United States History
Topic 3: America Comes of Age (1890-1920)
3-1 – Progressives Drive Reform
Key Terms
The Progressive Era Begins
Progressivism - movement that believed that industrialization and
urbanization had created troubling social and political problems; they came
from all political parties, social classes, ethnic groups, and religions
Goals of Progressives – firmly believed that new ideas and honest,
efficient government could bring about social justice; Progressives wanted to
bring about reforms that would correct what they saw as problems and
injustices
The Impact of Muckrakers
muckrakers – writer who uncovers and exposes misconduct in
government or business; Theodore Roosevelt coined the term; he agreed
with much of what these writers said; he called them muckrakers because
he thought that they were too fascinated with the ugliest side of things
a muckrake is a tool used to clean manure and hay out of animals’
stables – the writers were angry at first but in time took up Roosevelt’s
taunting name as a badge of honor
Lincoln Steffens – (1866–1936) muckraking reporter for McClure’s
magazine; Steffens wrote articles and books exposing government
corruption at the state and municipal levels.
Jacob Riis – (1849–1914) was a Danish immigrant; in 1888, as a
crime reporter, he turned his camera on the crowded, unsafe, rat-infested
slums where the urban poor lived; in 1890 he published How the Other Half
Lives, it shocked the nation’s conscience and led to reforms
Upton Sinclair – (1878–1968) muckraker journalist and novelist; his
most famous work, The Jungle (1906) related the despair of immigrants
working in Chicago’s stockyards and revealed the unsanitary conditions in
the industry
Reformers Impact Society
Social Gospel – reform movement that emerged in the late
nineteenth century that sought to improve society by applying Christian
principles; it linked biblical ideas about justice and charity to action on social
reform issues
settlement house – community center organized at the turn of the
20th century to provide social services to the urban poor; most were
privately funded and run by volunteers; they gave mothers classes in child
care and taught English to immigrants; they ran nursery schools and
kindergartens; they also provided theater, art, and dance programs for
adults
Jane Addams – (1860–1935) cofounded Hull House, a settlement
house in Chicago, in 1889; she lived and worked out of Hull House for the
rest of her life; a pacifist and determined advocate for women’s suffrage,
Addams wrote many books and lectured widely; she was also committed to
improving the lives of children
John Dewey – (1859-1952) educator that criticized American schools
for teaching children to memorize facts but not to think creatively; he
wanted schools to teach new subjects such as history and geography, as
well as practical skills like cooking and carpentry
Reforms in the Workplace – in the early 1900s, the US had the
highest rate of industrial accidents in the world; long hours, poor ventilation,
hazardous fumes, and unsafe machinery threatened workers’ health and
lives
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire – March 25, 1911 – workers in the
factory had little chance to escape because managers had locked most of the
exits; the fire killed 146 workers, most of them young Jewish women; many
jumped from the windows in desperation
Progressive Reforms Impact Government
Galveston plan – following a massive hurricane in 1900 that killed
more than 8,000 people, Galveston, Texas replaced its mayor and city board
with a five-person commission – each one was an expert in a different area
of city affairs; these new city governments curbed the power of bosses and
their political machines.
by 1918, nearly 500 cities had adopted some form of the Galveston
plan
direct primary – election in which citizens themselves vote to select
nominees for upcoming elections; by 1916 all but four states had direct
primaries
Progressives – also wanted to make sure that elected officials would
follow citizens’ wishes; passed three reforms
initiative – gave people the power to put a proposed new law directly
on the ballot in the next election by collecting citizens’ signatures on a
petition; it empowered the citizens to directly pass laws by popular vote
instead of waiting for elected officials to act
referendum – process that allows citizens to approve or reject a law
passed by a legislature
recall – process by which voters can remove elected officials from
office before their term ends
Seventeenth Amendment – 1913 constitutional amendment that
allowed for the direct election of U.S. senators by citizens, not state
legislators