Reform movement between 1900-1920 (approx.)*an effort to address the political, economic and social problems that resulted from industrialization, and intense urbanization.

I. Origins and Goals

A. Roots of the Progressive movement evolved from the Populists movement.

1. Populist movement addressed rural issues. 2. Progressives addressed urban issues.

B. Key Goals:1. Wanted continued

regulation of the economy.

2. Elimination of political corruption

3. Limit the power of big business.

4. Wanted government protection of human welfare.

5. Help the poor.

II. Key groups pushing for reform

A. Labor movement worked to change:

1. work hours2. wages3. working conditions

B. Socialist:1. wanted to end capitalism2. more equal distribution of

wealth.3. governmental control of

the economy and political system.

C. Muckrakers: investigative journalists, photographers, authors, etc., worked to expose societies problems.

**Who coined the phrase, ‘muckrakers”? Why?**

1. Notable muckrakers: a. Ida Tarbell: journalist-

exposed Standard Oil

b. Frank Norris: author-RR corruption

c. Jacob Riis: photographer-exposed slum life

d. Lincoln Steffens: journalist- political corruption

e. Theodore

Dreiser: author – worker conditions.

f. Upton Sinclair: journalist/author – working conditions/corporate greed

1. Wrote The Jungle –expose on the meatpacking industry.

2. Resulted in immediate public/government response:

a. Meat Inspection Act (1906)

b. Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

1. Required ingredients be listed on containers2. outlawed patent medicines

D. Temperance Movement1. Pushed to outlaw alcohol a. believed it to be the root of most of the problems of society.

b. Historical achievement will be the eventual passing of the 18th Amendment.

E. Suffragette Movement1. Collective movement began in 1848, in Seneca Falls. a. worked to get women the right vote.

b. Historical achievement will be the passing of the 19th amendment.

F. NAACP-National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

1. Goal was/is to ensure social and political equality and protection for Af. Americans.

2. NAACP fought via the court system.

FYI: Can you name one landmark case involving the NAACP?

G. Robert La Follete:

1. Trailblazing Governor of Wisconsin

a. One of the first to implement prog. reforms

1.direct primary2. labor legislation3. corporate regulation, etc.

FYI: Fast forward to today….what has happened to Wisconsin under the governorship of Scott Walker?

III. MUNICIPAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REFORM:

A. Municipal/City Reform:1. Commission System:

voters elect experts to head city departs, such as police, fire, public works, etc.

FYI: Galveston, TX will be one of the first cities to implement this style of government after the Hurricane of 1900.

2. City-Manager Plan: voters elect a city

council, which then appoints a city manager.

B. State Reforms (but some apply to Federal as well/ “duo”):

1. Secret Ballots (duo), also called the Australian ballot, voters elect candidates anonymously.

.

2. Initiative: voters can start the ball rolling on new laws

3. Referendum: allows voters to approve or repeal an act of the Legislature.

(FYI: this is the most common form)

4. Recall: voters can remove elected officials.

FYI: Can the POTUS be recalled…Yes or No? Explain

5. 17th Amendment: direct election of U.S. Senators (idea introduced by the Populist party)

FYI: Even though this was a change to the U.S. Constitution, why does it fall under state reform?

6. Building & Fire Codes: a. major push for codes came

after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911.

1. fire broke out in the overcrowded sweatshop.

2. only one fire escape, and exit doors to the roof were locked.

3.146 people died (many jumped to their deaths)

4. As a result sprinkler systems, safety doors, fire extinguishers, etc. will soon be standard for buildings.

FYI: the two stairwells, and one elevator proved ineffective for mass evacuation.

C. FEDERAL REFORMS:1. Sixteenth Amendment: graduated

income tax (idea introduced by the

Populist party)

2. 18th Amendment: Abolition of Alcohol (Prohibition)

3. 19th Amendment: Suffragettes won the right to vote.

A. The Silent Sentinels picketed the White House for 2.5 years to fight for voting rights.

FYI: What global event helped breakdown the last of the male anti-suffragette resistance?

4. Hepburn Act:a. The ICC was given the authority

to SET RR rates.b. It also gave the ICC authority to

regulate additional companies engaged in interstate commerce: 1. such as pipelines and ferries.

IV. Progressive Era Presidents

A. President Roosevelt:1. Elected VP on the McKinley-Roosevelt

ticket in the Election of 1900.

a. McKinley is assassinated, and Roosevelt assumes

office.

2. T.R. reversed the role of a weak Pres. and a strong Congress.

3. Broke up approx. 40+ trusts.a.Recognized that all trusts

weren’t bad

4. Conservation became a Presidential priority.

5. Able to help resolve a labor strike between Big Coal and the coal minors in 1902.

a. First President to work with unions.

b.Promised all involved a square deal.

6. His “Square Deal” proved so popular that it became his 1904 Campaign slogan!

B. William Howard Taft:1. T.R. didn’t run in the 1908

election because of tradition.a. He “handpicked” his

successor, William Howard Taft.

b. Republicans trusted TR so they ran Taft for President..and he won!

2. It was assumed that Taft wouldn’t veer too far from TR’s blueprint.

a. His critics believed TR would be pulling the strings.

3. But Taft proved to be his own president.a. Broke up twice as many trust as TR. b. Added land to the national reserve. c. Addressed child labor and work

hours d. gave even more power the ICC with

the Manns-Elkin act (telephone/telegraph)

etc, etc,…………………………..

4. However he ticked off TR and Republicans because he:

a. didn’t have the political skills to stop a record high tariff from passing. (Payne- Aldrich Tariff)

Consumer

b. he fired a TR appointee who criticized the Taft administration for selling timberland in Alaska (Ballinger-Pinchot Affair).

“I’ll tell Teddy on you”

c. TR decided to run in the 1912 election

HERES TEDDY!!!!!

C. Election of 19121. Republicans stuck with Taft.

2. So TR and his supporters created a third partya. Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party)

“Suffering Snakes….How Theodore Has Changed!

3.The election got ugly and personal between the two.

FYI: Sooooo, if Taft and TR are both Republicans, what do you think is going to happen to their votes?

4. And the winner was………. Woodrow Wilson!!

a. Taft and Roosevelt split their votes, which benefitted neither one.

D. Woodrow Wilson1. Domestic Policy was New Freedom:

a. created Federal Reserve Act (controls money supply and

inflation /deflation.)

b. Underwood Tariff reduced tariffs to the lowest rate in 50 yrs.

Wilson taking on the Triple Wall of Privilege.

C. Federal Trade Commission:1. set up to encourage fair trade practices among

businesses

FYI: TR is known as the “Trustbuster”, but both Taft and Wilson broke up more than him.

D. Clayton Antitrust Act:1. Strengthened antitrust laws.2. Also established that antitrust laws did not apply to labor unions.

E. Wilson wins the 1916 Election