness to the issue even at great expense to herself
What caused the massive spike in new roles for women?
women had fewer children
new technologies reduced some of the housework they were responsible for products that used to be homemade could now be bought cheaply in stores
What were the effects of women looking for jobs outside the home?
women took jobs as telephone operators, store clerks, typists, teachers and nurses
women were expected to quit their jobs when they got married, thus ending their careers
Carry A. Nation
a progressive leader whose family experience with alcoholism led to her using dramatic methods to get alcohol banned (smashing bottles with a hatchet)
Women’s Christian Temperance Union
fought for the ban on alcohol
Women often suffered the worst effect of alcohol:
drunk; domestic violence, financial hardship, crime, no time with family
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
first President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
Susan B. Anthony
NAWSA president; fought to get women’s suffrage one state at a time
Carrie Chapman Catt
NAWSA president; helped get President Wilson’s support during World War I
How did World War I help get women the right to vote?
Carrie Chapman Catt supported President Woodrow Wilson and promised female support for the war effort at home during World War I. Many women took the jobs of men drafted into the military and helped keep the economy going. In return, Wilson urged Congress to grant women suffrage.
William Howard Taft
Taft was picked by Roosevelt to succeed him and carry on his Progressive reforms
He filed twice as many antitrust suits as TR
Sixteenth Amendment: established the first graduated income tax
Seventeenth Amendment: allowed voters to elect their two senators
Republican
Woodrow Wilson
Clayton Antitrust Act: banned some business practices that limited competition; gave the govt. more power to fight trusts; legalized strikes
Federal Reserve Act: increased the flexibility of currency by controlling the money supply and interest rates
Wilson was from the South, believed in segregation, and supported it in the government
Democrat
What was a major reason why Wilson one the election?
TR formed his own party (Bull Moose Party), making republicans voters spilt. This gave Wilson the election.
16th Amendment
graduated income tax (the more you make, the more you pay)
One six – makes me sick
17th Amendment
voters elect their state’s 2 senators instead of politicians picking them
one seven – Senator Kevin
18th Amendment
banned alcohol from 1919-1933
One eight – stay straight
19th Amendment
gave women the right vote
One nine – she’s fine
21st Amendment
repealed (canceled) the 18th Amendment
two one – let’s have fun
Theodore Roosevelt
Republican president during the Progressive Era. Roosevelt pursued various reforms successfully unlike most of his predecessors.
Square Deal
meant fairness for all Americans as a square’s sides are all equal. He wanted businesses, consumers, and workers to be treated fairly and have equal access to success to opportunity under his presidency. He did not want to favor anyone.
During TR’s presidency he was known for:
Trustbuster
Helping workers
Conservationist
Cleaned up the food industry
Sherman Antitrust Act:
a law that prevented the formation of monopolies and trusts. This law was not enforced for over a decade until Theodore Roosevelt became president (nicknamed a trustbuster for breaking up 44 trusts).
How did TR help workers?
During a coal miner strike in Pennsylvania, he threatened to send in troops to run the mines. This forced the mine owners to negotiate with the workers which set a precedent that he would protect worker rights.
How was TR a conservationist?
He set aside millions of acres of land to be protected from development or exploitation; he created the US Forest Service to help promote conservation, controlling how America’s natural resources were used.
How did TR clean up the food industry?
Passed the Pure Food & Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act in response to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
