AP UNITED STATES HISTORY DBQ
QUESTION
Analyze the effectiveness of two of the following progressive reforms during the
progressive era (1890-1920):
Political Reform
Social Reform
Economic Reform
Use the documents and your knowledge of the period to answer the question.
The 8-9 Essay
• Contains a well-developed thesis that examines the successes of progressive
reforms.
• Presents an effective analysis of the successes of progressive reforms.
• Effectively uses a substantial number of documents.
• Supports thesis with substantial and relevant outside information.
• May contain minor errors.
• Is clearly organized and well written.
The 5-7 Essay
• Contains a thesis that addresses the ways in which the progressive reforms
succeeded and failed.
• Has some limited analysis of the successes of progressive reforms.
• Effectively uses some documents.
• Supports thesis with some relevant outside information.
• May have errors that do not seriously detract from the quality of the essay.
The 2-4 Essay
• Contains a limited or undeveloped thesis.
• Deals with the question in a general manner; simplistic treatment of the successes
of progressive reforms.
• May address only one category.
• Merely refers to quotes or briefly cites documents.
• Contains little outside information, or information that is inaccurate or irrelevant.
• May have major errors.
• May be poorly organized and/or written.
The 0-1 Essay
• Contains no thesis or a thesis that does not address the question.
• Exhibits inadequate or incorrect understanding of the question.
• Has little or no understanding of the documents, or ignores them completely.
• Has numerous errors.
• Written so poorly that it inhibits understanding.
--Blank or completely off task.
UNITED STATES HISTORY
SECTION II
PART A
(Suggested writing time – 45 minutes)
Percent of Section II score – 45
Directions: The following question requires you to construct a coherent essay that
integrates your interpretaion of Documents A-H and your knowledge of the period
referred to in the question. High scores will be earned only by essays that both cite key
pieces of evidence from the documents and draw on outside knowledge of the period.
1. Analyze the effectiveness of two of the following progressive reforms during the
progressive era (1890-1920):
Political Reform
Social Reform
Economic Reform
Use the documents and your knowledge of the period to answer the question.
Document A
Document B
Source: Ida Tarbell, “Ballot Necessary For Women”, 1906
Insanitary housing, poisonous sewage, contaminated water, infant mortality, the
spread of contagion, adulterated food, impure milk, smoke-laden air, ill-ventilated
factories, dangerous occupations, juvenile crime, unwholesome crowding, prostitution
and drunkenness are the enemies which the modern cities must face and overcome
would they survive. Logically, its electorate should be made up of those who can bear
a valiant part in this arduous contest, those who in the past have at least attempted to
care for children, to clean houses, to prepare foods, to isolate the family from oral
dangers, those who have traditionally taken care of that side of life which inevitably
becomes the subject of municipal consideration and control as soon as the population
is congested.
Document C
Source: 18th Amendment
Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or
transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the
exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction
thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an
amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in
the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the
States by the Congress.
Document D
Source: Jane Addams, Twenty Years at Hull House, 1910
It is always easy to make all philosophy point one particular moral and all history
adorn one particular tale, but I may be forgiven the reminder that the best speculative
philosophy sets forth the solidarity of the human race; that the highest moralists have
taught that without the advance and improvement of the whole, no man can hope for
any lasting improvement in his own moral or material individual condition; and that
the subjective necessity for Social Settlements is therefore identical with that
necessity, which urges us on toward social and individual salvation.
Document E
Source: Sherman Antitrust Act, 1890
Sec. 1. Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in
restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is
hereby declared to be illegal.
Document F
Document G
Source: Theodore Roosevelt, The New Nationalism, 1910
Now, this means that our government, national and state, must be freed from the
sinister influence or control of special interests. Exactly as the special interests of
cotton and slavery threatened our political integrity before the Civil War, so now the
great special business interests too often control and corrupt the men and methods of
government for their own profit. We must drive the special interests out of politics.
