Why do you think people crave freedom, but get mad when people abuse their freedom?

Mark Twain called this era the “Gilded Age”

(gilded) means plated, so some that is made to look expensive and nice, but really is not

An alarm that beneath the surface lay corruption

Population boomRapid Urban GrowthCorruption in GovernmentNew needs of the countryCitizens demanding more rights

Not an organized movement A collection of different ideas

Believed industrialization and urbanization had created many social problems

Partially a reaction to “Laize-Faire”- (hands off) approach

People wanted the government to do more

Wanted political power given back to people Initiative—people propose legislation Referendum—people vote on legislation Recall—people can remove elected

officials Desire to decrease corruption (Political Machines)

The movement focused on applying moral principles to the improvement of industrialized society

particularly to reforms such as the abolition of: child labor, a shorter workweek factory regulation. 

Idea that biblical ideas could improve cities and industries

“That danger, as we saw in our brief sketch of the industrial revolution, was immediately realized in the most sweeping measure. The people lost control of the tools of industry more completely than they ever lost control of the land. Under the old system the workman owned the simple tools of his trade. To-day the working people have no part nor lot in the machines with which they work. In capitalistic production there is a cooperation between two distinct groups: a small group which owns all the material factors of land and machinery; a large group which owns nothing but the personal factor of human labor power. In this process of cooperation the propertyless group is at a fearful disadvantage.”

Willing to expose corruption Journalists: Term coined by RooseveltAmong the first to call for actionSome reported on unfair business

practicesOthers reported on government

and political machinesStill others focused on society

Poverty, disease, and crime

Meant to show the harsh tones of: poverty, absence of social

programs, unpleasant living and

working conditions, and hopelessness among

the working class Instead, it lead to a

public outcry on the unsanitary conditions of the meat packing industry

Woman Suffrage was an important issue for progressives

Suffrage is the right to vote Early suffragists were accused of

being unfeminine and immoral Even physically attacked Form the National American Women

Suffrage Association (NAWSA) The big problem: How to convince

women to become politically active?

In 1919, NAWSA used it’s influence to defeat two anti-suffrage Senators

The following year, the 19th Amendment passed, guaranteeing women the right to vote

Campaign Against Child Labor Most emotional issue Children had worked on family farms Factory work was different

Monotonous tasks Unhealthy working conditions Dangerous

In 1900 there were 1.7 Million Children working under the age of 16 (Newsies)

Muckraker John Spargo’s Book The Bitter Cry of Children

showed how thousands of “breaker boys” 9-10, were paid 60 cents for a 10 hour day to sling coal

The work permanently bent their backs Often crippled their hands

Reports such as this created new changes:

Minimum working age Required children to be in school Maximum work hours for children

Health and Safety Codes Adult workers faced difficult

and dangerous working conditions

Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York

Killed 150 women from doors that wouldn’t open

Protests led to: New building codes Dealing with fire hazards, unsafe

machinery, and working conditions

Felt wealth was in the hands to too few people

Mainly trusts and big holding companies (Rockfeller)

Created the Sherman Anti-Trust Act Break up big companies to restore

competition Interstate Commerce Commission:

New government agency to watch big business

Socialism: Idea that the government should

own and operate industry for the community as a whole

Wanted the government to buy up large companies and industries Railroads and utilities

At its peak even had candidate run for president in 1912 for the Socialist Party

Connect to today…

“The rich should act as a steward (supervisor) to the poor.” –Andrew Carnegie

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

Short lived movement against banks, railroads, and elites

Farmers in crisisOverproduction from Civil War had left prices too low to surviveTwo party system couldn’t solve the nation’s problems

Farmer’s embraced populism, a movement to increase the farmer’s political power

Farmers banned together to create the people’s party

Nation found itself in bigger trouble when the railroads collapsed and defaulted on their loans

Nation was in debt and needed a way out

Populists suggested using silver to back the nations economy

However, as the depression faded and gold was discovered in Ca the movement faded

So did the populist party with little success at changing the strong industrial North

There were many different types of progressives

One group focus on the making government more efficient

They believe that if the government could run worked properly, problems in society would be fixed

Argued that modern cities needed experts, not politicians

Wanted LESS democracy, democracy=corruption

Not everyone agreed that society needed less democracy

What they needed was to be informed

Before the parties had chosen the candidates,

Hold direct primaries, where the people pick the candidates

“Democracy is based upon knowledge…the only way to beat the boss…is to keep the people informed”

RooseveltTaftWilson

Trustbuster- believed some trusts were hurting the public

Wanted to supervise big business without destroying it

Established Department of Commerce and Labor

Under Roosevelt’s presidency, Congress gave the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission the power to enforce regulation of railroad rates

Ordered break-up of Northern Securities Trusts

One of first presidents to protect environment

Laws to irrigate deserts and reserve forest land

Established National Parks

Crater Lake, Oregon

Wind Cave, South Dakota

Mesa Verde, Colorado

Yosemite, CA

Re-elected in 1904 In 1908, Roosevelt hand-

picked Taft as his successor

Legacies of Roosevelt: Increased power and

prestige of presidency Set rates and

regulations for the railroad industry

Agriculture Department Public Health Safety

Anti-Trust lawsuits under the Expedition Act

Lacked personality compared to Roosevelt

Really wanted to keep the “status quo”

Busted more trusts than Roosevelt

Trustbuster- Standard Oil in 1911

Created the Children’s Bureau child labor

Conservationist: forests and water

William Howard TAFT was the largest U.S. President.

7′ long and 41″ wide.

Replica of his custom bathtub For a reference as to

the scale, (10 yr old boy in background)

Woodrow Wilson was elected in 1912

Wanted to regulate trusts so small business could thrive

Wanted more competition in economy—New Freedom Program

Called for assault on tariffs, banks and trusts

Passed Underwood Tariff Bill—dramatic reduction in rates

Also began collecting income tax

Designed to equalize wealth

Tax money now larger source of income than tariffs

Wanted banks to end its monopoly and to be able to put more currency in market when necessary

1913 Federal Reserve Act Created Federal Reserve

Board—oversees regional reserve districts and banks

Each bank empowered to issue paper money if necessary

Most important piece of economic legislation between Civil War and New Deal

1914 Federal Trade Commission Act—outlawed unfair trade practices

1914 Clayton Anti-Trust Act, made sure labor unions weren’t being prosecuted

Progressivism changed the view many people had about government’s role on social issues

By the end of the progressive era American’s expected the government to do more in solving our problems

Passed laws to protect workers and work against child labor

Did not address the issues of African Americans and religion

16th allows Congress to charge an income tax without regard to the States

17th Amendment provides for the direct election of Senators by the people of a state rather than their election or appointment by a state legislature.

18th Prohibiting the sale of alcohol Prohibition

19th Gave women the right to vote

1. How might a modern day progressive deal with the issue of ________?

(pick 1: Health Care, Drugs, Crime, Executive Bonuses)

2. How are modern companies becoming more efficient?

(Give me 2 examples and explain HOW they increase efficiency)

3. What are you prohibited from doing at home? At school? By law?

(Give me 2 examples of each & tell me WHY do you think they are prohibited?)

4. A. What is a political initiative? B. What does it mean to take initiative

in a situation? (answer the 2 questions)