1901 – 1918 students will identify major efforts to reform american society and politics in the...
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1901 – 1918Students will identify major efforts to reform American society and politics in the
Progressive Era
Chronological Timeline
Progressivism- reform movement with a goal of improving life in the Industrial Age
Method of change – make political change and social improvement through government action
Catalyst - Sparked by election of Theodore Roosevelt in 1901
Participants - wide range of groups and individuals
Ending – US entry into WWI in 1917
Middle-class Americans were alarmed by:Rising power of big business Increasing gap between rich and poorViolent conflicts between labor and capitalCorrupt political machines
African-Americans were alarmed by: Jim Crow laws - 2nd class citizen status
Participants – diverse group of individuals and groups Groups
African Americans Feminists, crusaders for women’s suffrage Protestant church leaders (The Social Gospel) Union leaders
Individuals Urban middle-class
Doctors, lawyers, ministers, storekeepersWhite collar workers Middle managers
Politicians Theodore Roosevelt (Republican) Robert La Follette (Republican) William Jennings Bryan (Democrat) Woodrow Wilson (Democrat)
These groups took their civic responsibilities seriously.
Belief that changes were needed and government was the proper way to make changes
Protestant Christians response to the problem of urban poverty
Applied Christian principles to solve social issues
Honest government and just laws could improve the human condition
Pragmatism – “practical approach to morals, ideas and laws”. Put laws in action and test them until something works to create a better society.
Scientific Management – Frederick Taylor, Organize people efficiently – strategy may help government become efficient.
Muckraking -investigating and exposing societal issues through publications (ex. slums, corruption, crime)
Significant stories exposed Ida Tarbell – “History of the Standard Oil Company” Upton Sinclair – The Jungle (Stockyards and Meatpacking
industry conditions) Ida B. Wells- “A Red Record” on the statistics of lynching Publications competed fiercely to outdo rivals
Decline of muckraking Difficult to top the last story Publishers received pressure from banks and advertisers
to tone it down Corporations hired public relations to protect their images
Benefits of Muckraking: Exposed inequities Educated the public about corruption Prepared the way for corrective action
Ida Tarbell
The Jungle – exposed horrible details about the conditions in the Chicago stockyard and meatpacking industry
Results – Congress enacted Pure Food and Drug Act – no
sale of mislabeled food and drugs
Meat Inspection Act - Inspectors visit plants to ensure standards
Progressive ideology – faith in democracy, belief that most people would elect honest rather than corrupt officials
GOAL: Increase voter participationProblem Progressive Solution
Manipulating and intimidating voters
Secret ballot– Vote secretly behind a curtain
Candidates nominated by party bosses
Direct primary –Nominating process in the hands of voters *Problem – limited and used to exclude African American voters
Senate became millionaires club dominated by big business
17th AmendmentSenators elected by popular vote
Politicians refused to accept the will of the people
Initiative – voters compel the legislature to consider a billReferendum – citizens vote on proposed laws on ballotsRecall – Remove corrupt or unsatisfactory politician by majority vote
Goal: Address corrupt city leaders and alliances with local business
Action Result
Public UtilitiesBreak city leaders power and take utilities out the hands of private companies
Many cities came to own and operate gas lines, electric power plants and urban transportation systems
Commissions and city managersVoters elect heads of city departments or hire expert manager
Improve efficiency and reduce corruption
State ReformRobert La Follette became Wisconsin governor
“Wisconsin Idea” – measures that included a direct primary law, tax reform and regulation of railroad rates
Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette (1855-1925) in a classic pose
Theodore Roosevelt Square Deal – did not favor business or labor,
insisted on fairness for both 1902 Coal Strike- Roosevelt arbitrates between
both groups forces arbitration Trust-busting – interest in breaking up “bad-
trusts” that harmed public and interfered with competition and regulating “good-trusts”. Standard Oil Broken
Railroad Regulation – strengthened regulatory power of Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Elkins Act – authority to stop railroads from
granting rebates to favored customers Hepburn Act – ICC can fix “just and reasonable”
rates for railroads Conservation – Significant efforts to protect
natural resources
150 million acres of federal land as a national reserve that could not be sold to private interests
Newlands Reclamation Act – provided money from the sale of public land for irrigation projects in western states
National Conservation Commission
William H. TaftTwice as many antitrust (trust-busting)
cases – US Steel Mann-Elkins Act – ICC given power to
suspend new railroad rates and oversee telephone, telegraph and cable companies
16th Amendment – Income taxes beganSplit Republican party – they were
unimpressed with his achievementsPayne-Aldrich Tariff –Raised the tariff on
most imports (he promised to lower tariffs)
Postcard states "Here's to the Man the New Dixie Counts On"
Platform calls for more radical reforms than Progressives – public ownership of railroads, utilities, and major industries like oil and steel
Progressives generally separated themselves from Socialists
Accepted Socialist ideas – public ownership of utilities, 8 hour workday, pensions for employees
Candidate/ Campaign
Party
William Taft Re-nominated, Republican
Theodore Roosevelt/ New Nationalism
Bull Moose Party, newly formed(Progressive Republicans)
Woodrow Wilson/ New Freedom(limit big business and big government)
Democratic
Eugene V. Debs Socialist Party
Winner
Woodrow Wilson
TR is "Dee-Lighted" to throw his hat into the ring of the 1912 presidential election
Tariff Reduction – 1st act was to lower tariffs Banking Reform – National Banking system,
Federal Reserve Board, Dollar bills Major Legislation
Clayton Antitrust Act – Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act. Goal breaking up monopolies. Companies can’t buy stock of other companies to form monopolies. Exempted unions from prosecution as trusts.
