VUS8

TEST #5 Lecture NotesProgressivism

Working ConditionsWorking conditions in the American industries were

many times awful and very dangerousMany children were forced to work

Families needed the children to work and make $ or the family could not survive

Most people worked at least a 10 hour workdayPeople were paid barely enough for survival

No money was left over for luxuriesMost $ went toward housing, food, and clothing

Workers had no job securityWorkers had no benefitsMany people refer to these type of factories as

sweatshops

Company towns began to rise up around factoriesTowns run by the company (factory) ownersMost of the money earned by workers was

given back to the owners when people purchased items in the town

As more immigrants came to the US, the labor supply increasedThis increase caused a competition for jobsThis competition caused wages to be lower

for the workers—actually like by the factory owners

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Sweatshop_in_Ludlow_Street_Tenement,_New_York_cph.3a24271.jpg

Unions

Because working conditions were so bad, many of the workers and some government officials began to speak out

Workers realized they needed to ban together in order to get changes

The workers will create labor unions Unions will favor restricting immigration

Reduction in labor supply would increase wages

1.) Knights of Labor:The 1st national labor union to remain

active for more than a few yearsFormed in 1869 by a group of tailors1880s: the union grew into a national

organizationWill eventually accept all employed people

FarmersMerchantsUnskilled workers

Proposed laws to cut the workday down to 8 hours

Proposed equal pay for men and women

2.) American Federation of Labor (AFL):

Led by Samuel GompersThe largest labor organization

Represented about 1.5 million workersOrganized from skilled workersBecame a national union in the early 1900sCalled for reforms, but did not trust the

governmentSaw a strong union as more capable of

working with industry owners than the government

Advocated using strikes to improve wages and hours

Used boycotts as a means of peaceful protest

Samuel Gompers

3.) American Railway Union:Led by Eugene V. DebsUnited railway workers

4.) Industrial Ladies Garments Workers Union:

Union created for seamstressesFought to get an 8-hour workday for the

workers

Labor Strikes

For unions to get changes, most had to go on strike—a work stoppage

The unions wanted to help the workers get reduce hours and more pay

Strikes could become very violent

1.) Haymarket Square:1886: workers went on strike in ChicagoStriking workers held a protest at

Haymarket Square in ChicagoThey were protesting after the Chicago

police had shot 4 strikersThe rally turned violent and became a riot

after a bomb exploded and police opened fire on the crowd

7 police were killed4 labor leaders will be executed for their

crimes

Haymarket Square RiotHaymarket Square Video

2.) Homestead Strike:1892: steelworkers were striking in

Homestead, PA at one of Andrew Carnegie’s steel plants

A battle broke out between the striking steel workers and the strike breakers

When it was over 13 people were dead

Homestead Strike Video

3.) Pullman Strike:1894: Railway workers, led by Eugene V.

Debs, refused to switch the Pullman Company’s rail cars from one track to another

Federal troops were brought in by the U. S. Attorney General

Many people in the US began to fear an international conspiracy

Anti-labor sentiment began to grow in the US

Many saw a need for the American Government to get involved in industry

ProgressivismProgressivism was the name given to the different reform

movements that attempted to fix problems associated with immigration, city growth, and the increasing power of giant corporations

The movement was spurred on by several things:The excesses of the “Gilded Age” (Glittered with wealth, but

rotten to the core) Income disparity between the classes—the rich were getting richer and

the poor were getting poorer Practices of the Robber Barons (powerful business men and bankers)

They used whatever means necessary to make themselves richBad working conditions for labor

Child labor Long hours Low wages Lack of job security Lack of benefits Company towns Employment for women

The progressive reformers wanted to do a lot:A government controlled by the peopleGovernment regulation of big businessTo get rid of social injustices

Pass laws protecting workers and the poorReform town and state governments

1.) Muckrakers:Writers who were involved with the spirit of

reformThese writers tried to motivate the public on

certain issuesUpton Sinclair

Wrote the book The JungleHe wrote about the disgusting conditions under

which food, especially meat, was preparedIda Tarbell

Wrote History of the Standard Oil CompanyBook described how John Rockefeller amassed

his power and wealth

Florence KelleyExposed the hazards of child laborShowed that children were working in the

most hazardous conditions in factoriesShe wanted the federal government to

outlaw child laborShe organized boycotts against goods

manufactured by childrenJane Adams

Created Hull House (a settlement house)Immigrants and the poor could come and

learn English, talk about politicsHull House also took care of the sick and

injured

Florence Kelley

Jane Adams’ Hull House

2.) Meat Inspection Act:Brought about by Sinclair’s The Jungle1906: President T. Roosevelt pushed the

Meat Inspection Act through CongressStrict standards were set for meat-packersA system of federal meat inspection was

createdOutlawed the use of misleading labelsOutlawed the used of dangerous chemical

preservatives

3.) Pure Food and Drug Act:Passed on the same day as the Meat

Inspection ActThe act was a response to falsely labeled

drugs for the healing of all sorts of ailmentsProhibited the manufacture, sale, or

shipment of impure or falsely labeled foods in interstate commerce

Contents had to be accurately labeled

4.) National Parks:Some parts of the American wilderness

were being run by industry and big business

Many conservationists (Johan Muir) persuaded the federal government to create 13 forest reserves with over 21 million acres of land

