Rise of Progressivism

The Progressive Impulse

Worldvision: Direct, purposeful human intervention in social

and economic affairs was essential to ordering and bettering society

Birth of Modern American “Social” Liberalism NOT Classical Liberalism

Minimal govt + economic freedom

How does the conservative world vision compare to the progressive one? Wisdom of the Ages

Varieties of Progressivism

3 Main Varieties of Progressivism

• i)Progressives varied on how to intervene + reform-

• “anti-monopoly” (fear of concentrated power, limit + disperse wealth, power)– Rooted in Populism : but also appealed to some

middle class.

• ii)Social cohesion- – welfare of single person

– dependent on welfare of society (collectivism)– Anti-Individualism

– Initiative focused on “Victims” of Industrialization

iii) Faith in Knowledge

Rooted in Renaissance Humanism Scientific Revolution (Scientific Method, Experimentation) Enlightenment

principles of natural + social sciences “intelligent social organization” Modernized Govt.

larger role in • Improving and shaping society

Make society more:• “Stable”• Fair• Equitable• Humane

Are there any limitations to this kind of “social” engineering?

Muckrakers

Crusading Journalists who exposed

social, economic, political injustices and corruption

At first targeted trusts (particularly RR barons)- Ida Tarbell’s study on Standard Oil.

Later, attention toward Govt + political machines- Lincoln Steffens- The Shame of the Cities

Exposed political corruption Aroused sentiment for urban reforms

Government, Labor Unions, CorporationsIs the media biased today? What are some of the

dangers of media bias?

The Social Gospel

Muckrakers moralistic tone prompted outrage at social + econ injustice, led to rise of Protestant Social Gospel-

fusion of religion w/ reform Primary goal: Redemption of US Cities

Salvation Army Christian social welfare organization;

ministers left parish to serve in troubled cities; Charles Sheldon: In His Steps (1898)

Most successful novel of the era Father John Ryan

expanded scope of Catholic social welfare groups

iii)Religion w/ reform gave Progressivism moral component

The Settlement House Movement

Rejection of Social Darwinism/Genetics Argument Poor Environment

Reason for poverty Does this adequately explain cause of poverty?

Hull House 1889- Jane Addams

Hull House, Chicago 1889

Jane AddamsBecame national model Helped assimilation of

immigrantsAsked help of Middle-

ClassCollege Educated

WomenHelped originate

Social Workers Studies, Statistics,

Reports that pushed for reform

The Allure of Expertise

Society should be in the hands of “enlightened experts”

Thorstein Veblen Critical of industrial tycoons: “the leisure class” Argued

that class of highly skilled engineers should rule the economy. Only they could understand the “machine process” of modern

society.

Scientific Management/TaylorismSocial Science:

Scientific techniques for society’s problems.

Spawned generation of bir

Jacob Riis: Photographer

Women, Professions, Reform

What types of professions were women working in?

Why were women so influential to the new reform movements? “New Woman” What socio-economic factors led to this

trend? Work sphere Children and schooling New domestic tools Middle-class status/domestic help Family size Professional/Single women

Clubwomen

Women’s Clubs Origins Cultural/Intellectual outlet for middle-class to upper-

class Social improvement Often excluded blacks

African-American Clubs Focused on issues important to blacks like segregation,

lynching

Importance Moved the sphere of influence out of the home Generally rejected radical notions of feminism

“Traditional gender roles were exploitative and obsolete” Influenced much social change

Child work laws Social/Community projects Food and Drug Laws Prohibition/Temperence Pensions for widowed mothers (now part of Social Security) Children’s Bureau Women’s Trade Union League Suffrage

Women’s Suffrage

Argued in terms of “natural rights”, that women were equal to men.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton- Challenged the view that a woman’s “sphere” of

influence is different than that of a man’s. Women are an equal part of society

Anti-Suffrage Saw threat to the “natural order” of patriarchal

civilization Powerful movement with both men and women

Connected arguments to: divorce, promiscuity, neglect of children

National American Woman Suffrage Association

Led by: Anna Howard Shaw (social worker) Carrie Chapman Catt (journalist)

1893- 13,000 members1917- 2 millionNew Strategy

Maternalistic/less threatening argument that didn’t challenge the existing “spheres”.

Women could lend their sensitivities to society’s problems but still remain relatively domestic

Other Arguments for Suffrage

Temperance movementPacificism/Anti-War

WWI helped suffrage movement

Minority males/immigrants/uneducated Why not educated women?

Passed in many states prior to 192019th Amendment – 1920

Gave women political rights nationally

Equal Rights Amendment

Alice Paul Argued that 19th amendment didn’t go far enough Wanted amendment to prohibit ALL discrimination

based on gender. Not supported by most prominent suffragists

The Assault on Parties

Reformers Govt. needs to be reformed BEFORE using Govt. to

reform society. Corruption Waste Inefficiency

Early Reform Secret Ballots

Chipped away at party boss power

Party Reform: 2 Strategies Increase direct power of people

Go around partisan institutions Give more power to non-elective officials

New Forms of Governance Commission Plan- Galveston, Texas 1900

Mayor and council replaced by an elected non-partisan commission

City Manager Plan Elected officials hire outside “manager” often with a

business or engineering background. Supposed to remain untainted by “corrupting” influences

City reformers Many elected within existing political structure Tom Johnson/Newton D. Baker- Cleveland, Ohio

