Chapter 3.1 Vocabulary
What is tariffs and it's impact?
Tariffs: Taxes imposed on goods imported from other countries. Tariffs could be unpopular with many consumers as they also pushed up prices of the imported items that they needed to buy, like sugar. Tariffs were the principal source of the federal government's income which was another complication (Income tax was introduced in the Progressive Era).
What are dumbbell tenement buildings?
Accommodation blocks, five to seven stories high, built with two air shafts on the inside, and designed to house as many people as possible in as little space as possible. They always lacked light, ventilation and proper sanitation.
In New York in 1890, over 1 million people, about two-thirds of the city's population, were crammed into about 32 000 'dumbbell' tenement buildings.
What is food adulteration and were its' consequences?
The addition of cheap and lesser quality ingredients to foodstuffs, such as flour or rice, in order to increase their bulk and boost sales profits. Around the turn of the 20th century in the USA, this unscrupulous practice resulted in frequent outbreaks of food poisoning.
What was the State of the Union Address?
At the start of each annual session of Congress, the president is required to give a speech in which he outlines his policies and recommends measures and issues which he feels that Congress should act on.
What was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act?
This was designed to restrict concentration of economic power in too few hands, which could interfere with trade or reduce economic competition. Some states had already passed such measures, but without coverage of all states they were ineffective.
What were the 'robber barons'?
It was originally used in the Middle Ages to describe how a noble and his followers were able to force money from local people and travelers in a system that varied between taxation and a protection racket.
In relevance to the Gilded Age: They were well known for their efficient management methods but usually treated their workforce badly. Their focus was on profit and dominance.
How did the Panic of 1873 influence the Grander Movement?
The Panic of 1873 pushed Grangers to support or run “Granger” candidates at the state level, demand state regulation of railroads and warehouses, and seek government intervention rather than relying on self-help alone.
What are settlement houses and the most famous of these houses?
Settlement houses were usually large buildings in poor areas of a city where middle-class volunteers lived alongside working class people. Their aim was to help with a range of social services such as childcare, education, advice on nutrition; anything, in fact, to improve the living conditions of those living in slums.
The Hull House in Chicago founded in 1889 was the most famous of all the settlement houses. Hull House was a training ground for social workers. It provided a wide range of social and educational services to the poor of Chicago, and especially its women and children.
What was the 17th Amendment, and why was it passed?
Allowed senators to be directly elected by the people, rather than by state legislatures. It was passed as reformers pushed for more democracy and accountability. Then, passed as a constitutional Amendment and ratified in 1913. It was passed because state legislatures were often controlled by political bosses or powerful trusts, such as railroad and oil companies. This meant Senators frequently served business interests rather than the people. This system is still in place in the present day showing a long-lasting impact.
Who was 'Boss' Tweed and his impact?
William 'Boss' Tweed was a politician who led the Tammany Hall Democratic political machine in New York City during the 1860s and 1870s. As the head of the 'Tweed Ring,' he led a massive corruption with 3 colleagues who were local government officials. The city, run by Tweed and his associates, paid out $139 million, but it was not clear where the money went, and Tweed and his associates stole about $45 million of public money.
What is a monopoly and an example of it?
Monopoly: : A commercial situation in which one individual or company owns the whole supply of a particular commodity or service
Example:The Bell Telephone Company (later AT&T), more or less had a monopoly by 1880. This was achieved by buying up patents in the technology necessary to expand the telephone system on a national scale and by making use of the holding company system
What were the working conditions during the Gilded Age?
There was usually no sick pay or holidays, no unemployment insurance or job security. Employers could hire and fire when they wanted and a recession could leave an entire community out of work. Researchers in 1902 found women working over 70 hours a week in New York clothing factories in temperatures of over 100°F for $2.5 a week. They had fewer than 30 minutes break a day. There was no running water available or proper sanitation and there were serious fire risks but no fire escape.
Who was Florence Kelly and what did she form in the Progressive Era?
Kelly was a social reformer, where after working at Jane Addams’s Hull House, she exposed child labor abuses and successfully pressured Illinois to ban factory work for children under 14, becoming the state’s first female factory inspector.
She went on to form the National Consumers League (NCL), which promoted fair labor practices through boycotts(Refusing to buy or use the goods or services of a company and persuading others to do the same.) and consumer pressure, helped push the Pure Food and Drugs Act (1906), supported minimum-wage laws, and advanced limits on women’s working hours.
What was the 18th Amendment, and why was it passed?
This amendment prohibited the sale, transport, and manufacture of alcohol across the U.S. It was passed due to pressure from powerful anti-alcohol and reform groups throughout Wilson’s Administration and passed and was ratified 1919. Many states had already gone “dry” before it became a national amendment. It was passed because Progressives linked alcohol to many societal problems, such as crime, poverty, and social disorder, and viewed this to improve public morality and social conditions. However, it backfired as it led to illegal alcohol trade and organized crime, as many viewed the law as pointless.
What is the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and what led to its passage?
It was the first federal law regulating food and drugs in the U.S., banning interstate commerce of adulterated or misbranded products and requiring accurate labeling. It was partly inspired by Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle about the appalling working conditions in the American meat-packing industry.