Pres. T. Roosevelt created 5 national parks1916: the National Park Service was

created to run the 5 national parks

5.) Settlement Houses:Many middle class reformers built places

that provided educational and social services to poor people

1851: YMCA built housing for young men coming to the cities

The Salvation Army built shelters and opened up soup kitchens to help the poor

Jane Adams—Hull House

Progressive Changes in Government and EconomicsThere was a lot of economic instability after

the Civil WarMany believed in laissez-faire economics

the government should stay out of businessAndrew Carnegie believed in laissez-faire

economicsLaissez-faire economics was NOT a good

idea Large industrialists drove out competition

and began creating monopoliesThe government began to step in to place

controls over the “robber barons” and runaway industry

1.) Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC):

Created out of the Interstate Commerce Act in 1887

Robber barons had monopolized railroad routesThe barons could set the prices on the use of

these routes as high as they wantedPrices continued to increase

The ICC was formed in response to these higher prices

ICC oversaw interstate rail commerceICC banned monopolistic practices

2.) Federal Trade Commission (FTC):Created in 1914 by President Woodrow

WilsonDesigned to stop unfair trading and

business practices among companiesPrevented companies from working

together to keep prices highTrying to establish fair trade

3.) Sherman Anti-Trust Act:1890: enacted by CongressBanned business activities that reduced

competitionAct was difficult to enforce because the

details of the law were confusingSupreme Court usually interpreted the Act

in favor of the businesses, not the government

4.) Clayton Act:1914: Passed by CongressDesigned to broaden the Sherman Anti-

Trust ActPromoted competition by keeping

companies from working together in order to reduce competition

Outlawed price fixing

5.) 16th Amendment:Passed in 1913Allowed the federal government to tax

income—the 1st income tax

6.) Federal Reserve Act:In the early 1900s, it became clear that the

U. S. needed a strong central bank to regulate the nation’s private banks

1913: the Federal Reserve Act was passed by Woodrow Wilson

Created a network of public banks that could issue currency, make loans, and regulate private banking

7.) 17th Amendment:Called for the direct election of U. S. senators

by popular voteBefore this amendment, state legislatures

elected U. S. Senators

8.) 19th Amendment:Passed in 1920Pushed by women such as Susan B. AnthonyResulted from women’s work during World War IGave women the right to vote (allowed for

women’s suffrage)

Susan B. Anthony

9.) Wisconsin Reforms:Reforms to the way state government was

controlled Referendum—direct vote (of the people) in

which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy

Initiative—a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote

Recall—voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote

10.) Local Government—City Manager:Many city mayors had become very corruptMany cities began moving away from

elected mayors because they had become too corrupt

Hired (appointed) city managers began to replace the elected mayors

First occurred in Staunton, VAThe city managers performed the same

duties as what a mayor would

Leaders of the Progressive ChangesTheodore Roosevelt—”Square Deal”

Based on 3 principles: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection

Aimed at helping middle class citizens and involved attacking plutocracy and bad trusts while at the same time protecting business from the extreme demands of organized labor

Promotion of anti-trust suitsWoodrow Wilson—”New Freedom”

Called for less governmentAdded new controls such as the Federal Reserve System

and the Clayton Antitrust ActBusiness ReformBanking Reform

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt

Woodrow Wilson

African AmericansAfter the Civil War, there was lots of

discrimination toward African Americans and feed slaves

Many laws existed limiting the freedoms of African Americans

Intimidation and crimes were directed against African Americans—lynchings

Many prominent African Americans began the push to end racism during the progressive period

1.) Booker T. Washington:A major leader against racismSon of slave parentsCreated the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama

in 1881School designed to teach African Americans

vocational skillsHe believed African Americans could

achieve economic prosperity, independence, and the respect of whites

He accepted social separation (segregation)

Booker T. Washington

2.) W. E. B. Dubois:Believed education was meaningless

without equalityCreated the NAACP (National Association

for the Advancement of Colored People)Wanted African American children to have

equal opportunities in education

W. E. B. Dubois

3.) Ida B. Wells:Led an anti-lynching crusadeCalled for the federal government to take

action against crimes against African Americans

Ida B. Wells

Jim Crow Laws made it legal to segregate blacks and whites

Blacks were forced to:Ride in separate rail carsUse separate restroomsEat in different sections of restaurants

1896: Plessy v. FergusonSupreme court decision that ruled the

segregation was legal as long as the facilities were equal

Basically said the Jim Crow laws were legal

During the early 20th Century (1900s), many African Americans began what is termed the “Great Migration”

Many African Americans began moving to northern cities

They were looking for jobsTrying to escape the poverty in the SouthTrying to escape discrimination in the South