Challenged powerful streetcar interests Deemed “best governed city” in America

Hazen Pingree- Detroit Samuel “Golden Rule” Jones- Toledo

Statehouse Progressivism

Municipal reforms slow and difficultState Legislatures could do more good

Often corrupt and influenced by bosses

Initiative Reform Submit legislation directly to the voters

Referendum Actions of Legislatures could be over-turned by electorate

Primaries Selection of candidates taken to the voters Also, used in South to limit black voting

Recall- leaders could be voted out of office

Other State Reforms

Limitations on Lobbying by business Campaign contributions by business Free passes for politicians from railroads

Creation of State Worker’s Compensation Pensions for widow’s with children

Examples of Reformers Gov. Charles Hughes- New York

Regulated public utilities

Robert La Follette- Wisconsin

Early political champion of progressivism

Charismatic and Fervent

Accomplishments Political reforms

Initiative, referendum, recall

Railroad regulation Workplace laws

Parties and Interest Groups

Decline of party power Voter Turnout

Late 1800’s - 80% + was typical 1912- 59% Today- ???

Special Interest Groups Groups organized to directly influence government

Are special interests a good or bad thing? What are some of the most powerful lobbying groups

today?

Sources of Progressive Reform

Labor Pushed for and gained in California first then

elsewhere: Child labor laws Limited hours for women Workman’s Compensation

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire- New York 1911 Doors locked by employers to control workers 146 died mostly women Resulted in strict regulations on factory owners

Women

Contrasting Views

Washington Advocated a less confrontational approach Blacks should immediately and directly influence their

status by working hard and becoming invaluable to the community

Du Bois Advocated for immediate rights and equality Challenged the Atlanta Compromise Pushed blacks to achieve full university degrees in

prominent fields of study Started the Niagara Movement

Founded NAACP Primary strategy was lawsuits and the courts.

African-Americans and Reform

Early NAACP Victories

Guinn vs. U.S. 1915- Grandfather clause in Oklahoma unconstitutional

Buchanan vs. Worley 1917- struck down residential segregation

Strategy: Educate an elite group of African-Americans who can fight for benefit ALL blacks.

NAACP and National Association of Colored Women- Ida B. WellsCrusaded against lynching

Crusade for Social Order and Reform

Moral Issues to “regenerate society”. Alcohol Prostitution Limit divorce Restrict immigration

The Temperance Crusade

Problems for working class families Scarce wages spent on drinking Violence Murder Problem for wives and mothers Hurt worker efficiency

Primarily pushed for by womenWomen’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)

Largest women’s group at that time Emphasized connection with violence and poverty

1916- 19 states had banned alcohol1920- 18th Amendment

Ratified by every state except Connecticut and Rhode Island

Immigration Restriction

Views of reformers Help new arrivals adapt Assimilation had failed, limit the flow

New Theories from the “experts” Immigration was “polluting” the racial stock Eugenics- An effort to grade races and ethnic groups

according to their qualities. Advocated for forced sterilization

Criminals Mentally retardedArgued that human inequalities were hereditary

- Immigration was adding to the unfit

Nativism

Madison Grant- The Passing of the Great Race 1916 Nativists- Argued for protecting racial purity

Wanted to protect the Nordic stock from Eastern Europeans, Asians, Hispanics

Dillingham Report Some groups can’t or won’t assimilate Pushed for restrictions based on nationality

Others who rejected Nativism still argued for restrictions Overcrowding Crime Unemployment

Prominent names supported Nativism Theodore Roosevelt Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge

Business Leaders Opposed Nativism Source of cheap labor

WWI helped Nativism gain strength

Challenging the Capitalist Order

Reformers targeted corruption within corporate America

Eugene Debs- Leader of the Socialist PartyVaried Goals

European Marxism Small scale private business, large scale

nationalization of large industry Gradual reform through electoral process Militant direct action, revolution

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

Socialism and the IWW (Wobblies)

William “Big Bill” Haywood Single Union for all workers Rejection of “wage slave” system Strikes over political change Championed the unskilled worker

Migratory workers in the West (hard to organize unions) Timbermen, miners, others 1917 Strike- shutdown timber industry

• Govt. needed wood for World War I• Leaders imprisoned, laws outlawing the organization• Effectively ruined the IWW

Terror tactics (ex. Attack on railroad lines) Socialism declined as result of Anti-Radical sentiment after

WWI

Decentralization and Regulation

Most reformers believed reform could take place WITHIN a capitalist system Problem: Large combinations, trusts, monopolies

Louis Brandeis Lawyer and Supreme Court Justice Other People’s Money- 1913

Book about the “curse of bigness” Inefficient Threat to Freedom Encouraged abuse of power Govt. needs to regulate competition to avoid “bigness”

Good vs. Bad Trusts

Some Progressives believed BIG was NOT bad. Big = Efficiency Competition hurt efficiency

Govt. should help “good” trusts and punish the “bad”. Strong oversight Modern government was essential Nationalism

Nationalist Argument

Many reformers were businessmen Herbert Croly- 1909

Book: The Promise of American Life One of the most influential progressive documents Argued for larger role for Govt. to influence and bring order to

the economy

Walter Lippman- 1914 Book: Drift and Mastery Businesses need to learn new ways of:

Cooperation and Self-regulation

President Theodore Roosevelt Became the most powerful symbol of reform at national level