Progressive Movement

17th Amendment Ratified: Direct Election of Senators Ends State Legislature Appointments and Deadlock Corruption

1913-04-08 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

Connecticut became the 36th state to ratify the 17th Amendment, meeting the three-fourths requirement to establish direct election of United States senators by popular vote. The amendment modified Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution, which had required state legislatures to appoint senators. …

Connecticut State Legislature U.S. Congress Progressive Movement progressive-era electoral-reform constitutional-amendment democratic-reform

16th Amendment Ratified: Federal Income Tax Established to Shift Burden from Middle Class to Wealthy

1913-02-03 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 9/10

Delaware became the 36th state to ratify the 16th Amendment, meeting the three-fourths requirement to establish Congress’s right to impose a federal income tax. Secretary of State Philander C. Knox certified the amendment on February 25, 1913. The amendment was part of a wave of Progressive …

Delaware State Legislature Philander C. Knox U.S. Congress Progressive Movement progressive-era taxation economic-reform constitutional-amendment