Progressive Movement

Responses to the Challenges brought about by Industrialization

and Urbanization

Questions:

What problems did Progressive reformers hope to solve?

What role did journalists and other writers play in the Progressive Movement?

How did the Progressives work to help the urban poor?

How did the Progressive reformers change local and state governments?

Progressivism: Reform Movement

Began during T Roosevelt’s Administration.Ended in 1917 with the US entry into WWI.Spirit of Active Reform dominated national,

state, and local politics.Wide range of issuesMiddle class city dwellers From the mid west and northeast.

Pressure for Reforms

Why? Negative effects of industrialization.Social DarwinismLaissez Faire EconomicsLack of competition: high prices Abuse of nation’s resources.Poor working conditionsPoor living conditionsLarge gap between rich and poor.Rise of unions

Pressure for Reforms continued

Immigration kept wages low/rise of nativism

Mixed Response of GovernmentUnresponsive to the impact of

industrialization and urbanization.Courts did not support fair business

practicescorruption

Reforms demanded by rising middle classIncreased power and influence of middle

class.Educated classProgressives supported use of government

power to bring about reform.Technology and science could improve the basic

institutions of America: family, education, business and gov’t

Strengthening capitalism and they were against the rising tide of socialism.

By pass the political parties.

Muckrakers

The Muckrakers and reformBrought public attention to reform issues.Journalists, writers, photographers, and

artists.Investigated and exposed corruption and

injustice.Lincoln Steffens (The Shame of the Cities), Ida

Tarbell (History of Standard Oil), Upton Sinclair (The Jungle movie trailer?), Jacob Riis (How the Other Half Lives)

Specific Areas of Concern

Poverty and living conditionsBetter living conditions through building codesSocial Gospel

Settlement HousesJane Addams Hull HouseHenry Street Settlement: Lillian WaldProvided child care, education, social activities,

and employment help.

Specific Areas of Concern

Peace MovementAddams and WaldJeannette Rankin 1st woman elected to

congressAddams 1931 Noble Peace Prize

Specific Areas of Concern

Temperance and prohibitionBegan in the 1820s1874 Women’s Christian Temperance Union.1920 18th amendment

Specific Areas of Concern

Women’s Movement1848 Seneca Falls NYElizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B.

Anthony were the radicals.Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell were the

moderates.1900s Carrie Chapmen Catt changes

strategy.19 Amendment 1920

Specific Areas of Concern

Birth ControlMargaret SangerPlanned Parenthood Federation

Education for Women100,000 women in college by the 1900s.

Rights for JewsAnti-Defamation League

Specific Areas of Concern

African AmericansLynchingsBooker T Washington: vocational training

Policy called accommodationW.E.B. DuBois: more radical than BTW

Niagara MovementNAACP: National Association for the Advancement of

Colored PeopleMarcus Garvey: separatistIda B. Wells: journalist

Progressivism and Government

1st concentrated their efforts on local governments.

Elect Progressive Mayors but also needed to change the way government ran.

Popular in small and medium sized cities.City Commissioner PlanCity manager Plan

Theodore Roosevelt and the Square Deal

Many reforms during his administration.1st of the Progressive Presidents (William

Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson).Youngest man to become president1901 William McKinley is assassinatedElected in 1904Used the power of the Presidency to deal

with social and economic problems

Cities respond to Urban Problems

Transportation systems, water and sewage, sanitation, other utilities.

Modernizing Police and Fire Departments.Constructing new government buildings.Building Libraries and museums

Reform of State Government

Limited the control of state controlled boss politics.

Limited powerful business interests.To protect gains at the local level reform

was needed at the state and federal levels.

Needed to increase citizen participation in government.

State reforms

Secret ballotsInitiativeReferendumRecallDirect primaryDirect Election of Senators (1913) 17th

Amendment.Role of third parties

State, Social and Environmental Reform

Wisconsin Model Robert M. La Follette

Regulate railroads, lobbying, bankingCivil service reformsReform tax systemWorkmen’s compensationFactory inspectionsTeddy Roosevelt

New State Tenement Commission

Theodore Roosevelt and the Square Deal

Youngest President to take office1st of three Progressive

presidents( William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson)

Stewardship: leading the nation in the public interest, like a supervisor or manager.

