Term | Definition |
Progressives | Believed society had an obligation to protect all of its members and focused on helping those with little power or wealth |
political machines | powerful organizations linked to political parties that controlled local government in many cities |
political bosses | the heads of political machines |
Tammany Hall | The New York City Democratic Party political machine that became a symbol of corruption |
Boss Tweed | The head of Tammany Hall. Eventually sent to prison for corruption. |
spoils system | the rewarding of political supporters with jobs and favors. |
Sherman Antitrust Act | the first federal law to attempt to control trusts and monopolies |
socialists | believed a nation's resources and major industries should be owned and operated by the government on behalf of the people |
muckrakers | people who brought to light the underlying problems and corruption in society |
Ida Tarbell | muckraker who focused her writings on the practices of the Standard Oil Company |
Upton Sinclair | muckraker who wrote The Jungle, which described the horrors of the meatpacking industry. Led to the Meat Inspection Act |
initiative | allowed citizens to place a measure or issue on the ballot in a state election |
referendum | gave voters the opportunity to accept or reject measures that the state legislature enacted |
recall | allowed voters to remove unsatisfactory elected officials from their jobs. |
Seventeenth Amendment | mandated the direct election of senators by the people (before this, senators had been chosen by state legislators) |
suffrage | the right to vote |
suffragists | men and women that fought for women's suffrage |
Nineteenth Amendment | allowed for women's suffrage |
prohibition | the passing of laws to prohibit the sale or manufacture of alcohol |
Eighteenth Amendment | Prohibited the manufacture or sale of alcohol (The Prohibition Amendment) |
trustbuster | nickname of Theodore Roosevelt because of his push to break up bad trusts |
conservation | the protection and preservation of natural resources |
Sixteenth Amendment | gave Congress the power to tax people's income (Income Tax) |