The Progressive Spirit Industrialization transformed the U.S. -Positive Effects of Industrialization Economic growth Growing middle class -Negative Effects- Greater gap between rich and poor Unsafe working conditions Crowded cities Negative effects create a spirit of reform-Progressivism Populism focused on rural problems Progressivism focused on urban problems

The Progressives Who were the Progressives? Most were native born, middle or upper class and college educated Women joined efforts- an opportunity for them to have a voice in politics More women entering colleges- career choices were limited but they could use their knowledge in reform work. Ella Flagg Young- superintendent of schools in Chicago What changes did Progressives want made? Limited corporate power Safer working conditions 8 hour workday End to child labor A minimum wage

The Progressives What changes did Progressives want made? People to have more control of government Election reforms Progressive Theodore Roosevelt- “ we must be unselfish” John Dewey- promoted education to help solve problems, education should prepare students to function well in society How did reform ideas spread? Popular magazines- wrote about corruption, slums and child labor Muckrakers- investigative journalists, focus on what is harmful and corrupt

Progressives Ida Tarbell- daughter of an independent oil producer and she was a muckraker Wrote for McClure’s Magazine Investigated Standard Oil and published her findings Standard Oil- forced her father out of business Lincoln Steffans- wrote “The Shame of the Cities” About urban political corruption Herbert Croly- wrote “The Promise of American Life” Government should use its powers to promote welfare of all citizens Jane Addams- wrote “Democracy and Social Ethics” Private citizens should show more social responsibility “we are bound to move forward or slip backward together”

Female and Child Laborers 1900- men worked 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for about $1.50 a day, women earned about $6 a week. Rebecca August- paid per buttonhole she made. Was fired for working to fast. Employer thought it an outrage for a woman to make $25 a week. Mothers had no choice but to send children to work. Most child laborers never attended school, they were illiterate Textile industry accused of enslaving children

Labor Laws Florence Kelly John Ryan- Catholic Church official Worked for women and child labor laws 1893- she persuaded Illinois lawmakers to prohibit child labor and limit number of work hours for women She helped organize the National Child Labor Committee By 1912- 39 states passed child-labor laws Many employers ignored laws, claimed their success depended on cheap child labor John Ryan- Catholic Church official Called for a minimum wage 1/3 of workers lived in poverty Massachusetts responded and set first minimum wage laws Congress did not set a national minimum wage until 1938

Unsafe working conditions The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911) Event pushed the need to improve workplace safety Fire broke out on the 8th floor at the end of the work day Most of the doors were locked because managers feared workers would steal fabric Elevators jammed due to women on higher floors jumping down elevator shaft to escape flames 60 workers leaped from windows 140 workers died Same workers went on strike a year before, demanded more safety and sanitary precautions New York passed first fire-safety codes Lawmakers began passing protective legislation

The Supreme Court Business owners fought back against protective legislation 14th amendment- prohibits states from depriving any person of life liberty or property Business claimed state legislations were depriving them of property Supreme Court sided with business owners ruled state legislation was unconstitutional Also ruled freedom of contract (right to negotiate)was taken away from workers Lochner vs. New York (1905)- overturned 10-hour workday for bakers Workers should be free to accept any conditions of employment Muller vs. Oregon (1908)- Florence Kelly hired Louis Brandeis to defend the 10-hour workday law. Supreme Court upheld the law. Case became the model for defense of social legislation

Labor Unions Fought for a closed shop- all employees in workplace must belong to a Union Some fought for socialism- form of government in which government and workers own factories and means of production American Federation of Labor (AFL) Led by Samuel Gompers Favored working within the system excluded unskilled workers (eastern Europeans and African Americans) Left most urban workers without support

Labor Unions International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union ( ILGWU) Established in 1900 Organized women in sewing shops Many went on strike- “Uprising of 20,000” Strikers received aid from progressive groups - Most employers gave into demands- wage increases and reduced hours - Refused to recognize union, remained an open shop (non-union workplace)

Labor Unions Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) - IWW opposed capitalism - led by William “Big Bill” Haywood -denounced AFL’s cooperation with business and its exclusion of unskilled workers - recruited those that AFL turned away - members called Wobblies - gained reforms for African Americans and women - internal disagreements weakened their power - collapsed and faded from power

Reforming Society Reforming city life- By 1920, 50% of Americans live in urban areas Cleaning up the city Struggling to provide sanitation services, safe and affordable housing, health care, police and fire protection, education Lawrence Veiller- a settlement-house worker, attacked tenement owners, campaigned for improved housing Helped get NY State Tenement Housing Bill passed New buildings had to be built around courtyards and one bathroom required for every three rooms National Tuberculosis Foundation Lobbied for funding of hospitals to treat tuberculosis Massachusetts required cities to build playgrounds for children to play Some upper class opposed this but reformers succeeded and many cities built playgrounds

Reforming Society City Planning Progressives believed cleaned-up cities produce better citizens 1909- first National Conference on city planning To stop spread of slums and beautify cities Impressive public buildings would instill patriotism in immigrants Daniel Burnham- created first plan to redesign a city—Chicago Hired to develop plans for many cities Helped make people realize that city planning was a necessary function of municipal government

Reforming Society Moral Reform Progressives wanted to “clean up” immoral behavior Called for Prohibition- a ban of alcohol and closing of saloons Believed alcohol was the enemy of progress Colleges, industrialists, school textbooks promote prohibition Anti-Saloon and Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) Led crusade against alcohol Frances Willard led WCTU- successful in making the WCTU a powerful national force 18th Amendment (1919) - barred the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages

Reforming Society Going to the movies Newly invented motion picture became very popular 1916- films were the nation’s fifth-largest industry Offered cheap entertainment for the poor Progressives worry movies were a threat to morality Censorship demanded by reformers Many states and cities set up censorship boards to determine and ban immoral movies

Reforming Society Racial Discrimination W.E.B. Du Bois- Progressives concerned with plight of poor Not much energy devoted to problems of discrimination against African Americans and American Indians Some progressives were openly prejudice W.E.B. Du Bois- Had a good childhood in Massachusetts- in high school he noticed his skin color caused some people not to like him Earned a doctorate from Harvard Believed a college education was the best chance for African Americans to make progress and should be politically active Believed African Americans Helped create National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Reforming Society National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 1909- Dubois, African Americans and white progressives met in NYC to discuss lynching of two men Out of meeting, NAACP was created The Crisis- association’s magazine edited by Du Bois Publicized cases of racial inequality Called for social reforms to ensure equal rights Used the court system to fight voting restrictions Guinn vs. U.S.(1915)- victory for NAACP, court outlawed “grandfather clause” which allowed for voting requirements that kept African Americans from voting in the South

Reforming Society American Indians Society of American Indians- address problems Indians faced Some members support strengthening tribal values, others support complete assimilation Moderate positions led to disputes with those who wanted aggressive action--- weakened organization It did lay groundwork for later attempts to improve conditions

Reforming Society Immigrants Some progressives lobbied for laws to improve lives Also criticized them, accusing of immorality- drinking and gambling, denounced for supporting political machines Some favored restricting immigration Many believed immigrants should be “Americanized” Schools should work to convert immigrant children and remove their cultural values Some progressives welcomed diversity that immigrants brought Poor immigrants and political machines support worker protection and public health programs Frederick Howe said NYC owed its playgrounds, and public parks to Irish immigrants and their political machines “the Irish made New York what it is”