Period 7 Flashcards
(36 cards)
Progressive Era
Reaction to Gilded Age
Public mobilization + focus on using government to effect change
Motivated by fear + hope
Progressivism
Political + social movement to improve society
Inspired by
Populists:
Both against laissez-faire, monopolies, and trusts, but Progressives focused urban, Populist focused rural
Social Gospel:
Both aimed to improve conditions of unfortunate, but social Gospel religion-focused
Progressivism Legacy
Better workplace safety, wages, and hours (largely due to Triangle Shirtwaist Fire)
Child labor laws
Women’s rights
Failed to make real gains for minorities or those suffering from racism
Americans expect more from their government
End of the Progressive Era
WWI: US has to focus on war, not social change
First Red Scare
Widespread fear of far-left ideologies, radicals, and immigrants, fueled by the Russian Revolution
Muckrakers
Journalists who revealed corruption in a variety of industries in order to prompt reform
Ex: Upton Sinclair (The Jungle, meat industry)
Ida Tarbell (Standard Oil Company)
Jacob Riis (slums)
Ida B. Wells (US justice system/racism)
Yellow Journalists
Made sensationalist news accounts meant to provoke an emotional response in readers; contributed to growing support for American intervention in Cuban independence war
Progressive Amendments
16: Allowed federal govt to collect an income tax
17: Direct election of US Senators
18: Prohibition
19: Women’s suffrage
Theodore Roosevelt internal policies
Square Deal: Plan to provide economic and political stability to the nation by guaranteeing the rights of everyday workers and protecting business interests
Trust busting: filed 44 antitrust suits under Sherman Antitrust Act (not against trusts; thought they should be regulated)
Cooperation, conservation, food regulation (Pure Food + Drug Act), civil rights
William Howard Taft internal policies
TR’s handpicked successor, but was un-progressive (not popular with public or reform Republicans)
Woodrow Wilson internal policies
New Freedom: attack “triple wall of privilege”: trusts, tariffs, high finance
Underwood Tariff Act (reduced import duties/tariffs, created progressive income tax)
16th Amendment (federal income tax)
Creation of Federal Reserve System (National Banking System + provided fairer interest rates)
Clayton Antitrust Act: prevented companies from gathering stock from another company (anti-monopoly) + supported workers unions (strengthened Sherman Antitrust Act)
Federal Trade Commission: “watchdog” agency, end unfair business practices, protects consumers from business fraud (today protects from ID theft)
Adamson Act: 8 hour workday + overtime pay for railroad workers
Keating-Owen Act: outlawed child labor in interstate commerce
Workmen’s Compensation Act: provided insurance for federal employees in case of injury
Women federal suffrage
Roosevelt external policies
Big Stick Policy: working quietly and patiently to achieve overseas goals but use force in necessary (intimidation)
Roosevelt Corollary: international police power + Monroe Doctrine
Taft external policies
Dollar Diplomacy: policy developed based on economic goals
Wilson external policies
Moral Diplomacy: Based on democratic ideals instead of economic investments or use of force
Promised that US would be more concerned with human rights than economic interests, but intervened in Latin America + Caribbean more than either Taft or Roosevelt
Believed American interests best served by supporting democracy + value of self-determination
US Imperialism
Cause: Fluctuating business and depression of 1890s → larger push for foreign markets
New generation on men wanted to prove “manliness”
Supported by: white supremacy and “natural right”
Under missionary supervision, foreigners would become consumers of US ideas + products
Jingoists
extremely patriotic supporters of expansion and use of military power
Anti-Imperialist League
Organization founded to oppose annexation on Philippines
Exploiting colonial people
Goes against US heritage of anti colonialism
Would prompt immigration + cause cheap labor/undercut wages
Financial expenses for military forces overseas
Racism
Spanish-American War
US went to war with Spain over Cuba; decided Cuba would be good for US economic + strategic interests
Cuba already winning, US intervened to claim some power postwar
After, US decided Cuba unfit for immediate freedom (Platt Amendment: limited Cuba’s sovereignty)
Causes of WWI
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism
US in WWI
Wilson declares US neutral, secretly supported British
US industry prospers
Espionage + Sedition Acts
Germany issues Unrestricted Submarine Warfare, Wilson warns against it, the sinking of Lusitania and Sussex
Zimmerman Note causes US to join war
After WWI
Fourteen Points: Wilson makes a plan to keep another world war from happening. Allies don’t accept most points (wanted to punish Germany)
League of Nations established to support cooperation + peace (US never joined)
Treaty of Versailles: ended WWI with Germany taking most of the punishment and blame
Roaring 20’s Boom
Natural resources, mass production, technological development, laissez-faire, tariffs up/taxes down, advertising
Second KKK
KKK revival against anyone “un-American” (black, immigrant, Catholic, etc)
Connected to surge in Nativism + “Amerianization”
Lost Generation
Generation that became adults WWI and the 1920s who felt that their values were no longer important in post-war America
