The Progressive Era Reform shifts from the farm to the city and climbs the ladder of government from the local to the state and then to the national level.

I. The Problems of the 1890’s Huge Gap between rich and poor Tremendous economic and political power of the rich Wealthy were insensitively flaunting their wealth before a poorer public

I. Problems of the 1890’s (cont.) Industrial workers hideously poor, living in squalor and working in dangerous conditions Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives (1890) Little concern for Black America

II. Progressive Reformers

A. Streams of Reform The “Social Gospel” movement --Walter Rauschenbusch: Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907) Settlement House Workers --Jane Addams, Hull House in Chicago (1889) Americans of “Old Wealth”

A. Streams of Reform (cont.) Young, socially-conscious lawyers Investigative Journalists -- “Muckrakers” --Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell, and Upton Sinclair Small businessmen

B. Features of Progressive Reform Desire to remedy problems through government initiative Reliance on “experts” -- Robert Lafollette’s “Wisconsin Idea” Wanted reform not revolution Stressed the importance of efficiency in reform --Frederick W. Taylor

B. Features of Progressive Reform (cont.) Want to bring order out of chaos --Federal Budget (1921) Desire to make politics more democratic Desire to make businessmen more responsible for problems

B. Features of Progressive Reform (cont.) Desire to make society more moral and more just Desire to distribute income more equitably Desire to broaden opportunities for individual advancement Women were active in progressivism --Suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony

B. Features of Progressive Reform (cont.) Infiltrated both political parties -- Republican “insurgents” Middle-class reform movement Operated on all three levels of government

Spoils System From the old war saying “To the victor go the spoils” Election of 1880 makes spoils system an issue Also known as patronage

Mugwumps and Stalwarts Mugwumps wanted to change spoils system Stalwarts favored keeping spoils system Garfield is Mugwump, Arthur is stalwart

“Mugwump” The jocular word mugwump, noted as early as 1832, is from Algonquian (Natick) mugquomp, "important person, kingpin" (from mugumquomp, "war leader")1 implying that they were "sanctimonious" or "holier-than-thou,"2 in holding themselves aloof from party politics.

Assasination of James Garfield “I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts... Arthur is president now!!”

Chester A. Arthur becomes president. Arthur had served as Elizabeth Jennings attorney in 1854 Received all political jobs through patronage

Pendleton Civil Service Act 1883 law enacted to ensure that government jobs are given out on the basis of merit, not patronage Supported by Chester A. Arthur, despite Arthur having made a career from patronage Arthur loses favor with the Republicans and does not get renominated

Grover Cleveland elected President in 1884. Born in Caldwell, NJ. Only President born in NJ

III. Sample Progressive Reforms

Direct Election of Senators The constitution originally provided for Senators to be appointed by state legislatures. The 17th amendment gave more power to the people through direct election of Senators.

Secret Ballot To avoid voter intimidation which was common. The secret ballot was introduced to ensure proper voting procedure.

Recall Election A recall election is where citizens of a place gather enough signatures (a specified percentage of registered voters) to trigger a new election before the term has expired

Initiative or Referendum An initiative is a proposal given to the public to vote on. If approved, it becomes law or policy.

New Forms of Local Govt One group of progressives focused on making government more efficient by using ideas from business. Progressives supported two proposals to reform city government: The first, a commission plan, divided city government into several departments, each one under an expert commissioner’s control. New Types of Government

Direct Primary The direct primary is a partisan election to choose who will represent that party in a general election

Child Labor According to the 1900 US Census, a total of 1,752,187 (about 1 in every 6) children between the ages of five and ten were engaged in “gainful occupations” in the United States. This number represents a fifty percent increase from the 1,118,356 children working for wages in 1880.

Child Labor In 1916, the NCLC and the National Consumers League successfully pressured the US Congress to pass the Keating-Owen Act, the first federal child labor law. However, the US Supreme Court struck down the law two years later in Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918).

Social Reforms The Birth of a Nation is a silent film released in 1915. It is the most technologically advanced film of its day. It depicts the birth of the KKK. This prompted a rebirth of the KKK throughout the country

NAACP The NAACP was founded in 1909 by a group of both whites and African-Americans including W.E.B. Dubois Their purpose was to use the legal system to fight segregation.

