Progressive Era

Progressive Era

1. The Progressive Era was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States. (1890s-1920s)

   • Working Conditions
     • Immigrant living conditions
       • Big business
         • Environmentalism
           • Environmentalism is the concern and action aimed at protecting the environment. This relates to the Progressive Era because conservation was the first nationwide movement in American history and it related to environmental problems.
         • The government intervened in the economy. They broke up trust and regulating railroads along with other industries.
       • Immigrants were forced to live in crowded tenements with poor conditions.
     • During the Progressive Era several states passed legislation that was helpful to labor. There were laws that established a minimum wage for women, maximum work hours, and workmen's compensation. The laws also abolished child labor.
   • Women’s rights
     • Racial discrimination
       • Clayton Antitrust Act
         • Meat Inspection Act
           • This act prohibited the sale of adulterated or misbranded livestock and derived products as food and ensured that livestock were slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions.
         • The Clayton Antitrust Act was a federal law that was passed in order to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies.
       • Racial discrimination refers to the discrimination against individuals on the basis of their race. The National Urban League was established. This was formed in order to end Racial discrimination and would provide economical empowerment to African Americans.
     • The Woman Suffrage Association was formed. This would give women the right to vote and run for office.
   • Pure Food and Drug Act
     • Hull House
       • 19th Amendment
         • national wildlife refuges
           • This is a system that is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States. The refuge is a system of public lands and waters that were set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants.
         • This Amendment stated that the rights of the United States to vote shall not be declined or abridged on the account of sex. This Amendment also gave women the right to vote.
       • The Hull House was known to be a settlement house. These houses were organizations that provided support services to the urban poor and European immigrants. The organizations often included education, healthcare, childcare, and employment resources. The first settlement house in the United States was Hull House, in Chicago. The Hull House was founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Star.
     • This act prevented the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleteriuos food, drugs, medicines, and liquors. The act was signed by President Roosevelt.
   • NAACP
     • Tuskegee Institute
       • National American Suffrage Assoc.
         • Act Woodrow Wilson
           • Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913 to 1921. He signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. This Act was a part of the banking and currency reform plan. It was created to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system.
           • Sherman Antitrust
             • The Sherman Antitrust Act is the definitive antitrust statute that prohibits monopolies or unreasonable combinations of companies to be able to control interstate commerce. It was passed by Congress under the presidency of Benjamin Harrison.
         • This played a pivotal role in the passing of the 19th Amendment. The Association was formed by Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone on February 18, 1890.
       • This was a college for African Americans and was formed in Alabama by Booker T. Washington. The purpose of the college was to educate African Americans as well as to train teachers. It also provided students with both academic and vocational training.
     • This was the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was an organization that was created in order to push for equality of minoritites in society. It was also formed to fight prejudice, lynching, and Jim Crow segregation.
   • Jacob Riis (1849-1914)
     • Alice Paul (1885-1977)
       • John Muir (1838-1914)
         • Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946)
           • He was an American forester and politician. He served as the first chief of the United States Forest Service and was the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania. He is known for reforming the management and development of forests in the U.S. He also advocated the conservation of the nation's reserves by planned use and renewal.
         • He was the founder of the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is an environmental organization in the United States. He was also a conversation leader who convinced Theodore Roosevelt to set aside 148 million acres of land and 50 wildlife sanctuaies. This led to the creation of the National Park service.
       • Alice Paul pushed for women's suffrage. She believed that women should have the right to vote. She was also the one of the founders of the NWP (National Women's Party).
     • He published, "How the Other Half Lives". This exposed the struggle in the lives of immigrants and the urban poor. This would give a sense of how horrible the living conditions were during this time period.
   • Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
     • William Howard Taft (1857-1930)
       • He was the president from 1909 to 1913. He was also chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. William became the only man in history to hold the highest post in both the executive and judicial branches of the U.S. government.
     • He was an African American leader and educator who advocated for a more passive approach that would expand the rights of African Americans. He also headed the Tuskegee institute which was a college for African Americans in Alabama.

2. Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

   • Upton Sinclair ( 1878- 1968)
     • Jane Addams (1860-1935)
       • She was the founder of the Hull House. The house was known to help new immigrant women with job skills, education and art programs in order to make them productive citizens.
     • He was the author of The Jungle. This book exposed the terrible working conditions and unsanitary food preparation in the meat packing industries. This lead to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act.
   • Was the President from 1901 to 1909. He used his power to break up monopolies and began the national parks program.