Federal Trade Commission – Investigate and take action against “unfair trade practice” Watch Dog
Federal Farm Loan Act – Banks to provide farm loans at low rates.
Child Labor Act – No shipment of products made by children under 14.
State of the Union- begun under him for the 1st time in U.S. history.
Federal Reserve Act (System)- private banking system under federal control, in charge of rates, supply of money.
Key volunteer – Jane Addams (Hull House)
Help Others Help ThemselvesExample of Chicago slums
Lobbied for better schools, juvenile courts, liberalized divorce laws, factory safety
Fought for parole, separate juvenile reform, limits on death penalty
Education in America William Harris- “education is a means to lift
all classes of people in civilized life”
1. Public Schools- seen as a training ground for employment and citizenship
2. High School- A means to learn advance technical and managerial skills- job skills
Educating Immigrants- Education used to “Americanize” immigrants. Teach them English and to love the United States.
Generally ignored by Progressive presidents and governors
Progressives did nothing about segregation and lynching Shared in prejudice of the timesConsidered other reforms more important
Approaches to Progressive EraBooker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. DuBois
Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. Du Bois
Booker T. Washington- believed that racism would end once blacks acquired useful labor skills and proved their value to society. Liberal arts are worthless until blacks developed basic skills to improve economically
1. Tuskegee Institute-.vocational institute that was used to give job skills in farming, construction
W.E.B. Du Bois- believed that blacks needed immediate equality with White America, blacks needed liberal arts education in order to have a well educated class of leaders to deal with White America
1. Talented Tenth- Only the top 10% of black society should be educated with liberal arts in order to lead the other 90% and guide them to social equality.
2. NAACP- founded by DuBois will other civil rights leaders
African-Americans at the turn of the century
Discrimination- At the turn of the century many states used several different methods to limit African-Americans ability to vote.
1. Literacy Test- given to poor whites and blacks must be able to read, foreign language, harder questions for blacks
2. Poll Tax- to both poor whites and blacks must be paid before they could vote
3. Grandfather Clause- If you could not pass the literacy test or pay the poll tax, could vote if grandfather voted before January 1st , 1867
Plessy v. Ferguson- Plessy a light skinned black boards a train in Louisiana and enters the White only car, arrested for violating state segregation laws
1. Supreme Court Ruling- As long as facilities are equal they can be separate. Separate but Equal established and lasts for 60 years.
Education- African-Americans were discouraged from attending schools by the white majority, high school and college are extremely hard to get into.
Began 1910 – 1930 Reasons for leaving the South
Declining race relationsPoor cotton cropsNorthern job opportunities available during
WWI Northern cities posed problems of racial
tension and discrimination Millions of southern Blacks traveled
North to seek jobs in the city
Founded due to increased racial discrimination
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – WEB DuBoisGoal: abolish all forms of segregation and
increase educational opportunities for African American children
National Urban League – to help those migrating from the South to the North, motto “Not Alms But Opportunity”
Women reformers target workplace, housing, education, food, drugs
Susan B. Anthony- of National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) works for women’s suffrage, or right to vote
National Women’s Party – Headed by Alice PaulGoal: amendment to constitution for
women’s suffrage (voting rights) 19th Amendment 1920– Women’s
right to vote in all elections, influenced by women’s role during WWI
16th – Income Taxes 17th – Senators elected by popular vote 18th – Prohibited manufacture, sale,
transport of alcohol 19th – Women’s right to vote
1. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle exposed
a. the exploitation of women and children in the nation’s factories
b. corruption in the oil industry
c. unsanitary conditions in the nation’s meat-packing industry
2. The Constitutional Amendments adopted during the Progressive Era did all but one of the following. Select the EXCEPTION
a. prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol
b. authorized a federal income tax
c. extended the vote to women
d. outlawed child labor
e. provided for the direct election of Senators
3. Which of the following was NOT achieved during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency?
a. the tariff was reduced
b. a federal income tax was instituted
c. racial segregation was imposed in government offices<
d. an 8-hour workday was established
1. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle exposed
a. the exploitation of women and children in the nation’s factories
b. corruption in the oil industry
c. unsanitary conditions in the nation’s meat-packing industry
2. The Constitutional Amendments adopted during the Progressive Era did all but one of the following. Select the EXCEPTION
a. prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol
b. authorized a federal income tax
c. extended the vote to women
d. outlawed child labor
e. provided for the direct election of Senators
3. Which of the following was NOT achieved during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency?
a. the tariff was reduced
b. a federal income tax was instituted
c. racial segregation was imposed in government offices<
d. an 8-hour workday was established