The Origins of Progressivism Unit: Modern American Emerges & the Progressive Era Lecture #3 Ms. Seetin

Do-Now What are your initial ideas about the term “muckraker”? What do you predict the term means?

Progressive Era 1890s-1920 At the dawn of the new century, middle- class reformers addressed many of the problems that had contributed to the social upheavals of the 1890s. Not a single movement but rather an era of people working to redress imbalances, curb excesses, that had arisen in the period of industrial growth and national expansion.

Progressive Era (Cont.) Journalists and writers exposed the unsafe conditions faced by factory workers, Intellectuals questioned the dominant role of large corporations in American society. Political reformers worked to make the government more responsive to the people. Together these reform efforts aimed to restore opportunities and correct injustices in American life.

Four Goals of Progressivism Reformers did not always agree on what the real problems of the day were or what solutions were best. However, each of the progressive efforts shared at least one of the following goals: I.Protecting social welfare II.Promoting moral improvement III.Creating economic reform IV.Fostering efficiency

I. Protecting Social Welfare Many social welfare reformers worked to soften some of the harsh conditions of industrialization. The Social Gospel and settlement house movements aimed to help the poor through community centers, churches, and social services. The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), for example, opened libraries, sponsored classes and built swimming pools and sports courts. The Salvation Army fed poor people in soup kitchens, cared for children in nurseries.

A) Florence Kelley Florence Kelley became an advocate for improving the lives of women and children. She helped win passage of the Illinois Factory Act in 1893, which prohibited child labor and limited women’s working hours

II. Promoting Moral Improvement Another group of reformers felt that morality, not the workplace, held the key to improving the lives of poor people. These reformers wanted immigrants and poor people to uplift themselves by improving their personal behavior. Prohibition, the banning of alcoholic beverages, was one such program.

A) Prohibition Prohibitionist groups feared that alcohol was undermining American morals. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Anti- Saloon League spearheaded the crusade for prohibition. The Temperance movement blamed alcohol for many of society's ills, especially crime and murder. In January 1919, the 18th Amendment, Prohibition, was ratified. This put a nationwide ban on the manufacture of intoxicating beverages.

Carrie Nation 1890s, Carrie Nation worked for prohibition. She would go into saloons, scold the customers, and use her hatchet to destroy bottles of liquor.

1.Prohibition & Women’s Suffrage Women’s suffrage, abolition, and temperance had a close connection early on. Many WCTU members also served as grassroots organizers for the suffrage movement, especially early one when it was considered a very radical cause.

2.Trouble with immigrant groups Sometimes efforts at prohibition led to trouble with immigrant groups. Saloons often filled important roles for immigrant groups other than just drinking.

Prohibition

III. Creating Economic Reform As moral reformers sought to change individual behavior (prohibition), a severe economic panic in 1893 prompted some Americans to question capitalist economic system. Big business often received favorable treatment from gov’t officials and politicians and could use its economic power to limit competition.

A) Sherman Anti-Trust Act What is a trust? A large company that has or attempts to gain monopolistic control of a market. Sherman Anti-Trust Act- A federal law passed in 1890 that committed the American government to opposing monopolies. The law prohibits contracts, combinations, or conspiracies “in the restraint of trade or commerce.”

B) Muckrakers Journalists who wrote about the corrupt side of business and public life in mass circulation magazines during the early 20th century. Muckrakers helped push the Progressive movement along. Notable muckrakers include: Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, and Jacob Riis. The Jungle

“The Jungle” Leads to Food Regulation After reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Roosevelt pushed for passage of the Meat Inspection Act of The act mandated cleaner conditions for meatpacking plants.

MUCKRAKER ACTIVITY Half of the class will examine excerpts from Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, and the other half will look at Nelli Bly’s Ten Days in a Mad- House.

IV. Fostering Efficiency Many progressive leaders put their faith in experts and scientific principles to make society and the workplace more efficient. Other efforts at improving efficiency targeted the government

A) Henry Ford and the Assembly Line Founder of the Ford Motor Company, credited with perfecting the assembly line, a technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry.

Assembly Line (Cont.) An assembly line is a line of workers and equipment that puts a product together piece by piece using teamwork. Rather than have one worker do every job in building one car, each worker does the same job on many different cars each day. This method of making cars was much cheaper and quicker than earlier methods.

B) Efficiency in Government: Reform at the State Level Progressive efforts at the state level included passing laws to regulate railroads, mines, mills, telephone companies, and other large businesses.

1. Reform Governors Progressive Republican, Robert M. La Follette, led the way in regulating big business. ◦ “Fighting Bob’s” major target was the railroad industry. He taxed the railroad property at the same rate as other business property, and forbade railroads to issue free passes to state officials.

2. Reforming Elections In 1899, Minnesota passed the first mandatory statewide primary system. This enabled voters, instead of political machines, to choose candidates for public office. By 1915, about two-thirds of the states had adopted some form of direct primary.

(Reforming Election continued) The success of the direct primary paved the way for the Seventeenth Amendment. The Seventeenth Amendment calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures.

3. Protecting Workers Labor unions, especially the American Federation of Labor (AFL) grew rapidly in the early 20th century, and had a Progressive agenda as well.American Federation of Labor The goal of unions was to improve working conditions and pay

i. Working children ◦ As the number of child workers rose dramatically, reformers worked to protect workers and to end child labor. ◦ Formed in 1904, the National Child Labor committee sent investigators to gather evidence of children working in harsh conditions. They were joined by labor union members who stated that child labor lowered wages for all workers. ◦ These groups eventually succeeded in getting nearly every state to ban child labor and set maximum hours.

ii. Limit Working Hours Progressives worked to get the law to limit the workday to 10 hours. Also succeeded in winning workers’ compensation to aid families of workers who were hurt or killed on the job.

Supersize Me- Intro Supersize Me- Educational clips

“Supersize Me” 1. Is this an example of muckraking in modern society? 2. What is the role of the media in exposing problems today? How does the media influence us today? 3. Turn in your responses before you leave today.