Progressive Era Summer School

Why Now? Reformers reacting to the effects of Industrialization, Immigration, and Urbanization between s – Industrialization Factories – working conditions – Unions? – Children? – Hours? – Safety? – Immigration Where do the people go? How are they treated? – Urbanization Growth of the cities – Safety – Public Services

Progressive Era Goals and Beliefs – Government should be more accountable to people – Gov’t Should lesson the influence of the wealthy – Expand Gov’t powers so they can help citizens more – Gov’t should be more efficient and less corrupt

Writers and the Media Early reforms came from mass media. – Books – Newspapers – Magazines People wrote about corruption, working conditions, poor health, gov’t not caring, etc… Examples – The Jungle, Upton Sinclair –– Novel about the meat packing industry. Sickened people about how meat got to their dinner table. – The Shame of the Cities, 1904 – Lincoln Steffens, exposed political corruption in the cities. – These Journalists were called Muckrakers

Progressive Organizations Labor Unions – Unions used the threat of strike to get employers to improve working conditions, wages, and hours. – Employers Fought Unions with a variety of tactics to prevent Unions and break strikes when they happened Socialists – Philosophy favoring public or government control of property and income. Wanted end to capitalist system. Most progressives did not support political and economic changes. Women's Groups – NCL – National Consumers league Investigated conditions under which goods were made and sold. – Begin drive for right to vote.

What will the Government do? The government had never before taken an active role in helping its citizens. The role begins to expand – Starts at local level – Home rule – Cities wanted more ability of self rule from state governments. Belief was they could more closely watch for corruption – Cities begin to take over Utilities systems Water, Gas, and Electricity become public not private By out of 3 cities had publically owned Utilities

State Reforms Political reforms – Direct Primaries Parties no longer just choose their candidates Voters now select party candidates – 17 th Amendment U.S. Senators now elected by Popular vote – Passed 1912, Ratified 1913 – Initiative Voters can put bills directly before the legislature – Referendum Voters can vote on bills directly – Recall Voters can remove elected officials from office by a vote

State Reforms Cont… Workplace reforms – States establish Labor departments Provide information and help in disputes Some developed accident insurance and compensation Most had little legal power No power to control workplace conditions – By 1907 most states had abolished child labor under age 14. – Minimum wage laws begin to appear Massachusetts first in 1912, 8 others quickly followed

Federal Reforms Teddy Roosevelt led charge for Government intervention and reform. – 1903 Forces Mine owners to negotiate with United Mine Workers union or face the threat of the army seizing the mines because the country needed the fuel for heating in the winter. – Finally enforced and strengthened the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. – Did not want to break up trusts, just to regulate them.

Federal Reforms cont… Railroad Regulation – 1906 Hepburn Act Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) gets enforcement powers to regulate interstate commerce. ICC had power to set railroad rates. ICC becomes first true federal regulatory agency. Public Health – 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act Requires accurate labeling of ingredients, strict sanitary conditions, and a rating system for meat.

Federal Reforms cont… Labor Department – 1913 – Aids in dealing with Child labor and women's labor issues – Supports new laws for women and children in the workplace Environment – National Reclamation Act 1902 Plan and develop large scale irrigation projects – U.S. Forrest Service 1905 Created to manage the nation’s water and timber resources Constitutional Amendments – 16 th Amendment – Federal Income Tax – 1913 – 17 th Amendment – Direct election of senators – 1913 – 18 th Amendment – prohibition of Alcohol – 1919 – 19 th Amendment – Women’s right to Vote

Politics Taft becomes President 1908 – Pledges to carry on Roosevelt’s reforms – Appoints NO progressives to his cabinet Taft angers Progressives in his party with new Tariffs and Republican party begins to split Taft continues to Anger Progressives by opening up protected lands to development By 1910 Roosevelt openly campaigning for progressive candidates for Congress who will oppose Taft.

Election of 1912 Roosevelt Splits Republican party between progressives and traditionalists. – Creates Bull Moose Party (Progressive Party) and runs again for President Split in Republican party Allows Democrat Woodrow Wilson to be elected president. – He criticized Big business and Big Government – His position was a more pure progressive

Wilson as President Tariffs and Taxes – Reduces Tariffs from 40% to 25% – Initiates first federal income tax 16 th Amendment Trusts – Wilson attacked the trusts that Roosevelt and Taft would not. – Clayton Anti-Trust Act Spells out SPECIFIC acts that business could not do. Could prevent purchasing of goods by competitors Price cutting to drive out market business Illegal Legalized Unions as well as strikes and boycotts Federal Trade commission set up to enforce Act (FTC)

Wilson Cont… Federal Reserve System – Federal Reserve Act of 1913 Divides country into 12 districts Each has a Federal Reserve Bank owned by its member banks. Created a Central bank for the region Could borrow from the Federal Reserve to meet short-term demands Helps stabilize banking industry and prevent many bank failures Also could control amount of money, Federal Reserve notes, in circulation. Board appointed by President

Limits of Progressivism No real help for Farm workers or non- unionized labor. Does very little to promote Social Justice – Jim Crow laws – Segregation – Racism World War I