The Progressive Era1890-1920

Mrs. Hauber

Academic

Origins of Reform

Industrialization Problems Urbanization Problems Corruption among Government Officials Abuses of Big Businesses

Who are the Progressives?

Emerging Middle Class Believed in the idea of Progress—growth and

advancement of the U.S. Wanted Reforms that included:

Better working conditions Better Pay Less Corruption More government involvement to end abuses

Problems that were Tackled

Political Reform Party bosses Political machines

Women’s Suffrage Living Conditions Working Conditions Breaking Up Big Trusts

Muckrakers Definition Teddy Roosevelt Famous Journalists:

Lincoln Steffens Jacob Riis Ida Tarbell

Famous Novelists

Upton Sinclair—The Jungle Frank Norris—The Octopus

Societal Reforms

Social Gospel Settlement Houses

Jane Adams—Hull House Child Labor

Florence Kelley 1938

Education

Protection for Industrial Workers

Poor ventilation, hazardous fumes, and unsafe machinery

30,000 lives lost a year Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Laws were later passed

Shorter hours Worker’s compensation laws

Reforming the Government

City managers curbed the power of party bosses

Government purchase of utilities Election Rules

Direct primary—citizens elect the nominees Referendum—public votes on a law Recall—public can reject laws 17th Amendment—direct election of senators

Progressive Governors

Robert La Follette (Battling Bob) Wisconsin was called “laboratory for democracy” Improved education Lowered fees for railroads Made factories safer

Section 2: Women Make Progress

Goals: Limit number of hours worked Fair prices for goods Temperance Movement Education Voting Rights

Limiting Hours for Women

Muller vs. Oregon—ruled that long hours for women hurt the family

This later hurt women because it became a justification for paying women less

Safety of Goods

Florence Kelly—found the NCL (National Consumer’s League) which demanded labels to ensure quality and safety of products

Family Life WCTU—Women’s

Christian Temperance Movement—wanted to outlaw alcohol 18th Amendment

Margaret Sanger—opened birth control clinics

Ida Wells—African American who wanted to help educate young black women

Right to Vote

Suffrage—right to vote 1860s—Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth

Cady Stanton Failed at the federal level However, got 4 states to allow women to vote

New Suffragists

1890—Carrie Chapman Catt-started the NAWSA (National American Women’s Association) Lobbied Congress for a constitutional amendment

Alice Paul—radical that used marches, protests, and hunger strikes

19th Amendment: 1920—gave women the right to vote

Section 3: The Struggle Against Discrimination

Progressive era left out African Americans African American’s demand Reform

Booker T. Washington WEB DuBois

Niagara Movement NAACP

Reducing Prejudice

Anti-Defamation League—to defend Jews against verbal and physical attacks

Mutualists—groups that gave loans to Mexican Americans

Society of American Indians—preservation of culture and resistance to federal Native American policies

Section 4: Roosevelt

Death of McKinley Characteristics of Roosevelt Trustbusting Conservation Taft Election of 1912

Death of McKinley

In the 1900 election, McKinley won again.

Assassinated early in his presidency at the Pan-American Conference

Leon Czolgosz—anarchist who murdered McKinley

TR becomes President

Characteristics of Roosevelt

Dynamic personality; lots of energy

Well-to-do family Poor health Became blind in one eye

from boxing Became champion of the

everyday man despite his wealth

Square Deal Known as the “trustbuster”

Trustbuster

Coal Mine Strike ICC Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Northern Securities Company (most famous case) Broke up four railroads

Difference Between a good trust and a bad trust

Food and Drug Industries

The Jungle Meat Inspection Act

Pure Food and Drug Act Banned spoiled food

from crossing state lines Banned mislabeling of

food and drugs FDA still enforces laws

Conservation

Preservation of National Forests Gifford Pinchot National parks

Newlands Reclamation Act—built and managed dams

Howard Taft

Promised to keep up with the Progressive Movement

Disappointed reformers Payne Aldrich Tariff Mann-Elkins Act Ballinger-Pinchot Affair

Election of 1912

TR runs again under a new party called “Progressive Party”

Republicans Chose Taft again Democrats chose Wilson Wilson wins because the Republican vote

was split.

Section 5: Wilson’s New Freedom

New Freedom—Wilson’s program that incorporated many progressive ideas.

Underwood Simmons Bill—gives the progressives a real tariff reform.

16th Amendment—graduated income tax

Economy

Run on banks Federal Reserve Act Federal Trade Commission Clayton Anti-trust Act—actually spelled out

what companies could not do.

Legacy of Progressivism

Expanded the voter’s influence Protected banks Expanded the role of government