The Progressive Movement

DO NOWBetween the end of Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century, the United States became a more industrialized and urbanized nation

These changes brought many benefits to American society, but they created problems as well

Create a graphic organizer to list problems brought on by rapid industrialization and urbanizationProblems brought on by rapid industrialization and urbanizationThe Progressive MovementResponses to the Challenges Brought About by Industrialization and UrbanizationThe BIG IDEAThe Progressive Era was a period of reform movements during which:Progressives promoted political, economic, and social reformReforms were made at the city, state, and national levelsProgressive reforms laid the groundwork for future successObjectiveTo what extent did Progressive reformers succeed in bringing about political, economic, and social reform?Reform in AmericaOverviewFrom the 1890s to 1920, a reform movement swept the nation as many people focused their energies on improving conditions within the United StatesThe Progressive movement was made up of groups and individuals who worked to address the negative effects of industrialization and urbanization in the United StatesThree progressive presidents- Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson- implemented bold domestic reform programs at the national levelPressures for Progressive ReformBy 1900, the United States was a rich and powerful nation. Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration had helped to transform the nation into a major economic power. The changes in American life, however, also brought problems. The call of Progressive reformers for change led to a period known as the Progressive EraPressures for Progressive ReformThe call of progressive reformers for change was also a reaction to a government which, at all levels, had been relatively unresponsive to the negative effects of industrialization and urbanization. The theory of Social Darwinism was used to explain the widening gap between the rich and the poor and laissez faire philosophy prevailed, thwarting governing intervention

By the turn of the century, industries largely remained unregulated by federal and state governments

Granger laws were struck down as unconstitutional. Federal legislation, such as the Sherman Anti-Trust Act had failed to bring an end to monopolistic business practices

Courts most often favored the interests of business over those of the working class

Because of rampant political corruption at all levels of government, the public received little help from its elected representatives

Several United States Supreme Court rulings provide examples of the mixed response of the federal government in the struggle to improve working conditionsLochner v. New York (1905)Muller v. oregon (1908)In Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court ruled that a New York state law limiting bakers hours was unconstitutional because it interfered with the contract between employer and employeeIn Muller v. Oregon (1908), the Supreme Court let stand an Oregon state law limiting women to a ten-hour work day, ruling that the law was justified because it protected the health of women. The effect of the law, however, was to keep women out of better paying jobsWho Were the Progressives?The Progressive reform movement was made up of many individuals and groups who set out to tackle the problems of their era

Progressive reformers represented a diverse cross-section of America

Their success at bringing about political, economic, and social reform varied from reformer to reformer and cause to cause

Progressives, however, did hold some characteristics in common. First and foremost, they shared a belief in the power of the government to change peoples lives for the betterWho Were the Progressives?Characteristics

The Progressives were influenced by the Populists but differed from them.

Who Were the Progressives?Beliefs and GoalsLike all reformers, Progressives were optimists who believed that the abuses of government and business could be ended.

They believed that new developments in science and technology could be used to improve the basic institutions of American society- business, government, education, and family life

Progressives were not revolutionaries. They did not seek to overthrow the nations political and economic institutions. Although they sought to bypass party politics, which they saw as corrupt, they had faith that good government could and should correct abuses and protect the interests of the public.

Progress Toward Social and Economic ReformAttempts to end poverty, crowding, and disease in Americas urban slums began before 1900

One early urban Progressive reform effort was the settlement house movement

Settlement houses, such as Hull House, founded in Chicago by Jane Addams, and the Henry Street Settlement, founded in New York City by Lillian Wald, were established in urban slums in an effort to help the poor and working-class

Settlement houses offered people, especially immigrants, education, child care, and cultural and social activities

Progress Toward Social and Economic Reform

The Muckrakers and Reform

Muckrakers helped bring reform issues to the attention of the public. Most were journalists and writers, but others were artists and photographers, such as Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine.

Muckrakers investigated and exposed corruption and injustice through articles in mass-circulation magazines. They also wrote novels dramatizing situations that demanded reform.

Progressive Era MuckrakersUrban social reformers, such as the muckraking journalist Jacob Riis, used writings and photographs to show the need for better housing for the poor and the working class

Riis searing work How the Other Half Lives (1890) dramatically depicted the wretched living conditions in New York Citys tenements

Riis work prompted important legislative reforms in New York City, such as the passage of landmark building and housing codes, the first such laws in the country, requiring better and more sanitary living conditions

Progressive Era MuckrakersThere would be meat stored in great piles in rooms; and the water from leaky roofs would drip over it, and thousands of rats would race about on it. It was too dark in these storage places to see well, but a man could run his hand over these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats. These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put poisoned bread out for them; they would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together..

Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

Consumer Fraud The industrial growth of the late 1800s often brought with it a reduction in the quality of goods, especially in large food factoriesNo longer were customers able to deal directly with people from whom they bought their food; as a result, consumers had no safeguards against poor quality or misleading advertisingConsumer Protection

The meatpacking industry was notorious for unsanitary conditions President Roosevelt pressed Congress to pass meat inspection laws, in part due to the fact that hundreds of American-soldiers had died during the Spanish-American War from eating tainted meat

In 1906, Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act requiring federal inspection of meat processing to ensure sanitary conditions in meatpacking plants Consumer Protection

The misuse of chemical additives and misleading advertising were other problems faced by consumers in the early 1900s

Canned foods, for example, were contaminated with dangerous chemicals and adulterants

Companies in the pharmaceutical industry claimed-without any proof-that their products could cure a variety of ills. Often, such products contained high concentrations of alcohol or dangerous sedatives

Pushed b President Theodore Roosevelt, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The act, which led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration, barred (banned) the use of harmful additives in foods and forbade the use of misleading statements in the advertising of drugs.Modern Day Exposs

Progressive Era MuckrakersReform of City GovernmentsGiven the Progressives urban, middle class roots, it is not surprising that they first concentrated their efforts on the governments in which they lived and in which they were influential citizensThey attacked political machines where they controlled government at city and state levels, condemning practices such as accepting bribes in return for favorsIn the 1890s, Americans interested in good government worked to elect reformist mayorsSuccess in doing so, however, did not always ensure permanent improvement. Progressives had to change not only the leader, but the way city government worked Reform of City GovernmentsTwo new types of city government are associated with the Progressive movement. They were popular in small and medium-sized cities.Progressives Respond to Urban ProblemsWhile some Progressives concentrated not only on making city governments more efficient and less corrupt, architects and city planners tried to improve the appearance of cities by constructing large, elaborate libraries, museums, and other public buildings.Progressive engineers recognized that the sudden and rapid growth of cities called for redesigning and improving needed city services such as sanitation, street lighting, and the water system. Still others worked to regulate these other utilities or even turn them into publicly owned facilitiesReforms of State GovernmentProgressives also acted to limit the power of boss-controlled political machines and powerful business interests at the state levelProgressives recognized that states exercised control over many of their citiesExtension of reform to the state, even the national level, was necessary to protect any gains made at the municipal level

Reforms of State GovernmentThe secret, or Australian, ballot lessens the chance of intimidation because it prevents party bosses (and anyone else) from knowing how people voteThe initiative is a system that allows voters to petition the legislature to consider a proposed lawIn a referendum, voters, not the legislature, decide whether a given bill or constitutional amendment should be passedRecall is a form of petition used by voters to force elected officials out of officeA direct primary allows voters, rather than party leaders, to select the candidates who will run for officeRatified in 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment provided for the direct election of senatorsState Social, Economic, and Environmental ReformsWisconsin, under Governor Robert M. La Follette was the model for Progressive reformsThe state passed laws to regulate railroads, lobbying, and banking.It also started civil service reforms , shifted more of the tax burden to the wealthy and to corporations, required employers to compensate workers injured on the job and provided for factory inspections

State Social, Economic, and Environmental ReformsSeveral other states passed laws like those of WisconsinIn 1912 Massachusetts became the first state to pass a minimum wage lawLeading Progressive governors included Hiram Johnson of California, who reformed the railroad industry, and Theodore Roosevelt of New YorkAs governor of NY (1899-1900), he supported the creation of NY State Tenement Commission to investigate NYC tenementsHe also worked to eliminate sweatshop factory conditions which forced women and children to work long hours for very low pay in dangerous conditions

Triangle Shirtwaist FireIn March 1911, a horrific fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City caused the deaths of almost 150 people, mostly young immigrant womenDozens leapt to their deaths from upper stories to escape the burning building due to locked exits and inadequate fore escapes

Theodore RooseveltRoosevelt was elected Vice President in 1900, and became President when President William McKinley was assassinated. He was elected in his own right in 1904.Roosevelt saw his job as one of stewardship leading the nation in the public interest, like a manager or supervisorHe believed that the President had any powers not specifically denied to the executive in the ConstitutionRoosevelt administration is often known as the Square Deal because of the many reforms made during his presidency

Trust-Busting

34Regulating BusinessStrengthen Railroad LegislationTrust-BustingUnder pressure from Roosevelt, in 1903 Congress passed the Elkins Act, followed in 1906 by the Hepburn Act. The objective of both was to strengthen the ICC and allow it to set railroad shipping rates Also, the ICCs powers were expanded to include regulation of pipelines, ferries, bridges, and terminals.Some complained because the act allowed railroads to appeal to the courts.However, Roosevelt was often willing to compromise on details to make a larger point in this case the right of government to regulate business

