American Federation of Labor
(AFL)
this was an early union which hoped to organize all working men and women into a single union. This union
pursued social reforms like equal pay for equal work, 8 hour workday, and an end to child labor. They preferred
to use political activity rather than strikes, however, it was a series of failed strikes that ultimately led to the
group's decline and disappearance in the 1890's.
Booker T.
Washington
Washington was a former slave and a notable African American leader during the Progressive Period. He
founded the Tuskegee Institute and advocated blacks advancing themselves through economic freedom attained
by excelling in teaching, agriculture, and blue collar fields. he did not oppose segregation and was greatly
criticized by certain African Americans like W.E.B DuBois
boycotts
This is the act of refusing to buy or pay for certain services or products
in the hopes of forcing producers to change their policies or action.
child
labor
this is a practice in which children, some as young as five, would have to work rather than go to
school for families to survive. It led to children missing out on school and becoming trapped in
poverty.
civil
rights
These are the rights guaranteed to citizens under the US
constitution.
Clayton Antitrust
Act
The law signed by Wilson in 1914 made strikes, peaceful picketing, and boycotts legal. It also
meant that employers could no longer use antitrust laws to put down strikes or break up unions.
closed shops
This is a workplace in which employers
can only hire union members, thereby
forcing employers to deal with the union.
collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process in which employees negotiate as a group
rather than as individuals in an effort to increase their bargaining power.
de facto
segregation
This is segregation which is not officially sanctioned by law
but rather evolves due to economic or social factors.
de jure
segregation
This is segregation based on Jim Crow Laws.
Direct
Primary
A direct primary is the process by which
the people choose the candidates for
public office rather than having them be
chosen by party bosses
disenfranchisement
The act of denying a certain group of
people the right to vote. It was a primary
meaning for suppressing African
American in the South after the end of
reconstruction.
Eighteenth
Amendment
This amendment was added to the US Constitution during the Progressive Era; it prohibited the
making, selling, or transporting of alcoholic beverages. It was later repealed.
Eugene
Debs
Debs was an influential union leader who was the head of the American Railway. Union and led the
famed Pullman strike. He eventually ran for presidents several times as a socialist.
Federal Reserve
Act
This law was passed by Congress in 1913 established the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve
gave the government greater control over the circulation of money and helped prevent bank
failures.
grandfather
clauses
These were clauses stating that anyone who had voted in prior elections, or whose ancestors had voted, were
exempt from voting requirements. (i.e. poll taxes and literacy test) Since this usually only applied to whites,
grandfather clauses were often used to enable poor literate whites to vote will still disenfranchising blacks.
Great Migration
This term applied to the period during WWI in which thousands of African Americans left the South
to migrate to the big cities of the North in search of jobs and opportunities created by the war.
Great Strike
The first major case of nationwide labor unrest, it occurred in 1877 and involved the nation's
railroad. President Hayes eventually sent in federal troops to put down the protests. It showed
business owners that they could appeal to the government for help in dealing with striking workers.
Haymarket Riot
The violent incident occurred in Chicago's Haymarket Square in 1886 as part of a national labor demonstration.
During the rally, a bomb exploded and a riot broke out that resulted in several deaths. The incident turned public
opinion against the unions as many began to identify strikes with anarchy and violence.
Homestead Strike
This was a strike among steelworkers in 1892 at Carnegie's steel plat. It became violent with
strikers and Pinkerton agents started shooting at one another. The strike ended when the public
views the strikers as instigators of the violence.
Hull House
Hull House serves as a center from which poor workers and immigrant received needed help. It
also served a a launching pad for investigations into economic, political, and social conditions in
the city of Chicago.
Ida Wells-Barnett
Barnett was an advocate of civil rights and women's rights. She was also known for her campaign
against segregation on railway cars prior to the plessy decision.
initiative
An initiative is a process which allows for
citizens to force the state legislature to
vote on particular issue.
injuctions
Injunctions are court orders that forbade strikes because
they violated the law of threatened public interests.
Jacob Riis
Riis was a photographer and writer who drew attention to the
horrible living conditions in city tenements.
Jane Addams
Addams opened Hull House in Chicago and aided poor
workers and immigrants.