What rose from the poor working conditions from Andrew Carnegie's United States Steel? And define the term?
Workers would form labor unions when his workers went on strike for better pay and working conditions, Carnegie was prepared to bring in his own armed guards and to use violence to stamp out the strike.
Labor Unions: An organisation of employed people, who earn their living in the same type of work as one another, such as coalminers. The union campaigns for higher wages and better working conditions for its members, and defends them against unfair dismissal or mistreatment by their employer.
What was the Panic of 1893 and its' impact?
The Panic of 1893 was a severe economic depression caused by overexpansion in industry and railroad development, along with speculation in the stock market and a weak banking system. It led to mass unemployment (up to 13 million by 1894), the collapse of nearly 500 banks and 15,000 businesses, and intense hardship for urban industrial workers, worsened by strikes and falling exports. The federal government refused to provide relief, leaving recovery largely to private financiers like J.P. Morgan, which exposed the dangers of laissez-faire economics.
What was the Temperance Movement and Prohibition during the Progressive Era?
The Temperance Movement had aimed to reduce or regulate alcohol consumption, while Prohibitionists sought a total ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol, using the argument that it caused social problems like poverty, domestic violence, and political corruption. Key groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Anti-Saloon League (ASL) used lobbying, pressure campaigns, and state-level action to gain support, even before women had the right to vote. Their success led to the 18th Amendment (1920) and the Volstead Act, which enforced nationwide Prohibition.
What was the 16th Amendment, and why was it passed?
Granted Congress the power to raise money through an income tax. Originally the Supreme Court had ruled income tax unconstitutional, so it meant the Constitution would need to be ratified. Then, it passed by Congress, and it was ratified by the states in 1913. The reason it was based was that tariffs were not sufficient as the main source of federal income anymore. As the federal government had taken on new responsibilities, including economic regulation, health, and military expansion. Progressives supported it, because it could be structured, placing a heavier burden on the wealthy.
Who was Theodore Roosevelt? And what were his key Progressive legislative acts?
Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican president who came to office in 1901 after McKinley’s assassination and became the first US president to actively use the presidency to push Progressive reform.
His key Progressive Legislative Acts included: The Expedition Act of 1903 employed more lawyers to work for the government so that more legal action could be taken under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Elkins Act of 1903 started the process of regulating the railways. The Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 set off the process of ending food adulteration. The Department of Commerce and Labor Act of 1903 created a new Department of Commerce with a cabinet secretary reporting to the president and Congress.
How did John D. Rockefeller use Standard Oil to maintain control over the oil industry?
In 1889, the holding company (a business formed to sell and buy shares of other companies which it then controls) was formed, allowing Rockefeller to maintain control over the oil industry.
By 1900, he controlled the domestic and foreign oil market and the whole industry from the oil wells to the automobile's lubricating oil and petrol tank.
What was the Panic of 1907 and what was its' impact?
The Panic of 1907, known as the “rich man’s panic,” was a financial crisis that began on Wall Street after the collapse of the Knickerbocker Trust, caused by speculation and insufficient cash reserves in investment trusts. It triggered a chain of bank and trust failures, leading to an 11% fall in industrial production, rising urban unemployment (from 3% to 11%), wage cuts, and increased poverty. Its long-term impact was significant, as it convinced the federal government of the need for a strong central bank, leading to the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913, even though workers received little direct relief.
Who were key women in the Progressive era and what did they accomplish?
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were leaders in women's suffrage campaigns who helped found and lead the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), keeping pressure on politicians for women's voting rights.
Jane Addams was a social reformer who founded the Hull House in Chicago, providing education childcare, and welfare support for poor women and immigrants, and setting a national model for settlement work.
Ida Tarbell was a muckraking journalist that exposed corruption in big businesses, such as Standard Oil, strengthening public support for regulation and reform while proving women could succeed in traditionally male jobs.
What was the 19th Amendment, and why was it passed?
Granted women the right to vote in all elections. It was passed as a long campaign by suffrage movements was in place before 1900. Many states had already started to grant women voting rights. President Wilson supported the amendment, helping it pass Congress and be ratified in 1920. It was passed because of increased amounts of women in education and participation in the workforce. Women had played a major role in the Progressive reform movements. Over 1.5 million women worked in the war industries during WW1, helping the argument for political rights.
Who was Woodrow Wilson and what were his key Progressive legislative acts?
Woodrow Wilson was the Democratic president from 1913 to 1921 whose presidency marked the high point of the Progressive Era. Before becoming president, he had been an academic and Governor of New Jersey, where he implemented reforms to fight corruption, regulate utilities, improve working conditions, and introduce workers’ compensation.
Some of President Wilson's most important Acts were: Federal Reserve Act (1913) which established the Federal Reserve Board to oversee the banking system, stabilize the money supply, and prevent financial panics, providing the foundation for modern US fiscal regulation. The Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) which strengthened the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, giving the federal government more power to break up monopolies and regulate large corporations. The Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) created the FTC to monitor business practices, reduce corruption, and enforce fair competition. Federal Income Tax (under the 16th Amendment, 1913) was introduced to replace revenue lost from tariff reductions, ensuring the federal government had funds to expand Progressive programs and services.