Progressive Era (PDF)

The Progressive movement ​ Why did The Progressive movement take place: Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration created significant changes and challenges for the U.S ​ What was The Progressive movement: An effort to use government power to regulate and improve society...

The Progressive movement ​ Why did The Progressive movement take place: Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration created significant changes and challenges for the U.S ​ What was The Progressive movement: An effort to use government power to regulate and improve society ○​ Rejection of laisses-faire ideology by many Progressive reformers ○​ They are not a radical movement, not looking to overturn/overthrow capitalism, they’re rejecting radical ideas like socialism and anarchism ​ Save and improve capitalism ​ Who are the progressives? Many Progressive Era reformers were middle-class men and women, and the majority were women. ○​ But a very diverse group of reformers, not a coherent organized movement, everyone working together for a common goal ​ Protestant church leaders demanding temperance ​ Politicians regulating monopolies/ trusts ​ Union leaders addressing workers' rights ​ Women demanding to vote; women’s suffrage ​ African Americans demand greater equality Promoting Reform Muckrackers ​ Muckrakers: Attempted to expose problems in American society, often by journalists who wrote sensationalist stories to sire up public demand for action and bring attention to the problem to the middle classes ○​ Named by Theodore Roosevelt, it was not meant as a compliment. Important examples: ​ Ida Tarbell wrote “History of Standard Oil Company,” which was published in McClure’s Magazine. In it, she exposed the business practices utilized by industry captains such as John D. Rockefeller. ​ Jacob Riis wrote “How the Other Half Lives,” which exposed the horrors of life in the slums, especially tenements of New York in 1890 ​ Lincoln Steffens's “The Shame of the Cities” in 1904 exposed corruption in city politics, especially political machines Role of Women in the Progressive Movement ​ Women played an important role in the Progressive Movement ○​ Broke down the idea of “separate spheres” ​ National Child Labor Committee fought for laws banning child labor ​ National Consumers’ League headed by Florance Kelley advocated for the rights of women in the workplace, laws against child labor, etc ○​ Muller vs Oregon (1908), where the court ruled that laws protecting women workers and restricting women to 10 hours were constitutional  The Progressive movement ​ The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911) led to the death of 146 workers and changed how labor unions were seen. ​ Women's role in the Temperance movement Urban reform ​ The large number of problems in the cities: ○​ 1) urban poverty & slums ○​ 2) Political corruption ○​ 3) alcoholism ​ Jane Addams & Florence Kelly (settlement house) ○​ The first Settlement house called the Hull House in Chicago ​ Desire to take away power from political bosses by placing municipal services under public control ​ Municipal government reform such as voters electing heads of city departments (fire, police, sanitation) State Reform ​ Many Progressive governors fought against corporate control of state politics ​ Governor Robert La Folleta pioneered many reformers in the state of Wisconsin ​ Wisconsin Idea ○​ Regulate public utilities ○​ Took on the powerful railroad industry ○​ Adopted tax reforms ○​ Political reforms Political Reform ​ Political reformers wanted to increase democracy and reduce the control of trusts ○​ Australian or Secret Ballot: allowed voters to mark their choice for office secretly ○​ Direct Primary: nomination of candidates placed into the hands of the voters ○​ Recall: Elected politicians could be removed from office by the voters before their term expired ○​ Initiative: Voters could introduce laws by signing a petition for the governor of the state or city ○​ Referendum: voters could directly vote on local (state and city) laws ​ 17th Amendment: Rathen than the state legislatures, voters would directly vote for U.S Senators to hold them accountable ○​ Populist Party advocated for this  The Progressive movement Temperance Movement ​ Division over the temperance movement ○​ “Wet”- against prohibition due to religious ceremonies such as Catholics ○​ “Dry” - Supporters of prohibition ​ Conflict between: ○​ Protestants Native-born vs. Catholics immigrants ○​ Rural vs Urban ​ Woman’s Christian Temperance Union: a large organization of women advocating for temperance ​ Anti-Saloon League (1895) was a leading organization for legal prohibition Theodore Roosevelt (TR) ​ Roosevelt believed in an enlarged role for President ​ Examples of change in labor relations: ​ McKinley: Great Railroad Strike of 1877 ​ Cleveland: Pullman Strike 1894​ Theodore Roosevelt: Coal Miners strike in 1902 ○​ Attempts to mediate the labor dispute ○​ Owners won’t compromise so Theodore Roosevelt threatens to take over the mines with federal troops ​ Roosevelt proposed a series of Progressive reforms known as the Square Deal (3 c’s) ○​ 1) Corporations: Control of Corporations ○​ 2) Consumers: Consumer protection ○​ 3) Conservation: Conservation of the environment & its natural resources Corporations: Trust-Busting ​ Sherman's Anti-Trust was relatively ineffective at reducing the power of corporations/ trusts ​ Broke up the Northern Securities Company (railroad monopoly) ​ Roosevelt will be known for “trust-busting” ​ Theodore Roosevelt distinguished “good” (efficient & lower prices) and “bad” (hurt consumers& stifled competition) trusts ​ Theodore Roosevelt also sought to increase the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission ​ Elkins Act (1903) increased penalties for rare rebates ​ Hepburn Act (1906) gave the ICC the power to set maximum rates for railroads Consumer protections ​ Relatively few protections for consumers ​ Sinclair’s “The Jungle” was intended to increase support for socialism and worker rights ○​ The public focuses on the unsanitary nature of the meat industry  The Progressive movement ​ Meat Inspection Act (1906) the federal government would regulate and inspect the meat industry ​ Pure Food & Drug Act (1906) ○​ Created FDA & protected the public against the manufacture, sale, and transportation of mislabeled foods and drugs Conservation ​ The issue of conservation did not register as a national issue ​ Sierra Club has been advocating for the environment ​ Theodore Roosevelt used the Forest Reserve Act of 1891 to protect 150 million acres of federal land ​ Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902- money from the sale of public lands could be sued for irrigation projects in the West ​ Conservation was Roosevelt’s most long-lasting domestic achievement ○​ Contrast with preservation