1900s

"The Progressive Era"
Commerce & Economy:


 * Beginning in the 20th century, the current urban-industrial order combined with a rebelling workforce gave way to a new political/social movement known as the "Progressive Movement." Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 635.
 * From 1900 to 1920, the number of white-collar workers jumped from 5.1 million to 10.5 million. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 628.
 * Great strides were made in the middle class, as more and more citizens became well-educated and women started to get involved in the corporate world. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 629.
 * From 1900 to 1920, the number of women in white-collar jobs surged from 949,000 to 3.4 million. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 629.
 * College-educated women tripled in numbers during the 1900-1910 decade. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 629.
 * Industrial revolution was giving way to corporate white-collar jobs at the turn of the century. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 628.
 * Females working in corporate America had gender-serparated positions, such as bookkeepers and typewriters. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 632.
 * In 1900, people employed in manufacturing earned on average $418 a year. H.W. Brands et. al, American Stories: A History of the United States  (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2009), 607.
 * By 1900, two-thirds of all goods manufactured in the United States were produced by corporate firms. Mary Beth Norton et. al, A People and a Nation: A History of the United States, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2001), 511.
 * 1901, the U.S. Steel Company was created by J.P. Morgan. It controlled 80% of all U.S. steel production at the time. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 635.
 * By 1903, three hundred U.S. corporations were worth over $10 million and 17 had assets exceeding $100 million. Mary Beth Norton et. al, A People and a Nation: A History of the United States, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2001), 512.
 * In 1905, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Lochner vs. New York  that bakery workers must be limited to a sixty-hour work week and ten-hour day. Mary Beth Norton et. al, A People and a Nation: A History of the United States, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2001), 499.
 * Roosevelt passed the Hepburn Act of 1906, allowing the Interstate Commerce Commission to set maximum raillroad rates and to examine railroad's financial records. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 650.
 * In 1908, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Muller vs. Oregon  that women workers must be limited to a ten-hour workday in laundries. Mary Beth Norton et. al, A People and a Nation: A History of the United States, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2001), 499.
 * In 1909, Congress enacted a copyright law that provided a two-cent royalty on each piece of music on phonograph records or piano rolls. H.W. Brands et. al, American Stories: A History of the United States  (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2009), 609.

Culture & Society:
 * Group of New York painters known as the Ashcan School portrayed the harshness of slum life. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 639.
 * Wisconsin-born photographer Lewis Hine captured images of immigrants and factory laborers. Also, he photographed children working in factories for the National Child Labor Committee to build support for outlawing child labor. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People, 6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 639.
 * By 1900, the American workforce consisted of more than five million women and over three million children. James Davidson et. al, U.S. a narrative history Vol. 2, Vol. 2(Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009), 392.55graphicaa.jpg
 * Merely 5 percent of married women were employed outside of home during the new industrial age in 1900. James Davidson et. al, U.S. a narrative history Vol. 2, Vol. 2(Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009), 392.


 * "The Shame of Cities" by Lincoln Steffens, published in 1901, showed how party bosses and business leaders profited from political corruption. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 609.
 * With greater employment opportunities in the U.S., immigrants from European and East Asian regions poured in, increasing the total immigration population to 8.8 million in 1900. James Davidson et. al, U.S. a narrative history Vol. 2, Vol. 2(Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009), 402.
 * In 1903, Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) was formed by a group of women workers to create a protective legislation for women. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 605
 * In 1904, Ida Tarbell's "History of the Standar Oil Company", exposed the underside of American life, as well as the corruption in large corporations. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 609.
 * In 1905, many African American leaders led the Niagara Movement, which pushed toward equal opportunity for all African Americans.H.W. Brands et.al,  American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 600.
 * A group of unionists in 1905 formed the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), which aimed to be part trade union and part advocate of a workers' revolution. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 607.
 * Jungle.jpg Sinclair's "The Jungle" (1906) graphically described the foul conditions in some meatpacking plants, which was a very successful progressive marketing campaign. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 650.
 * The Women's Trade League Union helped workingwoman achieve significant goals, especially in 1909 during the "uprising of the twenty-thousand". Hundreds of women employees of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City went on strike to protest poor working conditions and low wages. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 516.
 * In 1909, Oswald Garrison Villard & W.E.B. Du Bois teamed up to form the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), which called for sustained activism to achieve political equality for blacks and full integration into American life. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 644.
 * With the growing tide of support for sports, the Ivy League created the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1910. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 608.
 * By the end of 1900, businesses required workers to have higher education, thus creating an educational awakening in public schools. James Davidson et. al, U.S. a narrative history Vol. 2, Vol. 2(Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009), 414.

