Progressive Era Notes

The Gilded Age

https://jhs.jeffersondavis.org/apps/v ideo/watch.jsp?v=118269 Story of Us clips https://jhs.jeffersondavis.org/apps/v ideo/watch.jsp?v=118269 Jacob Riis: 27:07-30:15 Sanitation: 30:21-32:49 Triangle Factory Fire: 37:17-44:00

Gilded Age Term from Mark Twain and means, “coated in a thin layer of gold paint” Why did he think this era was “Gilded”? Many problems hidden below the glitter and glam of the cities Concerns: Fear that industrialists and other wealthy men were enriching themselves at the expense of the public Government corruption (dishonesty)

Political Reforms Remember Political Machines? Spoils System Boss Tweed of NYC was exposed for corruption by journalists and fled the country Spoils System Practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Act: aim was to fill government jobs on the basis of merit Civil Service: Government jobs that are not elected Today ~450,000 employees

Controlling Big Business In the late 1800s, big business had a big influence over politics Railroad owners and industrialists bribed members of Congress in order to get votes President Cleveland passed Interstate Commerce Act in 1887 which allowed the government to regulate, or put rules, on trade that crossed state lines President Harrison signed the Sherman Anti- Trust Act in 1890 which prohibited businesses from trying to limit competition. This didn’t work very well and ended up limiting the power of labor unions

New Amendments 16th Amendment 17th Amendment Graduated income tax 1913 The more you earn, the more taxes you pay 17th Amendment Direct election of Senators Citizens vote for senators instead of state governments, less corrupt

Muckrakers A muckraker is an investigative journalist Ida Tarbell Rake up muck, or dirt Ida Tarbell History of Standard Oil Exposed Rockefeller of unfair business Jacob Riis How the Other Half Lives Exposed shocking images of slum life Upton Sinclair The Jungle Exposed details about the meatpacking industry

Jane Addams Established the Hull House in 1889 for recently arrived European Immigrants to Chicago Focused on social, educational, and artistic programs to help assimilate and assist new immigrants

Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt Youngest president to take office in 1901 after McKinley was assassinated Resume NY State Legislature Civil Service Commission NYC Police Commissioner Secretary of the Navy Rough Rider NY Governor Vice President Reputation as a trust buster- person who works to destroy monopolies and trusts Thought there were “good trusts” and “bad trusts” and set out to bust the bad ones Government launched suits against Standard Oil Company and American Tobacco Company

1902 sided with coal miners in Pennsylvania who went on strike for better pay and a shorter workday Square Deal Conservation of Natural Resources TR LOVED the outdoors, so he wanted to protect it Use resources right and don’t waste them Formed the US Forest Service in 1905 and set aside thousands of acres for national parks Last year, 307 million visitors to 59 parks and protected areas Consumer Protection Meat Inspection Act and creation of Food and Drug Administration Control of Corporations (1906)

Woodrow Wilson Elected in 1912 and wanted to restore free competition among businesses Had Congress create Federal Trade Commission in 1914 to investigate companies that use unfair practices to target their competition Clayton Anti-Trust Act limited unfair business practices, stopped antitrust laws from being used against labor unions Federal Reserve Act of 1913 regulated the banking industry and gave government ability to change interest rates

Rights of women & Temperance Movement

Women win the right to vote Seneca Falls Convention 1848 marked start of organized women’s rights movement in the US Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Women Suffrage Association which pushed for a constitutional amendment In the late 1800s, many western states allowed women to vote on state and local issues Contribution of women on the frontier was recognized In the early 1900s, more women were working outside the home and support for suffrage grew Slowly, more states allowed partial suffrage for women, but not in federal elections

19th Amendment Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt began to take progressively more forceful steps in order to get the amendment passed By 1919 the tide of support had turned in Congress and President Wilson signed the amendment, doubling the number of eligible voters

Temperance Movement Renewed support for banning alcohol occurred in the late 1870s Women’s Christian Temperance Union was formed and spoke about the evils of alcohol. She wanted to ban sale of alcohol and close saloons Prohibition, or ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol, was the 18th amendment to the constitution in 1919 Carry Nation Husband died of drinking too much She would often storm into saloons with a hatchet destroying beer kegs and smashing liquor bottles

Iron jawed angels clips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtUY-wVLdeY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G811_Ej7LiQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh91kJ5XG_g