The Age of Reform: The Progressive Era

The Age of Reform: The Progressive EraAPUSHUHSBarnett

I. The Progressive EraEnd of 19th C until WWI

Tending towards change, improvement or just attitude of mind

New?

America becoming more: Urban, industrial, mechanized and centralized Thus, needed to be more carefully organized

II. The Roots of ProgressivismA. Against patronage, special interest & political machine corruption-Liberal Republicans / Mugwumps / Goo-Goos

B. Efforts to regulate and control big business C. Concern for welfare of the urban poor Imp of WomenD. Religious Social Gospel

E. Salubrious Climate1. Post 1896 prosperity 2. Guilt & sense of importance/standing of middle class3. Middle Class Radical Support?

III. The MuckrakersA. Authors that exposed abuse, corruption, and danger. B. 1902 McClure's Magazine" 1. Ida Tarbell expose on Standard Oil2. Lincoln Steffens on Political Machines3. Editor McClures editorialSomething wrong with the American characterthere is no one left; none but all of uswe have to pay in the end.E. Muckraking became vogue and topics from child labor, drug abuse, prostitution, and dangerous working conditions covered the print media

Later Arsen Pujo (leader of the Pujo Committee which investigated banks) exposed the Money Trust.

6IV. Progressive MindA. Progressives aroused the conscience of the people to be more humane with the goal of purifying American life.1. Believed in innate goodness 2. Problem was structure of institutionsnot system itselfB. Often Diverse & Contradictory C. Laissez-faire obsolete and Social Darwinism not an excuseD. Need to protect weaker members of society (women, children, infirm, poor) from abuse & exploitationF. Often guilty of oversimplification & paternalistic rhetoric1. Moderate Never threatened capitalism or democracy2. Saw personal values as standards of truth and moralityV. Radical ProgressivesA. Eugene V. Debs ran for president in 1900 & 1904 on Socialist ticket B. New radical union: The Industrial Workers of the World-IWW (aka Wobbleys) 1. Created by Debs, William Haywood, Daniel De Leon2. Anti-Capitalist3. Against craft organization of AFL. Wanted to organize rank-and-fileThe working class and the employing class have nothing in common

C. Revolution of Manners and Morals 1. Influence of Sigmund Freud2. Challenged Victorian standardsMargaret Sanger - advocate of female autonomy and birth controlEmma Goldman Anarchist The kind of patriotism we represent is the kindwhich loves America with open eyesBohemian thought centered in Greenwich Village in New YorkMiddle-Class backgroundCreative and an innocent rebellion

VI. Political Reform Cities FirstA. Boss corruption and other vices in urban areas unified progressiveB. Late 1890s pushback 1. Home Rule charters2. Created research bureaus3. Creation of city manager system professional & non-partisan C. Post-Corruption Internal improvements1. "gas and water socialism" (city controlled utilities)2. minimum wages for city employees, playgrounds, golf courses, public transportationVII. Political Reform The StatesA. Corruption riddled state legislatures B. Wisconsin under the Leadership of Republican Robert La Follette-"Fighting Bob" led the nation in progressive state reform.1. Used grassroots campaigning to defeated Republican political machine2. Fought RR's and Lumber interests and ended lobbying but he himself used boss tactics like patronage.3. Development of the Direct Primary, regulation of railroads, regulatory commissions, and tax reform4. Academics (UW) helped usher in substantive reforms that became known nationally as the Wisconsin Idea.C. Reforms spread and personnel went trained in WID. Some states went further Oregon Championed bills in Initiative (petition), Referendum (vote), and Recall (remove official)

VIII. State Social LegislationA. Limiting of working hours before 1900 was fragmented.B. Conservative judges used 14th amendment to stop any binding legislation1905 Lochner v. New York1918 Hammer v. Dagenhart C. However, by 1917 most states limited women to 10 hour daysD. By 1910 most states modified the principle that a worker accepted risks of the job1. 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (NY)

D. Conservatives turn to Supreme Court bc of social legislation1. 1908 Muller v. Oregon 10 hr. limit to women laundry workers2. Supported by The Consumers LeagueSlogan: investigate, agitate, legislateGets Louis Brandeis to defend the statute 3. "Brandies Brief" used sociological and economic research to justify special legislationApplied in other cases thereafter E. Spate of state regulatory legislation

IX. Political Reform in Washington: Womens SuffrageA. Failure of 14th and 15th Amendments split feministsB. Lack of Unity & Victorian Stereotypes1. Contraception2. Female purity3. Darwinian stereotypesC. Logic Trap Women morally superior soD. 1890 Two groups combine: National American Women's Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

E. Carrie Chapman Catt 1. organizational & political skills2. State by State Approach 2. Grassroots movement inWyoming; full women's suffrage - 1869

G. Alice Paul Congressional Union1. National approach - Amendment2. Militant response to picket with Wilson refused support3. Arrested but pressure mounted4. Congressional approval in 1919 1920 of states ratified 19th Amendment

