Early 20th Century

1. The Progressive Movement
2. Early 20th Century War Efforts
3. Developments After World War I

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The Progressive Movement

1. What happened in Galveston, Texas, in September 1900?(7.9:C)
       A hurricane destroyed the city.
2. How did the aftermath of the Galveston hurricane change city government?(7.7:B;7.9:C)
       A new type of city government was created. Voters in the city elected a five-member city commission. In addition to collectively making decisions that affected the whole city, each member was in charge of a different city department, such as the Water Department. This form of municipal government worked so well in Galveston that more than 600 cities in Texas and the United States soon adopted the new system.
3. What were the major changes advocated by the Progressives in Texas?(7.7:B)
       They wanted to end child labor. Most progressives also supported the rights of labor unions to organize. They wanted a minimum wage law, a limited work week and better inspections of food and drugs.  Finally,  they also wanted to reform Texas banks and prisons.
4. Name some of the leading Progressive politicians in Texas.(7.7:B)
       Some of the more famous Texas Progressives included Edward M. House, James Hogg, Charles Culberson, Joseph Sayers, S. W. T. Lanham, Thomas M. Campbell, James E. Ferguson and Miriam Ferguson.
5. Who were Rebecca Hays and Minnie Fisher Cunningham?(7.7:B)
       They were women suffragists in Texas.
6. What was Spindledtop?(7.6:B;7.7:A)
       Spindletop was an oil well approximately three miles south of Beaumont. By 1902, Spindletop was pumping one-fourth of the oil produced in the United States.
7. What immigrants came from other parts of the U.S. during this time and what impact did they have on Texas politics?(7.11;A,B)
       With the economic development occurring in Texas came a migration of people from Northern and Midwestern states. Persons from Pennsylvania and Ohio, which had been the main oil producing regions in the country, came to Texas to participate in the oil boom there. With the introduction of large scale irrigation and the expansion of railroads into Texas, many Midwestern farmers moved to the lower Rio Grande Valley. They were able to grow crops of cabbage, onions, spinach and citrus and ship them to eastern markets. Many of these immigrants were not used to the patronage political system found in much of Texas and they became active participants in attempts to reform Texas government.

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Early 20th Century War Efforts

1. What part did Texas play in the Spanish-American War?(7.7:D)
       Texas was a major training site for United States soldiers sent to Cuba. Many Texans served in the Rough Riders.
2. Who was Poncho Villa? Why did Villa decide to raid Texas?
       Poncho Villa was a Mexican revolutionary who wanted to become president of Mexico. When the United States government officially recognized his rival, Venustiano Carranza, Villa organized border raids into New Mexico and Texas.
3. How many Texans served in World War 1? How many lost their lives in the war?(7.7:D)
       Approximately 200,000 Texans served in the armed forces during World War I. By the war�s end, more than 5,000 Texans gave their lives during the war.
4. Name five military training facilities in Texas during World War I.(7.7:D)
       Camp Bowie, Camp Travis, Camp Logan, Camp MacArthur and Kelley Field.
5. What was life like on the Texas home front during World War I?(7.7:D)
       Texans on the home front showed their support for the war in a variety of ways. They bought Liberty Bonds, worked for the Red Cross and conducted scrap metal drives. Women took jobs in factories to ensure wartime production continued. Citizens reduced their consumption of flour, sugar and meat in an effort to make sure those who were serving on the front lines had plenty to eat. One negative development of the war was the discrimination against ethnic German-Americans by many Texans.

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Developments After World War I

1. What two U.S. Constitutional amendments were passed during this period?(7.7:B)
       The 18th Amendment was passed in 1919 and began the era of prohibition. The 19th Amendment was passed in 1920 giving women to the right to vote.    
2. What caused racial tensions during this period?(7.7:B)
       African Americans still suffered from prejudice and discrimination. Many employers were reluctant to hire African Americans. Segregated housing limited the areas where African Americans could live. Segregated schools resulted in a sub par education for African Americans. 
3. What influence did the Ku Klux Klan have in Texas during this time?(7.7:B)
       The Klan�s activity increased greatly during this period. It quickly spread to such cities as Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso and other parts of East and South Texas. The Klan became influential in state politics and was able to elect a number of local officials and state legislators. The Klan also supported the election of Earl Mayfield to the U. S. Senate. The Klan also supported Felix D. Robertson, for the governor�s job, but Miriam "Ma" Ferguson defeated the Klan candidate.
4. What impact did fundamentalist Churches have on Texas during this period?(7.7:B)
       Fundamentalist church leaders opposed the teaching of Darwin�s theory of evolution in the public schools. Texas never passed an anti-evolution law, but the state censored textbooks that taught Darwin�s theory.
5. How did the economic boom in industry in the 1920s change the population distribution in Texas?(7.7:A,B,D;7.12:A-C)
       The economic boon in oil and other industries increased the urbanization in the state. People began move from the rural areas to these growing urban centers, such as Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and El Paso. They hoped to find better jobs and a higher standard of living in the cities. By 1930, approximately 41 percent of all Texans lived in urban centers.
6. Why happened to farmers during the 1920s?(7.7:A,B,D;7.12:A-C)
       Demand for farm products did not keep pace with the supply from farmers who were using machinery to produce more crops. As a result of surpluses, prices for farm products continued to fall. Farmers who had borrowed money to buy machinery found themselves unable to pay off the loans. Many found themselves taking on more loans to pay off the original loans or going bankrupt.   

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