Square Deal: many reforms during his administration

Reforms

Consumer ProtectionPure Food and Drug Act and the Meat

Inspection Act (The Jungle)Regulation of BusinessHepburn Act 1906 Regulation of Railroad

rates. Strengthened the ICC. Also expanded power to include regulation of pipelines, ferries, bridges and terminals.

Reforms

Trust-busting Good and bad trusts.Northern Securities Case: Pacific Northwest

Railroads. DissolvedBeef Trust: Swift and Company v. the United States.Labor Reforms: The Anthracite Coal Strike: United Mine Workers.Employers’ Liability Act of 1906: provided accident

insurance for interstate railroad workers. And in Washington D.C.

Working Hours: Lockner v. New York ( no limiting working hours)

Muller v Oregon ( women working) 10 hour work day

Conservation

Roosevelt was a naturalistInfluenced by Gifford Pinchot and John

Muir.Forest Reserve Act of 1891/US Forest

Service /150 Million Acres.National Reclamation Act of 1902

Progressivism Under Taft

1909 William Howard Taft is elected President.Twice as many lawsuitsStandard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States.Rule of reason to the Sherman Antitrust ActMann Elkins act of 1910/ICC/ control telephone

and telegraph.Payne –Aldrich Act of 1909 raise tariffs

Woodrow Wilson and the New freedom

Democrat 1912Competition in the marketplace through

enforcement of antitrust laws.Underwood Tariff Act: lowered tariffs/Civil

War1913 16th Amendment Graduated Income

tax. 6% v 1%Federal Reserve System created.

Federal Reserve System

12 Districts, each with a Federal reserve Bank.

The Federal Government could now:Issue sound currency.Control the amt of money in circulation.Control interest rates.Shift money from one bank to another when

needed.

Negative Aspects of the Progressive PeriodRights of African Americans do not improve..Woodrow Wilson enact separate facilities for blacks in

Federal Government buildings.Jim Crows are still in existence (Plessy v Ferguson)

separate but equal.Women are still treated like second class citizens.Unequal education still exists for all races Child labor.No minimum wage, no maximum work week,Prohibition….Organized CrimeNo anti-lynching laws

Business Regulation

Federal Trade Commission ActClayton Antitrust Act of 1914

Price fixingBuying stock in competing companies.

Addams Act of 1916 8 hour work day for workers on railroads and in interstate commerce.

Federal Farm Loan Act 1916Keating – Owen Child Labor Act:

Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. Hammer v Dagenhart

19th Amendment 1920 women the right to vote.

Causes of the Progressive Movement

Growth of

industryGrowth of

cities

The Progressive MovementWork of Muckrakers

Political• Direct election of

Senators.• Party primaries.• Votes for women.

Social• Laws protecting

Workers.• Settlement houses

• Birth control• Child labor laws

• consumer protection laws

Economic• Conservation of

land and water.• Regulation of business

• Lower tariffs• Income tax

• Federal Reserve

Progressive Movement

Protect Social Welfare

• Pure Food and Drug Act• Meat Inspection Act

• Conservation projects• Settlement House

Movement• Formation of NAACP• Mandatory Education

Promote Moral Development

• Temperance• 18th Amendment

• Social Gospel Movement

Create Economic Reform

• Underwood tariff• Federal Reserve System

• Clayton Antitrust Act• Hepburn Act

• 16th Amendment• Federal Trade Commission

• Regulate public utilities

Foster EfficiencyIn Government

• 17th &18th Amendment• Civil Service reform

• Secret Ballot• Direct Primaries

• Referendum• Recall

• City commission• City manager

Progressive Pyramid

National

16-19

Amendments

Pure food and Drug Act

Meat Inspection Act

Underwood Tariff, Clayton Antitrust Act

FTC, Federal Reserve Bank, Hepburn Act, NAACP, Forest

Reserve Act

State

Secret Ballot, Initiative, referendum, recall, direct primaries, direct election of

senators

LocalCity Commission, city manager, regulation of public utilities,

city beautification, settlement houses

Muckrakers: uncover corruption

Lincoln SteffensThe Shame of the Cities

Corrupt politicians

Frank NorrisThe Octopus

Corrupt railroad operators & California Wheat farmers

Upton SinclairThe Jungle

Unhealthy conditions in theMeat packing industry

Ida TarbelHistory of the Standard

Oil CompanyJohn D. Rockefeller’s monopoly