the progressive era 1900-1920

CHAPTER 18

The Progressive Era1900-1920

Progressive Movement

Progressivism was an ideological movement of the early 20th century which favored achieving political and social reforms through

education, wider political participation by all classes of

society, and direct government action.

Progressive Movement

Progressivism had its roots in Populism Half-breeds (favored the spoils system) & Mugwumps

(opposed the spoils system) Those shocked by

abuses of industrialists corruption in government the plight of the poor

Progressive Movement

Who were these “Progressives?”

Those who wanted justice for all.

Reform Darwinists who wanted society to advance & evolve.

Christians who saw an opportunity to do good.

Progressive Movement

Just how did the Progressives choose to further reform?

1. By promoting direct democracy2. By increasing government efficiency3. By advocating government intervention

Direct Democracy

Secret Ballot – Votes could not be “bought” as easily.

Direct Primaries – Party candidates to be nominated directly by popular vote.

Initiative – Voters initiate laws by presenting petitions.

Referendum – People vote directly on an issue in a regular election.

Recall – People can vote to remove an elected official from office.

Direct Democracy

National government adopted secret ballot only.

Many state and local governments adopted some or all of the other reforms.

Government Efficiency

City Commission form of government – Duties of mayor and city council are combined and placed in the hands of 5 city commissioners (executive & legislative function) Galveston, Texas

City Manager – City council would hire a professional city manager to administer the government. Staunton, Virginia

Government Intervention

“Trust-Busting” – breaking up the monopolies to restore competition.

Trust regulation – leaving monopolies, but allow government to regulate them

Socialism – government ownership of business

Full government ownership vs. limited government ownership

“Gas & Water Socialism” – government control of utilities

Government Intervention: Support for Labor

Allow labor unions to organize & make businesses negotiate with them.

Establish minimum wage.Prohibit child labor.Limit hours in a work day.Mandate safety standards in the

workplace.

Constitutional Progressivism

Sixteenth Amendment – provided for a federal income tax. (1913) (See p. 627)

Two Reasons: More revenue for government to spend on reforms

Wealth would be redistributed because people earning more income would pay more.

Constitutional Progressivism

Seventeenth Amendment (1913) – provided for direct election of U.S. Senators (instead of state legislatures choosing them).

Constitutional Progressivism

Eighteenth Amendment (1919) – prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages. Known as PROHIBITION.

Constitutional Progressivism

Nineteenth Amendment (1920) – provides the right to vote for women. Known as Women’s Suffrage.

Personalities

Muckrakers – writers who exposed abuse and corruption in books and magazines. Lincoln Steffens – exposed municipal corruption in

St. Louis Ida Tarbell – exposed some unscrupulous tactics of

Standard Oil. Upton Sinclair – exposed filthy conditions in

Chicago’s meat-packing industry

Laws were changed because people became aware of these problems.

Personalities

Political Progressives William Jennings Bryan – leading

Democrat progressive Robert La Folette – leading Republican

progressive Eugene Debs – Socialist and union

organizer/leader

Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)William Howard Taft (1909-1913)Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

Roosevelt & the Square Deal

“Square Deal” – T. Roosevelt’s name for his philosophy that every man and woman should receive fair treatment and equal opportunity.

Roosevelt & the Square Deal

Trust-Busting – T. Roosevelt used the Sherman Anti-trust Act to expand federal power over businesses, particularly trusts & monopolies.

Roosevelt & the Square Deal

Regulation – He wanted to regulate the conduct of businesses. Hepburn Act (1906) – gave ICC more power to regulate

railroads & shifted the burden of proof to the railroads (Guilty until proven innocent!)

Pure Food & Drug Act (1906) – outlawed impure food across state lines & required honest labels.

Meat Inspection Act (1906) – required Dept. of Agriculture to oversee meat packing and food animal health

Roosevelt & the Square Deal

Coal Strike – T. Roosevelt intervened in a coal miners’ strike in 1902 when management refused to negotiate. He threatened to use federal troops to keep the mine open. Federal force used against business (rather than

labor) Federal government acted as mediator in labor

dispute

Roosevelt & the Square Deal

Conservation – T. Roosevelt managed to set aside more than 100 million acres of western land for national parks and national forests.

He established the National Conservation Commission to help conserve nature and America’s natural treasures.

Roosevelt & the Square Deal

Race Relations – one of the failures of the Progressives. Jim Crow laws expanded Reasons race relations got worse

1. Racists politicians came into power. 2. Some Democrats disenfranchised the blacks because

some had allied with Populists & reform groups. 3. The federal government and northern states lost

interest in civil rights for blacks.

Roosevelt & the Square Deal

Two reactions of blacks to racism:

1. Booker T. Washington said blacks should work hard and bring themselves up economically, then political equality would follow. (ECONOMIC SOLUTION)

2. W.E.B. DuBois said blacks had to have political equality before they COULD improve themselves economically. (POLITICAL SOLUTION). Started the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1909)

“Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I KNOW what the caged bird feels, alas!         When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;     When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,     And the river flows like a stream of glass;         When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,     And the faint perfume from its chalice steals —     I know what the caged bird feels!

“Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar

    I know why the caged bird beats his wing         Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;     For he must fly back to his perch and cling     When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;         And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars     And they pulse again with a keener sting —

    I know why he beats his wing!

“Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,         When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—     When he beats his bars and he would be free;     It is not a carol of joy or glee,         But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,     But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings —     I know why the caged bird sings!

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Roosevelt and the Big Stick

Roosevelt’s Foreign Policy was characterized by his favorite saying:

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

He pursued a vigorous, expansive foreign policy in contrast to the mostly isolationist policies the U.S. had tended to follow up to this time.

Roosevelt believed that the U.S. was a “civilized power” and was taking the “blessings of civilization” to “uncivilized” nations.

His idea was to export our laws, order, and righteousness.

The problem was that not everyone welcomed the U.S. brand of “civilization.”

The Declaration of Independence says, “…governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Philippines

In the Philippines, we helped them achieve their freedom from Spain, then we paid Spain to purchase the Philippines from the country we had just declared had no right to “own” the country.

Then we proceeded to send our own governors and military to govern the Philippines.

Philippines

The Filipinos weren’t happy about this because they wanted their own INDEPENDENCE, so they mounted an independence movement, called by U.S. historians “an insurrection.”

It took the U.S. two years to subdue the Philippines, then we possessed the island nation for over 30 years, finally granting them independence after WWII in 1946.

Philippines

Why did we want the Philippines?

Panama Canal

A canal built through the isthmus of Panama in Central America, this Panama Canal provided a much shorter route for merchant and military vessels between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Panama Canal

Land originally owned by Columbia.France first tried to build a canal, but failed,

mostly due to malaria and disease.France wanted out and offer to sell the

project to the U.S., but the U.S. had to get permission from the Columbian government and pay for the rights.

Columbia refused the price ($10 million up front & $250,000 yearly thereafter.)

Panama Canal

The U.S. helped create a little revolution in Panama, and Panama became independent from Columbia, then sold us the rights to the Canal Zone for the price Roosevelt wanted to pay.

This kind of action caused Latin American countries to become quite suspicious and resentful of U.S. intervention in Central & South America.

Panama Canal

It took 10 years to build the canal.It cost about $400,000 million to build.It provided great economic benefit to

shipping industry because of shortening travel distance and time, cutting transportation costs.

The Panama Canal opened in 1914, just days after WWI broke out in Europe.

Roosevelt Corollary

President Theodore Roosevelt viewed the U.S. as the leader of the Western Hemisphere.

He expanded the Monroe Doctrine to allow the U.S. to act as a “policeman” to keep European powers out of Latin America and to keep Latin America in line.

This led to numerous military interventions in Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic over the next decade.

Roosevelt Corollary

As you can imagine, Latin American resentment grew as a result.

Japan

President Roosevelt intervened in a war between Japan and Russia over a territorial dispute.

He won a Nobel Peace Price for helping to negotiate a solution (Treaty of Portsmouth 1905).

Japan

Roosevelt also negotiated with the Japanese for better treatment of Japanese immigrants on the West Coast. The Japanese agreed to refuse passports to Japanese laborers trying to come to the U.S.

This effort served to stop immigration from Japan to the U.S.

Taft & the Presidency

William Howard Taft was Theodore Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor.

Taft & the Presidency

Taft soon ran into conflict with the Progressives. He refused to veto a bill that was supposed to lower

tariffs but didn’t really lower them. He refused to support the ouster of the dictatorial

Speaker of the House, Joseph Cannon. He adhered strictly to the law when it came to

withdrawing land for conservation. He fired Gifford Pinchot, head of the forestry

service, for publicly opposing him on conservation issues.

He reversed a decision by Roosevelt to allow U.S. Steel to purchase another company.

Taft & the Presidency

Dollar Diplomacy – the policy of attempting to influence foreign affairs through the investment of U.S. dollars in foreign countries.

The policy was mostly unsuccessful in Latin America because people didn’t want to risk money in areas they perceived as risky.

The policy was not successful in China where investors figured the U.S. was unlikely to intervene to protect their interests beyond a verbal protest.

Election of 1912

William Howard Taft ran for re-election as a Republican.

Woodrow Wilson ran for president as a Democrat.

Theodore Roosevelt, unsatisfied with Taft, ran as a third-party candidate on the Progressive Party ticket.

Election of 1912

Taft & Roosevelt split the Republican vote, and Woodrow Wilson was elected.

The Income Tax

Under Wilson the Underwood Tariff Act of 1913 was passed. The bill cut tariffs but adopted the first income tax.

