Origins of Progressive Movement

Aim: How “progressive” were the Progressives?

What is Progressivism?

A response to the social problems brought by industrialization and urbanization.

Trying to make things better.

Moving forward

What caused the problems?Who is to blame?

• Laissez-faire; no gov’t regulation of business or society.

How do we fix the problems?

• Fix government

• Use modern ideas, science, and technology to make gov’t more efficient and effective

Who were the muckrakers?• Ida Tarbell —criticized unfair business

practices like trusts. Wrote “History of Standard Oil”

Lincoln SteffensShame of the Cities

• Exposed corruption in urban politics.

Jacob RiisHow the Other Half Lives

• Photographer, exposed poverty in NYC immigrant neighborhoods.

John SpargoThe Bitter Cry of the Children

• Child labor

Upton SinclairThe Jungle

• Exposed unsanitary conditions in meat-packing industry

Progressive Campaigns

• Government

Commission Plan--new style of efficient city gov’t.

Modern cities need experts, not politicians.

City depts. should be run by professionals and led by a city manager.

Galveston Hurricane 1900leaves 6000 dead and city ruined

Increased DemocracyWisconsin becomes the Laboratory of

Democracy under Governor Robert La Follette

Felt party bosses and political machines had too much influence.

a. Direct primaries—party members vote for their party’s candidates

b. Initiative, Referendum, and Recall

1. Initiative: citizens introduce legislation for vote

2. Referendum: citizens vote on legislation

3. Recall: special election to remove an official

17th Amendment Direct Election of Senators

• citizens now vote for their Senators rather than state legislators appointing them. Removed influence of political machines and big business.

19th AmendmentWomen’s Suffrage

• Document A: Votes for Women • Leaders:

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton• Lucretia Mott• Susan B. Anthony• Julia Ward Howe• Alice Paul• Carrie Chapman Catt

• Tactics• marches, speeches, picketing, hunger strikes

1920 19th Amendment passes

Child Labor

• Document C: Child Labor

• New laws passed that set minimum ages and maximum hours

• Children’s Bureau (Taft) investigated child labor abuses

• Compulsory education laws required children to go to school

Health and Safety Codes

• Called for new safety regulations and workers compensation

• Set zoning laws and building codes

• Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in NYC 1911—150 women died trapped in building

Temperance movement leads to to 18th Amendment

• Document B: Pledge for Temperance• Temperance= moderation or elimination of alcohol• Alcohol led to poverty and abuse• Progressives wanted to remove the temptation.

Regulating Big Business and the Economy

• Sherman Anti-Trust Act —to break up large companies to restore competition

• Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) regulated big business

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) —a watchdog agency to monitor business to ensure fair trade practices

• Clayton Anti-Trust Act —gave unions the right to exist

Federal Reserve Act 1913a central bank system for US

• Allowed the government to direct and guide the economy by controlling the amount of money in circulation and setting interest rates.

Is Socialism the answer?• Some Progressives believed the gov’t

should own and operate major industry for the benefit of all Americans

• Eugene Debs ran for Pres in 1912 as the American Socialist Party candidate. Received almost 1 million votes!

Consumer Safety

• 1906—in response to The Jungle, Congress passes:– Meat Inspection Act and– Pure Food and Drug Act

Environmental Conservation

• Managing our natural resources• Newlands Reclamation Act 1902 –

large scale irrigation and development

Western US

Gov’t regulation of timber, mining, and water resources

Established National Parks and wildlife preserves.

Presidents of the Progressive Era

• Theodore RooseveltPromised a “Square Deal” Known as the “Trustbuster”Believed in “Gentlemen’s

Agreements”His Legacy:Stronger executive branch,

the modern Presidency

William Howard Taft• Taft’s Progressive

Reforms– more of a trust-buster

than TR– est’d Children’s Bureau

—to fight child labor– Mann-Elkins Act—

strengthened ICC– Conservation—Bureau

of Mines, more nat’l forests

HOW DID TAFT DIFFER FROM T.R.?

TR—charismatic, well-liked, loved the spotlight, big ideas.

Taft—legalistic, less ambitious, less popular

Woodrow Wilson• Underwood Tariff—cut

tariffs in half• 16th Amendment• Federal Reserve• Federal Trade

Commission• Adamson Act– 8-hr

workday• Clayton Antitrust Act–

recognized unions

Election of 1912

• Democrats: Woodrow Wilson• Republicans: William Taft• Progressives: Theodore Roosevelt

Legacy of Progressivism

What did it do?

Increased the gov’t’s intervention in economic and social issues (also the public’s expectation of that intervention)

What did it not do? Did not address racial discrimination. African-Americans began that fight themselves. Formed NAACP. (Met in Niagara Falls)

Discussion Questions• How is Progressivism different from Populism? • To what extent is there a trade-off between human needs and profit

in a capital economy? Explain. • Why did support for socialism increase during the Progressive Era? • How did muckrakers use media to effect reform? • How effective were muckrakers in achieving their goals? • To what extent was the Progressive movement based in the middle

class? • How did Progressives envision the role of government in American

life? • Why did some opponents of Progressive reform argue that

Progressives were insensitive to the poor? • To what extent do you agree with opponents of Progressivism?

Explain.

“All Politics Is Local”-- Speaker of the House Thomas P.O’Neill Jr.

• Why would O’Neill put forth this argument? • To what extent do you agree with this argument? Explain.

• Read “My Story” • How can we evaluate the success (or failure) of the Progressive

movement? • How can we explain the poor treatment of workers in the US today

in light of Progressive reform? • To what extent was reform by community members during the

Progressive Era? • To what extent should reform be driven by community members

today?