Roosevelt saw a difference between good trusts, which were to be subject only to regulation, and bad trusts, which were to be dissolvedThe actions he took against big business earned him a reputation as someone who would do trust-bustingIn 1903, Roosevelt convinced Congress to form the Bureau of Corporations within the Department of Commerce and LaborHe used the bureau to pressure corporations through investigations and publicity about their activitiesRegulating BusinessThe Northern Securities CaseThe Beef TrustBy the end of the 1800s, the Northern Securities Company controlled the railroad system in he Pacific NorthwestIn 1901, the Justice Department began prosecution of Northern Securities under the Sherman Antitrust ActThe case was eventually appealed to the Supreme CourtIn its ruling in Northern Securities Co. v. United States (1904), the Supreme Court upheld the judgment against the company and ordered the company to be dissolved

Another government action using the Sherman Antitrust Act was directed against a group of meatpackers known as the beef trustThis prosecution, too, was upheld by the Supreme Court, in Swift & Co. v. United States (1905)This decision gave the government broader powers under the Constitutions interstate commerce clause than the Courts ruling in the landmark case, United States v. E.C. Knight Company (1895)ConservationAs a naturalist, Theodore Roosevelt was interested in conservation, or protecting the nations environment and its wilderness landsHis policies were influenced by the conservationists Gifford Pinchot and John MuirBefore Roosevelt, the governments land policy put land in the private hands of homesteaders, railroads, and colleges. Roosevelt shifted this policy and kept some land under federal government protectionProgressivism Under TaftAfter Roosevelt declined to run for a third term, William Howard Taft succeeded him in 1909Taft began his presidency with the support of Roosevelt and the Progressive wing of the Republic Party

Reforms Under TaftUnder Taft, the Justice Department brought twice as many suits against big business as it had under RooseveltOne of the most important cases involved the Supreme Courts ruling in Standard Oil Co of New Jersey v. United States (1911) held that the monopoly should be dissolvedBut it also applied the so-called rule of reason to the Sherman Antitrust Act. There was a difference, said the Court, between reasonable and unreasonable business combinationsSize alone did not mean that a company was unreasonReforms Under TaftThe Taft era witnessed other reforms, tooThe Mann-Elkins Act of 1910 gave the ICC the power to regulate communication by telephone and telegraph In 1913, the Sixteenth Amendment was ratified, authorizing Congress to impose an income tax

Problems for TaftTaft, who was not as politically able as Roosevelt, soon ran into problems that split the Republican Party into a Taft faction and a Progressive factionLike other Progressives, Taft wanted to lower tariffs, but he was unable to stand up to the Republican Congress that raised them with the Payne-Aldrich Act of 1909Taft angered Progressives by calling the law the best bill that the Republican party ever passed.

Woodrow Wilson and the New FreedomIn 1912, Teddy Roosevelt challenged Taft for the Republican presidential nominationWhen the nomination went to Taft, Roosevelt ran as the candidate of a third party, the Progressive or Bull Moose PartyWilson was the Democratic candidate and Eugene Debs ran on the Socialist ticket

Woodrow Wilson and the New FreedomRoosevelt offered what he called the New Nationalism, while Wilson called his program the New Freedom Both were Progressive philosophiesRoosevelt, however, accepted social legislation and business regulationThe more traditional Wilson aimed for a return to competition in the marketplace with enforcement of antitrust lawsWilson won the election of 1912 by a landslide of electoral votes, although he received only 41 percent of the popular vote. In 1916, he was reelected into office in an even closer raceWilson and the New FreedomFinancial reformsFederal reserveIn 1913, he pressured Congress to pass the Underwood Tariff Act, which lowered tariffs for the first time since the Civil WarThe law also provided for a graduated income tax, or a progressive tax, which taxed larger incomes at a higher rate then it did lower onesAlso in 1913, the Federal Reserve was createdThis national banking system is divided into 12 districts, each with a Federal Reserve bankThe federal government could nowIssue a new, sound currency Federal Reserve NotesControl the amount of money in circulation and interest ratesShirt money from one bank to another as neededThe Federal Reserve Board lowers interest rates to stimulate consumer spending in times of recession or raises interest rates to control inflation

Business RegulationThe federal trade commission actThe Clayton antitrust act The Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 aimed to prevent unfair competitionIt created a commission to investigate such practices as false advertising and mislabelingThe Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 strengthened the governments power to control business practices that threatened competition Among other things, the act prohibited companies from price fixing and from buying stocks in competing firmsLater in the twentieth century, federal prosecutions of alleged violations of antitrust laws continued against corporations such as AT&T and MicrosoftEnd of the Progressive EraThe Progressive Era came to an end when the United States entered World War IDuring the war, American priorities shifted to the war effort, and in the 1920s, the trend shifted away from reform and toward acceptance of society as it was