Discussion  Was the Progressive Movement a success? This question serves as the basis for the lesson. Ask students to consider the Progressive Movement’s legacies and failures.

Progressive Election  Woodrow Wilson The Democratic nominee, Woodrow Wilson, from New Jersey, ran as a progressive promising a “New Freedom.” He wanted to dismantle trusts.  Theodore Roosevelt The former president who helped form the Progressive Party, when the Republicans nominated Taft. Roosevelt wanted to increase regulation of trusts. