What caused the problems? Who is to blame? Laissez-faire; no gov’t regulation of business or society.
How do we fix the problems? Fix government Use modern ideas, science, and technology to make gov’t more efficient and effective
Who were the muckrakers? Ida Tarbell —criticized unfair business practices like trusts. Wrote “History of Standard Oil”
Lincoln Steffens Shame of the Cities Exposed corruption in urban politics.
Jacob Riis How the Other Half Lives Photographer, exposed poverty in NYC immigrant neighborhoods.
Lewis Hine Photographer Child labor
Upton Sinclair The Jungle Exposed unsanitary conditions in meat-packing industry
Progressive Campaigns Government Commission Plan--new style of efficient city gov’t. Modern cities need experts, not politicians. City depts. should be run by professionals and led by a city manager.
Galveston Hurricane 1900 leaves 6000 dead and city ruined
Increased Democracy Wisconsin becomes the Laboratory of Democracy under Governor Robert La Follette Felt party bosses and political machines had too much influence. Direct primaries—party members vote for their party’s candidates Initiative, Referendum, and Recall 1. Initiative: citizens introduce legislation for vote 2. Referendum: citizens vote on legislation 3. Recall: special election to remove an official
17th Amendment Direct Election of Senators citizens now vote for their Senators rather than state legislators appointing them. Removed influence of political machines and big business.
19th Amendment Women’s Suffrage Leaders: Elizabeth Cady Stanton Lucretia Mott Susan B. Anthony Julia Ward Howe Alice Paul Carrie Chapman Catt Tactics: marches, speeches, picketing, hunger strikes
1920 19th Amendment passes
Child Labor New laws passed that set minimum ages and maximum hours Children’s Bureau (Taft) investigated child labor abuses Compulsory education laws required children to go to school
Health and Safety Codes Called for new safety regulations and workers compensation Set zoning laws and building codes Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in NYC 1911—150 women died trapped in building http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/vtl07.la.rv.text.triangle/the-triangle-shirtwaist-factory-disaster/
Temperance movement leads to to 18th Amendment Temperance= moderation or elimination of alcohol Alcohol led to poverty and abuse Progressives wanted to remove the temptation.
Regulating Big Business and the Economy Sherman Anti-Trust Act —to break up large companies to restore competition Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) regulated big business especially railroads Hepburn Act – strengthened the ICC by granting the ICC power to set railroad rates Federal Trade Commission (FTC) —a watchdog agency to monitor business to ensure fair trade practices Clayton Anti-Trust Act —banned tying agreements and price discrimination. Gave unions the right to exist
Federal Reserve Act 1913 a central bank system for US Allowed the government to direct and guide the economy by controlling the amount of money in circulation and setting interest rates.
Is Socialism the answer? Some Progressives believed the gov’t should own and operate major industry for the benefit of all Americans Eugene Debs ran for Pres in 1912 as the American Socialist Party candidate. Received almost 1 million votes!
Consumer Safety 1906—in response to The Jungle, Congress passes: Meat Inspection Act Required federal inspection of meat Set standards for cleanliness in meatpacking plants Pure Food and Drug Act Prohibited manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure or falsely labeled food and drugs
Environmental Conservation Managing our natural resources Newlands Reclamation Act 1902 large scale irrigation and development in Western US Gov’t regulation of timber, mining, and water resources Established National Parks and wildlife preserves.
Presidents of the Progressive Era Theodore Roosevelt Promised a “Square Deal” Known as the “Trustbuster” Believed in “Gentlemen’s Agreements” His Legacy: Stronger executive branch, the modern Presidency
William Howard Taft Taft’s Progressive Reforms more of a trust-buster than TR est’d Children’s Bureau—to fight child labor Mann-Elkins Act—strengthened ICC Conservation—Bureau of Mines, more nat’l forests
TR—charismatic, well-liked, loved the spotlight, big ideas. HOW DID TAFT DIFFER FROM T.R.? TR—charismatic, well-liked, loved the spotlight, big ideas. Taft—legalistic, less ambitious, less popular
Woodrow Wilson Underwood Tariff—cut tariffs in half 16th Amendment Federal Reserve Federal Trade Commission Adamson Act– 8-hr workday Clayton Antitrust Act– recognized unions
Election of 1912 Democrats: Woodrow Wilson Republicans: William Taft Progressives (Bull Moose): Theodore Roosevelt
The KKK reached a membership of 4.5 million in the 1920s Legacy of Progressivism What did it do? Increased the gov’t’s intervention in economic and social issues (also the public’s expectation of that intervention) What did it not do? Did not address racial discrimination. African-Americans began that fight themselves. The KKK reached a membership of 4.5 million in the 1920s
Civil Rights and Progressivism Progressives failed to support Civil Rights for African Americans. They did, however, support a few individuals such as Booker T. Washington, who founded the Tuskegee Institute to provide a technical education for African Americans.
Ida B. Wells The Free Speech and Headlight condemned violence against blacks, disfranchisement, poor schools, and the failure of black people to fight for their rights. Co-founder of NAACP
NAACP Formed to Promote Rights In 1909 a number of African Americans and prominent white reformers formed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP had 6,000 members by 1914. The goal of the organization was full equality among the races through the court system, a position supported by W.E.B. Du Bois.