Jim Crow
Laws
These laws established segregation by requiring whites and
blacks to use separate facilities.
labor unions
Labor unions were organizations of workers that arose during the age of
industrialization. They were intended to protect the interest of members.
literacy test
These were test requiring citizens t prove they were literate before they would be allowed to vote.
Since many African American in the 1800s and early 1900s were illiterate, these test effectively
disenfranchised blacks.
Mann-Elkins
Act
This was an act signed by President Taft which expanded the power of the
Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate telephone and telegraph rates.
Marcus
Garvey
Gravey was an important African American figure in the Progressive
Era. He is perhaps best known for his "back to Africa" movement.
Muckrakers
The term was applied to writers of the Progressive Era who exposed abuses in government and
industry. The name was applied to them by President Theodore Roosevelt.
NAACP
Founded by W.E.B. DuBois and others in 1909, the organization
devoted itself to the progress of Aferican Americans.
Nineteenth
Amendment
The stated ratified the 19th amendment to the Constitution in
1920. It gave women the right to vote in national elections.
Plessy v.
Ferguson
In this case 1896 Supreme Court case, the court ruled that de jure segregation is lawful as long as
the separate facilities/ services were equal. It meant that segregation was legal.
poll
taxes
The technicality required members of a state to pay a special tax to before they
could vote. since most African Americans in the late 1800's and early 1900s
were poor, poll taxes were an effective means of disenfranchising blacks.
Progressive Era
The progressive Era began about the beginning of the 1900's. During this period, government
officials and citizens called for reforms in business, politics, society, and economic reforms came
bout during this period.
Progressive
Party
This was a third party formed by Progressive Republicans who supported Theodore Roosevelt for president in
1912. Its platform reminded many of the old populist movement because they called for a number of reforms.
Among these were better working conditions, more regulation of business, women's suffrage, and an end to child
labor.
Pullman Strike
This was the last great nationwide strike. It involved the railroad industry and was led by Eugene Debs. The strike
ended when the strikers disrupted the US mail and the president sent in federal troops to enforce federal
injunction against the union. This strike established the precedence of factory owners appealing to courts to end
strikes.
recall
A recall is a process accepted by many
states during the Progressive Era in
which special elections could be held to
remove corrupt officials from office before
their rime had expired.
Referendum
A referendum is a process adopted by
many states in which public officials are
elected by popular vote rather than party
bosses of state legislatures.
Samuel Gomper
Gomper was leader ofAFL.
secret
ballot
A secret ballot is a voting process in
which individuals vote secretly, thereby
removing fear of reprisal.
segreation
This was separation of races (mostly notably in the US
between whites and blacks)
Settlement
Houses
Settlement Houses were houses in urban areas in which reformers wanting to serve the poor and
immigrants would live and from which they would assists the urban working class.
Seventeenth
Amendment
This amendment added to the US Constitution during the Progressive Era established the election
of Senators directly by the people rather than by state legislatures.
Sixteenth
Amendment
This amendment added to the US Constitution during the
Progressive Era established the federal income tax.
strikes
Strikes were a method used by unions in which employees
refused to to report for work until certain demands are met.
Susan B Anthony
Susan B. Anthony was one of the most recognized leaders of
the women's suffrage movement.
Temperance Movement
This was a movement that originally wanted to limit, and
eventually advocated eliminating, alcohol.
Theodore
Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest man ever to be elected as president. e was perceived as
siding with strikers rather than management during the Anthracite Coal Mine Strike of 1902.
W.E.B Du
Bois
DuBois was the first black PhD from Harvard, an African American leader who disagreed with Booker T.
Washington and felt the blacks must seek to achieve intellectually as well. He advocated legal, social, and
political activity on the part of African American, and he criticized Washington for his acceptance of segregation.
He started the Niagara Movement and was the key figure in founding the NAACP.
William Howard
Taft
Williams Howard Taft was elected president
after Roosevelt. Like his good friend
Roosevelt, he also championed a number of
progressive causes; however he could never
gain the full support of Progressives within the
Republican party and lost the 1912 election.
Woman's Suffrage Movement
This was a reform movement hat called for women to have the
right to vote. It led to the passage of the 19th amendment.
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson won the 1912 election and opposed both big business and big
government. His supported Congress in passing the Federal Reserve Act.