Guilded Age and Progressive Movement 1868-1920 — Practice Quiz
A US History cheat sheet for Guilded Age and Progressive Movement 1868-1920 — every key formula with its symbols defined — plus a medium-level practice quiz to test recall.
Formulas & key concepts
Term coined by Mark Twain to describe the late 19th century; glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath
Where: Era of rapid economic growth and serious social problems
Practice of giving government jobs to political supporters
Where: Led to corruption and incompetence; reformed by Pendleton Act
Political party formed by farmers to advocate for economic reforms like free silver and government ownership of railroads
Where: Also known as the People's Party
Democratic and Populist candidate for president in 1896; famous for "Cross of Gold" speech
Where: Advocated for free silver; lost to McKinley
Speech by William Jennings Bryan attacking the gold standard
Where: "You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold"
Reform movement seeking to return control of the government to the people, restore economic opportunities, and correct injustices
Where: Response to the problems of industrialization and urbanization
Journalists who exposed corruption and social problems
Where: Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell, Jacob Riis
Muckraker who wrote "The Jungle", exposing unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry
Where: Led to Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act
Muckraker who exposed the ruthless business practices of Standard Oil
Where: Contributed to the breakup of the Standard Oil trust
Religious movement that applied Christian ethics to social problems like poverty and inequality
Where: Inspired many Progressive reformers
Community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance to people in the area
Where: Hull House (Jane Addams) was the most famous
Election in which voters choose candidates to run for office
Where: Took power away from party bosses
Procedure by which a legislative measure can be originated by the people rather than by lawmakers
Where: Gave voters more direct control over legislation
Procedure by which a proposed legislative measure can be submitted to a vote of the people
Where: Allowed voters to approve or reject laws
Procedure for removing a public official from office by a vote of the people
Where: Held elected officials accountable
Constitutional amendment that legalized a federal income tax
Where: Provided revenue for government programs
Constitutional amendment providing for the direct election of senators
Where: Previously chosen by state legislatures
Constitutional amendment establishing Prohibition (ban on alcohol)
Where: Repealed by 21st Amendment in 1933
Constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote
Where: Culmination of the women's suffrage movement
26th US President; known for his "Square Deal", trust-busting, and conservation efforts
Where: "Speak softly and carry a big stick"
Theodore Roosevelt's program of progressive reforms designed to protect the common people against big business
Where: Three Cs: Control of corporations, Consumer protection, Conservation
Government activities seeking to dissolve corporate trusts and monopolies
Where: Roosevelt used the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up "bad" trusts
Planned management of natural resources to prevent destruction and neglect
Where: Roosevelt set aside millions of acres for national parks and forests
27th US President; handpicked successor to Roosevelt but later clashed with him
Where: Busted more trusts than Roosevelt but alienated Progressives
Progressive Party formed to support Theodore Roosevelt in the election of 1912
Where: Split the Republican vote, allowing Wilson to win
28th US President; known for his "New Freedom" platform
Where: Established Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission
Central banking system of the US
Where: Regulates money supply and interest rates
Law that strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act and protected labor unions
Where: Declared that unions were not monopolies
African American leader who advocated for vocational education and economic independence
Where: Founded Tuskegee Institute; "Atlanta Compromise" speech
African American leader who advocated for immediate civil rights and higher education
Where: Founder of the NAACP; "The Souls of Black Folk"
Practice quiz
What term, coined by Mark Twain, described the late 19th century as appearing prosperous on the surface but having underlying corruption and serious social problems?
- Roaring Twenties
- Gilded Age
- Progressive Era
- New Frontier
Answer: Gilded Age
The practice of giving government jobs to political supporters, known as the Spoils System or Patronage, was largely reformed by which legislative act?
- Sherman Antitrust Act
- Pendleton Act
- Clayton Antitrust Act
- Meat Inspection Act
Answer: Pendleton Act
Which political party, primarily formed by farmers in the late 19th century, advocated for economic reforms such as free silver and government ownership of railroads, and famously supported William Jennings Bryan for president?
- Whig Party
- Republican Party
- Populist Party
- Know-Nothing Party
Answer: Populist Party
Upton Sinclair was a prominent muckraker whose novel, "The Jungle," exposed the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry. What significant legislative changes resulted from his work?
- Creation of the Federal Reserve System
- Passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act
- Establishment of national parks
- Direct election of senators
Answer: Passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act
The Progressive Movement, a reform effort in the early 20th century, primarily sought to achieve which of the following goals?
- Expand American imperial power overseas
- Return control of the government to the people, restore economic opportunities, and correct injustices
- Promote laissez-faire economic policies
- Repeal all constitutional amendments
Answer: Return control of the government to the people, restore economic opportunities, and correct injustices
Which of the following Progressive Era reforms allowed citizens to propose new laws directly, rather than relying solely on lawmakers?
- Referendum
- Recall
- Direct Primary
- Initiative
Answer: Initiative
Ratified in 1920, which constitutional amendment was the culmination of the women's suffrage movement, granting women the right to vote?
- Sixteenth Amendment
- Seventeenth Amendment
- Eighteenth Amendment
- Nineteenth Amendment
Answer: Nineteenth Amendment
Theodore Roosevelt's progressive program, known as the "Square Deal," focused on which three main areas?
- Isolationism, industrialization, and immigration
- Control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation
- States' rights, tariffs, and slavery
- Expansion, exploration, and education
Answer: Control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation
During Woodrow Wilson's presidency, which significant economic institution was established in 1913 to regulate the nation's money supply and interest rates?
- Standard Oil Company
- Federal Reserve System
- United States Steel Corporation
- Interstate Commerce Commission
Answer: Federal Reserve System
W.E.B. Du Bois differed from Booker T. Washington in his approach to African American advancement by advocating for what?
- Vocational training and economic self-sufficiency
- Immediate civil rights and higher education
- Gradual integration into white society
- Migration back to Africa
Answer: Immediate civil rights and higher education
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