PROGRESSIVES 1890 to 1920 “Progressives were reformers who attempted to solve problems caused by industry, growth of cities and laissez faire.”

Populists vs Progressives Populists---rural Progressives---cities Populists were poor and uneducated Progressives were middle-class and educated. Populists were too radical Progressives stayed political mainstream. Populists failed Progressives succeeded

Areas to Reform Social Welfare Moral Improvement Economic Reform PROGRESSIVES Areas to Reform Social Welfare Moral Improvement Economic Reform Fostering Efficiency

PROGRESSIVES Social Welfare Improve working conditions in industry, regulate unfair business practices, eliminate child labor, help immigrants and the poor

The Wages of Negligence Family members arrive at the morgue to identify the bodies of victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in 1911. Outrage over this calamity galvanized a generation of reformers to fight for better workplace safety rules. p646

PROGRESSIVES Moral Improvement Morality was the key to improving the lives of the poor, and hoped to help people uplift themselves by improving their personal behavior

Saloon Keepers Versus Homemakers This Woman’s Christian Temperance Union flyer, tallying the cumulative costs of alcohol consumption to a drinking man’s family, illustrates the influential role of women in the temperance movement. Alcohol abuse threatened the stability and economic well-being of the family, still predominantly considered the “woman’s sphere” at the turn of the century. p647

Promoting Moral Improvement Most successful and well known WCTU reformer was Carrie Nation. She would march into a bar and sing and pray, while smashing bar fixtures and stock with a hatchet.

Promoting Moral Improvement Between 1900 and 1910 she was arrested some 30 times, and paid her jail fines from lecture-tour fees and sales of souvenir hatchets. Changed her name to Carry A. Nation and referred to herself as “A Home Defender”.

PROGRESSIVES Economic Reform Fairness and opportunity in the work world, regulate unfair trusts and bring about changes in labor. Demonstrate to the common people that U.S. Government is in charge and not the industrialists.

The IWW Seeks Subscribers, 1911 This poster aimed to attract subscribers to Industrial Worker, the newspaper of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). The IWW was a small but vocal radical labor union that hoped to unify American workers in “one big union,” irrespective of their particular jobs, gender, or race. Its motto was “An injury to one is an injury to all.” At its peak in 1923, the union claimed 100,000 members, commonly known as Wobblies, and could marshal the support of some 300,000 more, mostly workers on the docks and in mines, lumbering, and textiles. p643

Roosevelt Tames the Trusts Legend to the contrary, Roosevelt did not attack all trusts indiscriminately. Rather, he pursued a few high-profile cases against a handful of corporate giants, in order to “tame” other businesses into accepting government regulation. p649

Progressives exposed corruption but offered no solutions. SOCIAL JUSTICE MUCKRAKERS Muckrakers were journalists and photographers who exposed the abuses of wealth and power. They felt it was their job to write and expose corruption in industry, cities and government. Progressives exposed corruption but offered no solutions.

“Digging up the dirt” = Investigative Journalism SOCIAL JUSTICE They believed that if the public could only see or read for itself….. There would be an outcry and people would want to help make conditions better….. Or demand the government to make reforms. “Digging up the dirt” = Investigative Journalism

PROGRESSIVES Fostering Efficiency Using scientific principles to make society and the workplace more efficient

Reforming Government Corruption, ineptitude, and a desire to make government more efficient led progressives to reform government at all levels. New types of city governments were adopted. Progressive mayors and governors enacted needed reforms Laws and amendments were passed to give people more power and to make government more democratic

Workplace Reforms The growth of women and children in the industrial workforce, and accidents that coincided, resulted in a push to regulate work hours, ban child labor, and institute safety regulations in business across America