Unit 3-5
The Progressive Era
Part 2
Pages 313 – 316
Answer A-C
I. The Early Progressives
A. Muckrakers published articles
in magazines and newspapers
exposing abuses and
corruption and stimulating a
public outcry for reform.
1. Ida Tarbell exposed the
unfair business practices of
Rockefeller in her History of
the Standard Oil Company.
2. Upton Sinclair exposed the
unhealthy practices of the
meat-packing industry in
The Jungle.
B. Social reformers like Jane
Addams established “settlement
houses” for the poor; others
formed associations and clubs to
promote social change, such as
the National Woman Suffrage
Associations, the NAACP and the
Anti-Defamation League.
C. Municipal reformers cleaned up
city government by eliminating
political machines and
introducing new forms of
municipal government such as
by a commission or a
professional city manager.
Hull House, Chicago
II. Progressive Reforms in
State Government
A. Progressives elected
state governors and
legislators to
promote reforms.
Examples were
Robert La Follette of
Wisconsin and
Napoleon Broward
of Florida.
B. Progressive Political Reforms
1. Initiative: voters could directly introduce bills into
the state legislature
2. Referendum: voters could repeal a law passed by the
legislature
3. Recall: voters could dismiss elected officials in a
special election
4. Secret ballot
5. Direct primary: party members voted on candidates
to represent their party in running for office
6. 17th Amendment: direct election of US Senators
7. Women’s suffrage: many individual states gave
women the right to vote
III. Progressive Social and Economic Reforms: Many
state governments also passed the following
A. Laws regulating conditions in urban housing
B. Child labor laws
C. Laws regulating safety and health in factories
D. Workman’s compensation for work-related
injuries
E. Laws limiting the number of hours that women
could work in factories
F. Laws conserving natural resources and wild life
G. Laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol (Temperance
Movement)