Progressivism Vocabulary  Populism  Progressive Movement  Spoils System  17 th Amendment  19 th Amendment  Suffrage  Muckraker  Upton Sinclair  The Jungle  Ida Tarbell  Theodore Roosevelt  Trustbusting

Vicious Cycle Farmers in the West and South were suffering economically as crop prices dropped (From 1867 to 1887, a bushel of wheat went from $2 to $.68) Farmers had to mortgage their farms to buy more land, so they could grow more crops to make more money – and then try to pay off their debt. Land became scarce When farmers couldn’t pay off their debts, banks foreclosed Increased growth of cities with farmers moving in to get factory work Farmers mortgage land to borrow from bank Farmers pay bank for extra land that is also mortgage d Land available to buy becomes scarce Farmers not making enough money from crops Banks foreclose on farmer’s land due to inability to pay

Populism In response to horrible factory working conditions, and problems in farming – In 1892, the Populism Party was created to give the lower class people a greater voice in politics, and try to reform the terrible debt of farmers and working class Americans. Their platform: Increase money supply - bimetallism – backing paper money with gold and silver, so they could get a rise in price of goods and services Institute graduated income tax and a federal loan program Restrict immigration and mandate an 8-hour work day.

Populist = Democrat  The Populist Party was absorbed into the Democrat Party, which held the same ideals.  In 1896 the Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan ran on the Populist Party platform against Republicans, led by William McKinley.  When McKinley won the election, many of the populist goals were defeated, including bimetallism…

Politics of the Gilded Age THE POLITICAL MACHINE

The Political Machine The political machine was organized into a pyramid. The Precinct workers and captains at the bottom, Ward Boss in the middle, and the City Boss at the top. 1. Many city bosses were 1 st or 2 nd generation immigrants 2. The political machine provided services to immigrants and businesses in exchange for votes and support.

Election Fraud and Graft Voters, usually immigrants, were often forced to vote many times under different names 1. After being elected, Bosses would put workers in jobs for the city and often have them charge too much for the work they did 2. They would take the extra money made, called a Graft or Kickback, and put it in their pockets

Patronage Spurs Reform 1. Patronage, also known as the spoils system, was when people gave government jobs to those who helped the candidate get elected 2. Reformers believed that jobs in civil service and government administration should go to the most qualified persons based on a merit system

Progressive Movement  In the early 1900s reformers banded together to address problems of the late 1800s. Reformers included journalists, political reformers, and middle-class men and women.  This movement, the Progressive Movement, was a social reform movement focused on reforming:  Politics  Economics  Society

Political reform – Gangs of New York Clip  With corruption so rampant in politics, several measures were instituted to give average citizens more of a voice, and take some of the power of the corrupt politicians.  Got rid of the spoils system in politics – giving political offices to those who helped you get elected. Now positions were filled based on merit.  The 17th Amendment allowed for voters to elect their own Senators (direct election of Senators) instead of state legislatures.  The 19th Amendment prohibits denying any person the right to vote based on gender (gave women the right to vote, or suffrage)

Economic Reform – The Jungle Excerpt  With the economic depression of 1893, many people turned toward the ideals of socialism, blaming corrupt business and government for the economic downturn.  Muckrakers were journalists who wrote about the corrupt side of business, often leading to legislation and reform.  Upton Sinclair wrote about the Chicago Meat Packing industry, in The Jungle, leading to regulation on food  Ida Tarbell exposed Rockefeller’s illegal business practices, helping to break up the monopoly of Standard Oil.  President Theodore Roosevelt made it a mission to use the Sherman Anti- trust Act to break up monopolies – what he called Trustbusting

Social reform – NY Times Article, Kony 2012 Video  Child Labor was banned  A limit was placed on working hours  The Social Gospel movement helped the poor with community centers, churches, and social services. Facilities like the YMCA were created for this purpose.  Prohibition, banning of alcohol, was a rallying cry of reformers. Morality was stressed, and alcohol destroyed morals. Drinking was banned in many states.