The Progressive Era 1890-1920

Progressive= Progress= To improve or fix

Review: Gilded AgeThe Gilded Age following the Civil War led to unprecedented industrial growth. However, Laissez Faire led to corruption, poor working conditions, wide gap between rich and poor. Even the government continued the cycle by using the Sherman Anti-Trust act against unions trying to improve labor conditions.

Overview: Progressive Era 1890-1920As society and politics became more corrupt a movement began growing to fix the problems. This movement was named the Progressive movement and aimed to fix the problems caused by industrialization:

-Business corruption and greed-Political machines and corruption-Working conditions, hours and wages-immigration-Education-Woman Suffrage-relations with Native Americans

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Business Corruption and greed

Business men like Rockefeller and Carnegie were making millions of dollars while their workers struggled with “wage slavery” keeping them in poverty. Businesses bribed government officials and eliminated competition to create monopolies, trusts and pools. Laissez Faire also kept the government out of business practices.

Robber Barons -or-

Captains of Industry?

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Political Machines

Many politicians were part of giant machines who would use intimidation, bribes and immigrants to secure power. Many political machines funded themselves through graft, or using connections and job to make profits.

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Industrialization

As business expanded, they cared little for the impact on the environment. Robbing the mines of natural resources, burning endless amounts of coal and people living in overcrowded unsanitary conditions created cities of filth and disease.

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Immigration

Businesses relied on a large supply of cheap labor. The number one source of cheap labor were newly arriving immigrants. As immigrants continued to take American jobs resentment grew. Some Americans joined the Nativist party to limit immigration.

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Working Conditions

People worked in overcrowded, unsafe factories. From poor air quality to locked emergency exits, the factory conditions were only set up for mass production and huge profits. Even workers who were injured or killed received no compensation.

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Jobs and unions

Workers struggled with low wages, long hours and unsafe working conditions. Many workers joined unions in the late 1800s, leading strikes, boycotts and attempts at collective bargaining. However, many businesses refused to listen. Eventually the Sherman Anti-Trust act was even used AGAINST the worker unions

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Education

Most working families lived in poverty, cramped into dirty and dark tenement houses. To make ends meet both women and children needed to work. Despite a free public education, many children were unable to go to school because their families needed the income from their work.

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Women’s Suffrage

After the Civil War, African American males were given the right to vote, but women were still unrepresented in most American elections. As women joined the workforce and changed the dynamics of society and family life, they also wanted to influence political decisions. After all, if women had to live by the laws, shouldn’t they have a say in who makes the laws?

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Alcohol

Some political groups, especially those associated with religious groups, pushed for the ban of alcohol. Known as the Temperance movements, these groups lobbied for laws to make selling and buying alcohol illegal.

Review of Gilded Age Problems:Native Americans

As the nation industrialized, the need for more food, cash crops and resources grew. As a result, the American nation pushed further West, into lands still held by Native American tribes.

What idea is expressed in this cartoon?

Who is being pushed out on the left side of the drawing?

Who were the progressives?Mostly educated city dwellers that believed new technologies should be used to improve society. Believed in capitalism but believed a strong government was needed to stop corruption and abuses, while safe guarding people’s rights.

Progressivism vs. SocialismThe progressives believed in capitalism and that a hard worker would get ahead, but needed the government to ensure fairness and some job protections. A socialist believes the government should own everything and divide it equally among the people. Some still look at social assistance programs like unemployment and welfare as socialist because they take tax money to redistribute assistance to others.

Mixed Government responseThe government practiced mostly Laissez Faire economics, staying uninvolved with running the economy. Even the passing of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act did little to restrict business practices. As public pressure mounted the Supreme Court dealt with two separate court cases for workers’ rights:

Lochner v New York Muller v Oregon

Law limited bakers’ hours was unconstitutional because it limited the right to contract

Law limiting women’s hours was legal because it protected women’s health. Kept women out of better paying jobs

Nast’s nasty cartoonsOne major push for reform came from Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist. Nast highlighted the corruption and problems of the late 1800s. Nast’s cartoons exposed many issues including political machines in New York City and labor issues.

Progressive Reform: BusinessesDuring the gilded Age, Laissez Faire allowed businesses to cut out competition creating Monopolies and Trusts. Not only did these businesses become rich and powerful, they also ignored basic sanitation and workers health issues, putting profits before all else.

MuckrackersMuckrakers helped bring reform issues to the attention of the public. Muckrakers used literature and art to depict the problems plaguing American business and society. Many focused on the abuses and poor business practices of American industry:

Muckraker Book/ article subject

Frank Norris The Octopus Railroad monopolies in California

Ida Tarbell History of the Standard Oil Company

Ruthless practices of Standard Oil

Jacob Riis How the other half lives Conditions of New York’s tenements

Upton Sinclair The Jungle Dangerous and unsanitary meat packing industry

Upton Sinclair spent weeks studying the meatpacking industry. He found that the industry was abusing the workers, but readers focused instead on the unsanitary conditions of the meat industry:

-spoiled meat-rats and vermin ground into meat-poisoned rodents ground into meat

The Jungle- Upton SinclairLook at your DBQ documents (#2)

How the Other Half Lives- Jacob RiisJacob Riis used photograph to show how the poor workers lived in “The Greatest American city”, New York City.