The Rise of Progressivism

What is Progressivism? In the 1890’s, a movement called Progressivism emerged People leading/supporting this movement, called Progressives, believed in… Protecting social welfare Promoting moral improvement Creating economic reform Fostering government efficiency Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration brought many benefits to America, but they also produced many social challenges

The Progressive movement was similar to the Populist Movement of the late 1800’s, in that they were both reform movements that wanted to fix corrupt government and make it more responsive to the people’s needs Progressive leaders  middle-class Populist leaders  farmers and laborers

Why did the Progressivism Movement Emerge? Progressives wanted to reform a number of institutions that created injustice in American society Government/Politics  increase democracy, involve citizens more directly in government, improve efficiency Business  regulate big business, help expand competition via small business, protect the consumer Society  make life safer and more comfortable for the majority of Americans Who/What was to blame for these ^ problems? The government had been taking a laissez-faire approach to business and society  few/no regulations

Who helped Bring About Reform? Muckrakers  socially conscious journalists, along with other writers, who dramatized the need for reform through sensational investigative reports They uncovered a wide range of ills afflicting America in the early 1900’s Their articles appeared in magazines and newspapers that were read by millions of Americans People across the nation were horrified by the conditions and injustices that were revealed through their writing

Ida Tarbell: criticized unfair business practices like trusts Ida Tarbell: criticized unfair business practices like trusts. She wrote “History of Standard Oil” Lincoln Steffens: exposed corruption in urban politics. Wrote The Shame of the Cities

Jacob Riis: photographer, he exposed poverty in NYC immigrant neighborhoods. How the Other Half Lives John Spargo: photographer, editor, writer, socialist; he exposed the harsh and unfair treatment of child labor; The Bitter Cry of the Children 1.7mil under 16 by 1900

Upton Sinclair: writer that exposed the unsanitary conditions of the meat packing industry in Chicago. Wrote The Jungle Lead to Congress passing the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906

How was Society Reformed by Progressivism? The work by the muckrakers increased popular support for Progressivism and helped bring about reform Many reformers thought that Christianity should be the basis for social reform Walter Rauschenbusch and his Social Gospel: the belief that by following the Bible’s teachings about charity and justice, people could make society “the kingdom of God”

An important goal of the Progressives was to improve the lives of poor people in urban areas, especially immigrants Settlement houses were created to assist the poor; they were community centers that provided social services to the urban poor (i.e. child care, English classes, art programs) In 1889, Jane Addams opened the Hull House in Chicago. She quickly became the leading figure in the settlement house movement

Child labor and education was another important issue that Progressives set out to reform Progressives saw the harsh conditions that children were forced to work in and called for a ban on child labor In 1916, Congress passed the Keating-Owens Act, which banned child labor, only to be deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two years later. 1936, Congress ended child labor for good. Progressives argued to better children’s lives through improving education. A number of states passed laws requiring children to attend school until a certain age Educator John Dewey pushed for creative thinking in schools over memorization. His ideas were not put into effect for many years

By the early 1900’s, the US had the highest rate of industrial accidents in the world. Long hours, poor ventilation, hazardous fumes, and unsafe machinery threatened workers’ health and even lives. In March 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in NYC killed 146 workers (mostly young Jewish women). This accident focused America’s attention on the need to protect workers Progressives called for workers’ reform trying to limit the workday to 10 hours and create worker’s compensation; met with limited success

How was Government Reformed by Progressivism? Government was seen as corrupted and controlled by political bosses and powerful businesses Progressives wanted to rid government of this corruption and to give people more control over their government and make it more effective and efficient in serving the public In 1900, Galveston, Texas was hit by a massive hurricane that left more than 8,000 people dead. In response, new form of government, called commissions, were created to help city planning and curb political corruption

Progressives pushed to reform the election process Before  party leaders picked candidates for state and local office By 1916  most states established direct primaries: an election in which citizens themselves vote to select nominees for upcoming elections Introduced in Wisconsin by Governor Robert La Follette Progressives also introduced three other political reforms: Initiative  citizens introduce legislation for vote Referendum  citizens vote on legislation Recall  special election to remove an official 1913 – The 17th Amendment of the Constitution was ratified Establishes the direct election of US senators by the people rather than state legislature

By the early 1900’s, several dynamic Progressives became state leaders; governors Robert La Follette (WI): forced railroads to lower fees and pay higher taxes; improved state education; made factories safer; and adopted the direct primary  Laboratory of Democracy Hiram Johnson (CA): ended the Southern Pacific Railroad’s stranglehold on state government; put in the direct primary, initiative, referendum, and recall MY BOY  Theodore Roosevelt (NY)