J. Other amendments1. 16th amendment (1913) - Income tax 2. 17th amendment (1913) - Direct election of senators 3. 18th Amendment (1919) - Prohibition K. HoR ReformThomas Reed Joseph G. Cannon

X. Theodore Roosevelt: Cowboy in the White HouseA. McKinley shot Sept. 6, 19011. Shooter was anarchist2. Secret ServiceB. TR one of most important transitions1. Credentials 2. Good Republican 3. Butalarmed conservatives

C. Incredibly Popular w/ the PeopleD. True Public Servant & Measured1. Elkins RR Act (1903)1a. outlawed rebates made RR's follow published prices. 2. Newlands Act (1902) - Irrigation

E. Trustbuster 1. Good Trusts & Bad Trusts2. Used Sherman Act instead of Congress3. 1902 Justice Department vs Northern Securities Company1a. Supreme Court disbands NSC (1904)2a. Suits vs Standard Oil Trust, American Tobacco & Meat Packers4. Gentlemens Agreement (1905)1a. US Steel2a. Standard Oil

XII. Square DealingA. Anthracite Coal Miners Strike of 1902 new standard1. UMW led by John Mitchell 8hr day, wages, recognition2. Price soarsB. TR conference in Oct1. Mitchell cooperates2. Management refuses to speak to union3. TR threatens use of Sherman Act to nationalizeC. The Square Deal1. Labor: 9hr workday, 10% wage increase2. Firm: Commission rec 10% price increase, no recognition of union3. President Acclaim & Expansion of Power

XIII. TR President in his own rightTR.: President in his own rightA. Election of 1904 1. Progressives pleased 2. Business: Better than Democrats w/ legacy of Bryan

B. Mandate for more liberal agenda?1. DC, RR Min Wage2. Hepburn Act (1906)G. H. The Jungle (1906) by Upton Sinclair1. Pure Food and Drug Act (1904),

XIV. Tilting Left A. TR advanced with progressive movementB. Conservative Republican BacklashC. Protected National Domain1. 150 acres in federal reserve2. Established National Park System w/ John Muir

D. Panic of 19071. Caused by speculation 2. TR approved deposits of US cash in NY banks3. Approved purchase of TN Coal & Iron Co. by US banks4. TR blamedE. TR criticized malefactors of great wealth

XV. Taft: Listless ProgressiveA. TR handpicks Taft1. TR campaigns for Taft 1908 victory2. More Conservative3. Lack of Political SavvyB. No distinction b/w good & bad trusts

C. Mann-Elkins Act of 1910D. Other Progressive ReformsE. Tariff Reform: Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909)

F. Ballinger - Pinchot affair 1. Waterpower Sites2. Alaska coal

XVI. Breakup of the RepsA. Lodge and Pinchot motivate TR to return & fix split1. Conservative Old Guard Republicans - Taft 2. Progressive Republicans - TRB. TR Comeback - New Nationalism1. Expand role of Federal Government 2. Expansion of liberal legislationC. Taft litigates US Steel (1911) Attack of Gentlemens AgreementD. Last strawD. Taft as president controlled the party

E. Progressive Party Bull Moose Party1. Should have waited2. Liberal platform tariff reformnational presidential primaries abolishment of child laborworkers compensation laws etc.

XVII. Election of 1912A. Democrats did not want Bryant again and after 46 ballots Woodrow Wilson was selected Academic & former Gov. NJB. Converted progressive - New Freedom1. social justice and trusts to be operate by fair rules2. Support free enterprise and competitionC. Unique ElectionImp of slogans & new symbols

XVII. Election of 1912

XVIII. Wilson: New FreedomA. New Freedom resembled New Nationalism at timesB. The Underwood Tariff (1913) & income tax - 16th Amend.C. Federal Reserve Act (1913)D. The Federal Trade Commission (1914)1. regulated business and corporation to end unfair practices.E. The Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) 1. outlawed holding companies2. Price discriminations

H. Wilson expanded executive power1. State of the Union Speech in person2. A dynamic, alive, and personal institution

XIX. Progressives and Minority RightsA. Positive for Most but1. Racism, Nativism (Dillingham Commission, 1913)2. 1907 Gentleman's Agreement on Japanese immigration.3. Dead Indian Land Act of 1902 making it easier to sell allotted lands4. Women still unequal5. Blacks in the south faced further segregationA. Lack of educationB. Booker T. Washington

XX. Black Militancy A. Du Bois New African American leadershipHigher education More confrontational"Beauty is BlackBlacks should build their own business, newspapers, colleges and write their own literature."talented Tenth" F. participated in the Niagara Movement in 1905 which set an agenda for Black rights attacking limitations on voting, economic opportunity and segregation

After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world, a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness, an American, a Negro; two warring souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self.

B. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 1909Du Bois editor of "The CrisisInterest group for discriminated minoritiesC. Presidential Inaction1. TR - ambivalent2. Wilson apathetic C. William Trotter a - delegation to the White House