Fighting to Reform

The United States in Chaos

-Rapid growth by 1900

- industrialization, immigration and urbanization took place

-Major Problems:-Poor Working Conditions-Consumer Fraud-Unfair Practices by Large Corporations and Trusts-Political Corruption-Destruction of Wilderness

The Progressives

•combat the problems •generally white, middle-class professionals

•from both political parties

•believed major reform was necessary

Woodrow Wilson

Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt and Wilson •provided tremendous leadership

•Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”:1) regulation of unfair business practices2) consumer protection3) increased rights for workers4) the protection of natural resources •Roosevelt promised to see that every person got a “square deal”

•Wilson mainly dealt with economic policy such as the Clayton Antitrust Act

Muckrakers -Exposed the problems to the public -Lincoln Steffens wrote The Shame of Cities about corrupt gov.

-Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine took hundreds of photographs of lower class

-Ida Tarbell wrote History of Standard Oil about ruthless tactics of John D. Rockefeller

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

-Perhaps most famous muckraking literature

- exposed Chicago meat-packing industry

-Sinclair claimed he had seen everything in the book

- Long hours

- Seven days a week

- No minimum wage

- Work sites unsafe

- Child labor was permitted

- In 1900, only 3% of workers belonged in unions

- Late 1800’s - reduction in the quality of goods

- Meat-packing industry was notorious

- Use of additive drugs in elixirs and syrups

- False or misleading advertising

1885

1896

•1906 - Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act which banned harmful additives and the use of false statements in the advertisement

• 1906- Federal Meat Inspection Act

•The Food and Drug Administration or FDA was established

Monopolies hoarded power and were merciless

Fed. gov. regulate irresponsible businesses and corporations

President Wilson- Federal Trade Commission and Clayton Antitrust Act

•Governor from Wisconsin and US Senator

•Relentlessly crusaded to increase gov. efficiency, protect natural resources, and expand for democracy

•Ran for president under the Progressive Party, won 17% of popular vote

Robert “Fighting Bob”La Follette

“Political Machines” rule

Initiatives, referendums

and recall elections gave politicians responsibility to the people

17th Amendment

19th Amendment

Protect natural resources

Roosevelt – “father of the national park service”

Gifford Pinchot helped Teddy

John Muir – Yosemite

Many Progressives felt that blacks were inferior

So. Pro. worked to strengthen segregation laws

NAACP formed

Defended blacks, fought lynching and investigated race riots