The Income Tax

The first income tax was1% of all annual income over $30006% of all annual income over $500,000

Most Americans paid no taxes because the average income was much less than $3000.

The Income Tax

Tax Rate Schedule 2010 projected Most Single Filers

10% Not over $8,375 15% $8,375 - $34,000 25% $34,000 - $82,400 28% $82,400 -$171,850 33% $171,850 - $373,650 35% Over $373,650

The Income Tax: A Disincentive

A graduated income tax decreases the motivation for investment under the capitalistic system:

A potential investor will NOT risk his capital if his profit after taxes will not be worth the risk.

The Income Tax: Unjust

The tax falls most heavily on the middle class; the poor are hardly taxed at all, and the rich are able to avoid taxes through “loopholes.”

The Income Tax: Hurts the Economy

The wealthy, whose investments are the key to production and resultant prosperity, are encouraged to funnel their wealth into nontaxable enterprises, such as foundations, that do not encourage the type of production that stimulates the economy.

The Income Tax

Which of these objections do you think are valid?

Can steps be taken to offset the negative effects of the income tax?

The Federal Reserve Act

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 established 12 banking districts, with each district having a private Federal Reserve Bank.

A Federal Reserve Board, appointed by the President, oversees these banks.

The Act created a new currency: the Federal Reserve Note.

The Federal Reserve Board controls almost all aspects of banking and finance in the U.S.

www.federalreserve.gov

www.dallasfed.org

Ben Bernanke

Federal Reserve Board Chairman

Federal Reserve Board Building

Houston Branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank

Progressive Society

Transportation Automobiles – Henry Ford Ford Motor Company founded 1903 Model T – 1908 Perfected Assembly line method of production

Henry Ford

1908 Model T Ford

Ford Assembly Line 1924

Model T In 1908 – over $800 In 1916 - $360 In 1926 - $260

The assembly line helped reduce the cost of manufacturing.

Transportation Airplanes Orville & Wilbur Wright Bicycle sales & repair The profits from the bicycle co. helped them pursue

their dream of flight. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina - 1903

Orville & Wilbur Wright

Original Wright Bicycle

Wright Flyer @ Kitty Hawk, NC 1903

Agriculture

George Washington Carver – born a slave but became a professor at the Tuskegee Institute.

Needed a crop to alternate with cotton because of depleted soil conditions and an infestation of the boll weevil.

Carver developed numerous used for the peanut to encourage farmers to plant peanuts: dyes, milk substitute, ice cream, livestock feed, fertilizer, flour, et al.

George Washington Carver

Agriculture

“Golden Age of Agriculture” – 1898-1914 Population shifted to cities (away from farms). Farm technology improved:

Tractor Veterinary science Lower transportation costs

Medicine

Mayo Clinic developed the idea of bringing doctors together for research and practice.

Medicine

Johns Hopkins pioneered the modern medical school.

The cause of malaria/yellow fever was discovered and efforts to prevent it were very successful.

Education

John Dewey was a “progressive educator” who believed that education should Relate learning to the child’s interest. Be more experiential than memorization. Prepare students for a vocation or work.

Education

Progressive education was limited because its philosophical basis was secular humanism.

Secular humanism denies the existence of God and affirms the goodness and perfectibility of man.

Religion

Modernism – applied Darwinian evolution to Christianity resulting in a belief system that is anti-Christian.

Modernists believed that Christian teachings (doctrine) came about through ideas from within the church rather than being revealed from God.

Modernists reject the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, atonement for sin through His blood, and the inspiration of the Bible.

Religion

Social Gospel Movement – applied progressive notions of social reform to Christianity.

Instead of believing in people individually being saved by grace through faith in Christ, these social gospel proponents believed they could save society through social reform.

Religion

Walter Rauschenbusch was a social gospel reformer who denied that man has a sinful nature. He reached out to help the poor and hungry, but saw no need to introduce the lost to Christ.

Religion: Orthodox Response

Princeton Theological Seminary theologians responded to these attacks on the traditional understanding of Christianity.

Religion: Orthodox Response

Princeton Professor Benjamin Warfield was one of the greatest defenders of the faith.

Religion: Orthodox Response

Christians established Bible colleges and institutes, such as Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, to help educate Christians against the attacks on the Church.

Religion: Orthodox Response

Another response was to hold Bible conferences and camp meetings to reach people who couldn’t attend the colleges and institutes.

Progressivism Summary

Benefits of the progressive movement:Purer food and drugsBetter service from gas and water utilities

Greater participation in the political process.

Progressivism Summary

Costs of Progressivism An expanding government with expanding

powers. Less accountability because bureaucrats are not

accountable to voters. False solutions to man’s problems due to a faulty

view of the nature of man. (basically good instead of having a sin nature).

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have.” –Paul Harvey