 Politics and Law: 
 * In 1900, the Conservative party finally wins over the Republicans in the general election with 402 seats. James Davidson et. al, U.S. a narrative history Vol. 2, Vol. 2(Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009), 504.
 * On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot by anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Although he did not die instantly, McKinley died eight days later. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 519.
 * Soon after the death of President McKinley, former vice president Theodore Roosevelt took office in 1901, making him the the youngest president in history at the time. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 519.2334.jpg
 * After converting to the progressive era, astute politician, Robert La Follete, became governor of Wisconsin in 1901. Soon after his surge of state reforms, Wisconsin earned the title "laboratory of democracy". J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 519.
 * Authors known as "muckrakers" exaggerated the poverty and poor working conditions of urban America. Some prominent muckraking magazines were McClure's and Collier's. Journalist Lincoln Steffens began the muckraker-style writing in October 1902 with his article about social corruption in St. Louis i n McClure's. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 639.
 * As the number of trusts in large businesses began to increase, the federal government became more skeptical of powerful corporations. In 1902, President Roosevelt sued the Northern Securities Company for violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. H.W. Brands et. al, American Stories, (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2009). 630.
 * The direct primary was introduced in Wisconsin in 1903, enabling rand-and-file voters rather than party bosses to select the candidates who would compete in the general election. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 635.
 * Certain western states inaguarated the intitiative, referendum, and recall. The initiative allowed states to instruct the legislature to consider a specific bill. A referendum allows states to enact a law. A recall allowed voters to remove a public official from office if they muster enough signatures. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 635.
 * With help from his campaign slogan "Square Deal", President Roosevelt was re-elected into office in 1904. Roosevelt once again reached new heights, sweeping into office with the largest population majority any candidate had polled up to that time, with 57.9 percent. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 522.
 * With books such as Upton Sinclar's The Jungle, the American public became aware of the underside of the meat-packing industry. Congress soon passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, which would bring drastic regulations and inspections for meat-packing plants. H.W. Brands et. al, American Stories, (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2009), 632.
 * As Roosevelt's conservation program was expanding, Congress passed a law in 1907 that would limit his power to create forest reserves in sex western states. Although the law was passed, Roosevelt managed to create twenty-one new reserves, as well as enlarging eleven more before the law became active. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 524.
 * 220px-William_Howard_Taft.jpg Roosevelt decided to retire from the presidency, his handpicked successor, William Howard taft, was elected the 27th President of the United States in 1908. H.W. Brands et.al,  American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 634.
 * U.S. House of Representatives passed the Payne-Aldrich Act in 1909 to lower tariffs on imported goods in the U.S. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 636.
 * To regulate all U.S. telecommunications industries, Mann-Elkins Act was passed by the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1910. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories :  A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 636.
 * When former president Theodore Roosevelt returned from Africa, his actions and words which criticized Taft's leadership divided the Republican Party. The Democratic Party took advantage of the weakened republicans and swept the congressional elections in 1910. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 530.

 War and Foreign Relations: 
 * The Hay-Pauncefote Treaty in 1901, between the United States and Great Britain, empowered the U.S. to build the Isthmian Canal. H.W. Brands et. al, American Stories, (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2009), 651.
 * Starting in 1899, the Phillippine-American war finally ended in 1902, with the capture of Philippine leader Miguel Malvar. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 649.150px-Katipuneros.jpg
 * Roosevelt's plans to create a canal across the Panamanian isthmus led him first to Colombia in 1902, where he offered the Colombian government a one-time sum of $10 million with an annual rent of $250,000. After they refused, Panama quickly accepted the $10 million, and construction began. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History,  4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 525.
 * The U.S. government granted Cuba its independence in 1902. James West Davidson et. al, Experience History: Interpreting America's Past, Vol. 2 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 629
 * In 1903, the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty with Panama, granted the U.S. control of a canal zone ten miles across the Isthmus of Panama. H.W. Brands et. al, American Stories, (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2009), 651.