That is one of our tasks today…
Document H
Source: Eugene V. Debs, “The Outlook for Socialism in the United Stats”, 1900
What but meaningless phrases are "imperialism," "expansion," "free silver," "gold
standard," etc., to the wage worker? The large capitalists represented by Mr.
McKinley and the small capitalists represented by Mr. Bryan are interested in these
"issues," but they do not concern the working class.
END OF DOCUMENTS
Document Information and Inferences – DBQ 2004
Document A: Graph of business consolidations
Document Information
-Massive spike in Consolidations around 1900
-Consolidations dropped down to lowest levels by 1904
Document Inferences
-Anti trust activism was successful in dropping the number of trusts made
-Anti-trust legislation was successfully enforced
Document B: Ida Tarbell’s Ballot Necessary For Women
Document Information
-Document puts forward the case for women’s suffrage.
Document Inferences
-Women’s suffrage was becoming a movement tied to social reform
-Progressives would therefore support it if they supported other social reforms.
Document C: 18th Amendment
Document Information:
-Prohibition became the law.
-The prohibition movement succeeded.
Document Inferences:
-The progressives were influential in politics.
Document D: Jane Addams, 20 Years at Hull House
Document Information
-Excerpt from Jane Addams Memoirs, a prominent social reformer
-States the philosophy of betterment of the whole for the betterment of one
Document Inferences
-Explains the reason for the progressives want to improve the lives of everyone
Document E: Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Doc Info
-Outlawed trusts in the US
Document inferences
-Problems with monopolies were addressed
-The bill was ultimately weak
Document F: Thomas Nast Cartoon
Document Information
-Shows Statue of Liberty covered in various trusts
-People’s welfare sinks nearby
Document Inferences
-Trusts were a major problem, despite the Anti-Trust act
-People’s suffering was causing an increase in activism
Document G: Theodore Roosevelt, New Nationalism
Document Information
-This document expresses the progressive belief in ending special interest groups, as they
will destabilize the government
-Warns of an impending catastrophe if the system continues
Document Inferences
-Implies that there is more at stake for economic reforms than just the well being of the
poor, including the stability of the country, giving the progressives more drive
Document H: Eugene V. Debs, Outlook for Socialism in the United States
Document Information
-This document expresses yet another view for social and economic reform, reforming
the overall system.
-It is an example of more extreme change in the progressive era
Document Inferences
-Not everyone in the era was willing to use the status quo to help people. Some wanted to
overthrow the entire system.
-Shows extremism within the progressive movement.
-Even with many successes, the extremists goals would never come close to being
realized
Commonly Seen Relevant Outside Information
Prohibition
Anti-Saloon League
Volstead Act
Speakeasies
21st Amendment
Jane Addams
Hull Houses
Social Gospel
Settlement Houses
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Social-Justice Movement
Thomas Nast
Standard Oil Company
Ida Tarbell
19th Amendment
Socialism
Bull Moose Party
Teddy Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Eugene V. Debbs
NAACP
Woman’s Trade Union League
Industrial Workers of the World
Women’s Christian Temperance Movement
Square Deal
Bibliography
U.S. Congress. "Sherman Antitrust Act." United States Statutes at Large, 51st Cong.,
Sess I, Chp. 647, p. 209-210. American History Online. Facts On File,
Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
Nast, Thomas. "The Rising of the Usurpers." Cartoon. NYPL Digital Gallery. N.p.,
1899. Web. 29 Apr. 2010.
Tarbell, Ida. "Ballot Necessary for Women." America Past and Present Website.
1906. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. <http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/
objects/1482/1518407/primarysources1_23_1.html>.
Addams, Jane. "Twenty Years in Hull House." America Past and Present Website.
1910. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. <http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/
objects/1482/1518407/primarysources6_22_2.html>.
Debs, Eugene V. "The Outlook for Socialism n the United States." America Past and
Present Website.
1900. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. <http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/
objects/1482/1518407/primarysources2_23_3.html>.
Roosevelt, Theodore "The New Nationalism." America Past and Present Website.
1910. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. <http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/
objects/1482/1518407/primarysources2_23_1.html>.
18th Amendment