IV. Progressive Amendments to the Constitution Progressive reliance on the law 16th Amendment (1913)—federal income tax 17th Amendment (1913)—direct election of senators 18th Amendment (1919)—prohibition 19th Amendment (1920)—vote for women

Great drive, energy and exciting personality TR’s interests and early years NYC police commissioner Spanish-American War experience -- “Rough Riders” Political Rise from NY Governor to Vice-President

A. First Term as President (1901-1904) McKinley’s assassination Offered energetic national leadership Cast every issue in moral and patriotic terms --The “Bully Pulpit” Master Politician Modest goals for his “accidental” presidency

Square Deal TR’s Square Deal had three main points: Control of Natural Resources Control of Corporations Consumer Protection

Trustbusting A trust is a business organization put together to create a monopoly or hurt competition. Trusts have been illegal since the Sherman Anti-trust Act of 1890. Roosevelt called himself the Trustbuster

Trust = Monopoly A monopoly is when one person or business controls an entire industry.

AT&T In the 1980s, LONG BEFORE CELL PHONES, the government made AT&T break up into several smaller companies, included in those were the companies that would become Verizon and another company that would eventually buy AT&T

Modern Monopoly? Can you think of a company today that dominates an entire industry?

Oligopoly An Oligopoly is when only a few companies dominate an industry, preventing others from getting into that industry

Trust Busting Top Left- Jay Gould Middle Left- James J. Hill Center- Teddy Roosevelt Top Right- John D. Rockefeller Middle Right- J.P.Morgan

Jay Gould Jay Gould was a well-known railroad speculator who had been involved in many scandals. At one point he owned the four largest western railroads including the Union Pacific.

James J. Hill Founder of the Great Northern Railway Company and a partner with J.P. Morgan in Northern Securities

Teddy Roosevelt

John D. Rockefeller John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, which controlled most oil production in the United States

J.P. Morgan J.P. Morgan controlled a huge banking and financial empire. He also created the U.S. steel corporation and helped finance several railroads

Why do you think this scene is set on Wall Street? What do the giants represent?

Roosevelt Re-elected 1904

Hepburn Act (1906) The Hepburn Act is a 1906 United States federal law that gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) the power to set maximum railroad rates. This led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers.  In addition, the ICC could view the railroads' financial records

Consumer Protection Federal Meat Inspection Act (1906) Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) Came in response to “The Jungle”

National Parks TR created 5 national parks, 18 national monuments, and 150 National Forests. Roosevelt was instrumental in conserving about 230 million acres of American soil among various parks and other federal projects.

Yosemite Sam

Environmental Debate John Muir Founder of The Sierra Club. Worked with TR to create Yosemite National Park Believed wild places could be left as they are Gifford Pinchot Head of US Forest Service under TR Believed in managing the use of land for the benefit of the nation’s citizens.

The Election of 1908 Taft’s political experience Taft’s weight Not a dynamic politician Never completely comfortable as President

First Pitch and 7th Inning Stretch

VI. Presidency of Taft (cont.) Controversy over the Tariff More conservative than TR, but also more trust suits The “Ballinger-Pinchot” Affair Growing tension with Teddy Roosevelt

VII. The Election of 1912 Growing split within the Republican Party Creation of the “Bull Moose” Party Progressive Party Platform: “New Nationalism” Democrats drafted Woodrow Wilson Results of the Election

VIII. Democratic Progressivism: The Presidency of Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) Wilson’s early life and political career True progressive and dynamic speaker Sympathetic to small businessmen Could be a stubborn, moral crusader and ideologue

A. “New Freedom” Wilson’s brand of progressivism Wants to recreate the “golden age” of small American businesses Wilson wants to open channels for free and fair competition Historic Jeffersonian approach to federal power

B. Key Wilsonian Legislation Underwood Tariff Act (1913) Federal Reserve Act (1913) Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) Federal Trade Commission (1914)

C. Congressional Progressivism After 1914 Wilson was not a strong progressive when it came to social reform Congress takes over the progressive agenda Appointment of Brandeis to Supreme Court Examples of congressional progressive legislation after 1914 --Federal Highways Act (1916)

IX. The Waning of the Progressive Movement Progressive movement peaks by 1917 Success of the movement led to its decline Advent of World War I also hurt progressive activism Progressives themselves began to weary of their reform zeal—as did the nation as a whole Ironically, voter participation has steadily declined since the election of 1912