Progressive Era: AP US History Crash Course
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The Progressive Era is exactly what it sounds like – a time of progression and reform in the United
States. But do you know what the Progressives wanted to change? Do you know the impact of those
changes? The AP US History exam has had a lot of questions on the Progressive Era, so this crash course
will prepare you for any that come your way!
The Progressive Era was a time of change on the national and state levels between 1900 and 1920. The
Progressives who sought such change were women, the middle-class, and people who lived in urban
areas. (It’s important to note that Progressives were NOT the same as the Populists, who were famers
from the West and Midwest).
In around the 1880s, large companies needed to cut their costs, and in order to do that, they had to
lower wages and increase employee hours. By the beginning of the 1900s, people began to feel that
these companies were too powerful. The Progressive Era was born out of that feeling.
The general goals of the Progressives were improving social problems, reforming local governments,
improving labor conditions, democratizing the political process, and regulating big business. They
believed in cooperation to improve society.
Progressive Era
The Progressive Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt, 1901 – 1909
An easy way to remember Roosevelt’s political program, which he called “the Square Deal,” is to know
that it consisted of the “three C’s:” consumer protections, corporate regulation, and conservation of
natural resources.
Consumer protections – Heavily influenced by muckraking, and in particular Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle,
Roosevelt focused on making sure the American people (the consumers) were protected. The Pure Food
and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act were passed under Roosevelt.
Corporate regulation – Roosevelt wanted to control trusts, and actually became known as the “trust
buster,” even though he didn’t want to completely get rid of trusts altogether. He wanted to regulate
good trusts, and eliminate the bad ones. A good example you should know about is the 1902 Anthracite
Coal Strike. Roosevelt actually sided against the owners of the mine and threatened to seize mines if the
owners didn’t cooperate.
Conservation of natural resources - Roosevelt also focused on the environment. A perfect example of
this is the Newlands Reclamation Act, which used money from the sale of lands out west to use towards
irrigation projects in other parts of the country.
William Howard Taft, 1909 – 1913
Taft was the real “trust buster.” He wanted to break up any and all trusts, regardless of whether they
were good or not. Roosevelt had picked Taft to be his successor, but when Taft became president, the
two had a falling out due to Taft’s “trust busting” antics. In the next election, Roosevelt actually ran
against Taft under his own Progressive Party, the Bull Moose Party, but lost.
Woodrow Wilson, 1913 – 1921
Under his New Freedom platform, Wilson wanted to eradicate trusts and lower tariffs. He wanted to
stop big business from dominating the government by encouraging small business. He also established
the Federal Reserve Act.
For the test: Focus your studying on Roosevelt and Wilson. There have been very few questions about
Taft on the APUSH exam.
Muckraking
At around this time, the mass circulation of magazines and newspapers was just starting. People in
California could read about something happening in New York, and vice versa, which was something
that hadn’t really been easy to do before. Taking advantage of this new form of widespread
communication were the “muckrakers,” a group of investigative journalists who exposed industrial and
political abuse happening across the country.
For the AP US History exam, it’s important to know about a few key muckrakers and their works:
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair was a novel that revealed the gruesome truths behind Chicago’s
meatpacking industry. This book actually directly led to the Pure Food and Drugs Act and the Meat
Inspection Act of 1906.
How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis was a series of shocking photographs that publicized the poor
living conditions of immigrants in New York City.
Progressive Era
The History of the Standard Oil Company by Ida Tarbell was an expose of the Standard Oil Company’s
harsh treatment of other businesses.
For the test: Make sure you know these “muckrakers” and what their works were about. More
importantly, understand the influence they had on the American people and the US government.
African Americans
For the most part, African Americans were left out of government reforms during the Progressive Era.
Keep in mind that the Progressives did NOT have goals of fighting for civil rights. Still, there are a few
things you should know about African Americans during the Progressive Era for the AP US History exam.
First, you need to know about a key African American figure, W.E.B. Du Bois. A Harvard PhD graduate,
Du Bois demanded an immediate end to segregation. He opposed Booker T. Washington’s idea of black
separatism and believed that Whites and Blacks needed to work together to achieve full equality. He
also founded the NAACP in 1909.
You should also know about Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a Black civil rights advocate who championed an end
to lynching.
For the test: Know the differences between W.E.B. Du Bois’ approach to equality versus Booker T.
Washington’s’. Also, remember that the Progressives did not seek an end to racial discrimination and
nothing much was achieved during this time for the rights of African Americans.
Women
Women made great strides during the Progressive Era in several areas of reform. Jane Addams founded
the Hull House in Chicago, which helped women, children, and immigrants by teaching literacy classes,
creating daycare centers for working mothers, and publishing expose reports. Florence Kelley was the
leader of the National Consumer League, which successfully boycotted goods made by children to help
pass child labor legislation. Dorothea Dix lobbied on behalf of mentally ill American to get them out of
appalling conditions in prisons and into safe asylums.
For the test: Know the key Progressive Era women and what they fought for. Also know that women
fought for issues that men often overlooked.
Key Amendments
Four important amendments were passed during the Progressive Era:
The 16th Amendment is the graduated income tax, meaning the higher your income, the more tax you
pay. This, of course, gave more money to the government but also helped decrease the poor–rich
divide.
The 17th Amendment is the direct election of senators. Before, they were elected by state legislatures
so this amendment increased the political power of the citizens of a state.
The 18th Amendment is prohibition, or the illegalization of alcohol. This amendment was heavily
influenced by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. It was seen as a Progressive failure because it
increased organized crime.
The 19th Amendment is women’s suffrage. Women were finally given the right to vote, although they
were still not treated as equals to men.
For the test: Know what each of these amendments is, but more importantly, be able to identify the
impact they had on the nation.
The Progressive Era on the APUSH Exam
As an AP US History student, you need to know all the facts, but you also have to make determinations
based on those facts. To put it simply, you have to focus on the impact and the cause and effects of
certain events in history. For the Progressive Era, you have to know the ways in which it was effective
and the ways in which it was ineffective. Let’s take a look at that right now.
The Progressive Era was effective because it was a time of reformation. Child labor laws made it illegal
for under 16’s to work for interstate commerce. Women’s labor laws reduced the number of hours
women had to work. Additionally, a very important impact of the Progressive Era is that it greatly
increased participation in politics. There were now direct primary elections, initiatives, referendums,
and recalls.
Unfortunately, the Progressive Era wasn’t effective in other areas. There was no civil rights reform.
Immigrants and African Americans were discouraged from voting because of poll taxes and literacy
tests, meaning that a large portion of the population couldn’t vote. Prohibition raised crime levels and
was actually repealed 13 years later. Also, the 19th Amendment passed in 1919, meaning during the
majority of the Progressive Era, women could not vote.
Photo by Clifford K. Berryman [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons and Jacob Riis (1849-1914)
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By the way, you should check out Learnerator for your AP US History review. We have hundreds of
APUSH practice questions written just for you!