 * In 1904, President Teddy Roosevelt added the "Roosevelt Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine, giving the U.S. government the right to intervene directly if Latin Americans failed to keep their own financial households in order. James West Davidson et. al, Experience History: Interpreting America's Past, Vol. 2 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 629.
 * When tensions flared between France and Germany in Morocco, Roosevelt mediated a conference between the two in Algeciras, Spain in 1905. There, Roosevelt's skillful mediation worked to maintain a balance of power that helped neutralize German ambitions. James L. Roark et. al, The American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010), 528.
 * In 1905, at the U.S. Naval Base near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Roosevelt guided the Russians and Japanese to the Treaty of Portsmouth. James West Davidson et. al, Experience History: Interpreting America's Past, Vol. 2 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 629.
 * President Taft signed the Taft-Katsura Agreement recognizing the Japanese power in Korea in return for its promise not to invade the Philippines in 1905. H.W. Brands et.al,  American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 653.
 * After his work mediating the conference between France and Germany, Roosevelt earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his role in negotiating an end to the Russo-Japanese War. J.L. Roark et. al, American Promise: A Compact History,  4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009), 528.
 * Nt1214_fleet_800.jpg 1907, to demonstrate America's naval power and counter growing Japanese ambition in the Pacific, Roosevelt dispatched the "Great White Fleet", which contained 16 of the Navy's most up-to-date battleships, on a "goodwill" mission around the world. James L. Roark et. al, The American Promise: A Compact History, 4th ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010), 528.
 * After the San Francisco School Board placed all of its Asian students in a separate school, President Roosevelt settled down the Japanese protesters by ending the segregation and arranging a mutual restriciton of immigration between the U.S. and Japan in 1907, this became known as the "Gentleman's Agreement". James West Davidson et. al,  Experience History: Interpreting America's Past, Vol. 2 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 629
 * In 1908, Root-Takahira Agreement was signed to uphold the Open Door and to support China's independence. H.W. Brands et.al,  American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 653.
 * McKinley ordered a special Philippine Commission under William Taft to create a basic government for Philippines in 1910. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories : A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 635.

 Science and Technology: 
 * By 1900, the 400 textile mills in the south contained 4 million spindles. Mary Beth Norton et. al, A People and a Nation: A History of the United States, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2001), 492.
 * By 1900, America had over 2000 commercial ice plants, most of which made home deliveries. Mary Beth Norton et. al, A People and a Nation: A History of the United States, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2001), 508.
 * In 1900, nearly 200,000 miles of railroad track were in operation across the United States, with 80 percent of it being owned by only six groups of railroads. James West Davidson et. al, Experience History: Interpreting America's Past, Vol. 2 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 518.
 * To further advance technology within business industries, industrial research laboratories were created, with the first one created by General Electric in 1900. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 628.
 * As the late 1800's produced new forms and uses for electricity, in 1900 people could then see flashing advertisement signs, and even a forty-five-foot electric pickle promoting Heinz products. Nelson Lichtenstein et. al, Who Built America?, 3rd ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008), 200.
 * With drastic increases in population from mass immigration, the agricultural industry needed to find new ways to grow/produce more crop. In 1902, with help from the U.S. Reclamation Service, a staff of thousands of engineers and technicians developed ways to transport water to irrigate dry, arid land. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 631.
 * By the end of 1902, electricity was used for all city railways, which opened doors for the creation of subways. James Davidson et. al, U.S. a narrative history Vol. 2, Vol. 2(Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009), 403.
 * Henry Ford founded and incorporated Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan in 1903. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 592.
 * In 1904, New York built a subway that ran from City Hall in Manhattan north to Harlem. James West Davidson et. al, Experience History: Interpreting America's Past, Vol. 2 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 544.
 * thumb|left|288px|Marking of Ford Model THenry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908. Paul S. Boyer et. al, The Enduring V ision: A History of the American People,  6th ed. Vol. 2, (New York, Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2008) 639.
 * In 1909, just 1 percent
 * of the industrial firms were producing nearly half of all manufactured goods. H.W. Brands et. al, American Stories: A History of the United States  (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2009), 593.
 * With newer and better technological advances during the Progressive Era, in 1910 the American people could buy and own electric sewing machines, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and other luxuries such as record players. H.W. Brands et.al, American Stories: A History of the United States ,(Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, 2009), 626.
 * As electricity was becoming more relevant and useful in American life, nationwide home electrification reached 10 percent in 1910. Nelson Lichtenstein et. al, Who Built America?,  3rd ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008), 202.
 * In 1910 now that manufacturers were segmenting their markets by income, companies like The Edison Company could create phonographs from different materials allowing a larger range of buyers. Nelson Lichtenstein et. al, Who Built America?,  3rd ed., Vol. 2 (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008), 205.
 * By 1910, as companies created new methods to broaden the marketing, the circulation of newspapers increased dramatically at the rate of three times a s great as before. Alan Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the past Vol. 2, 14th ed., Vol. 2 (New York, McGraw Hill, 2011), 354.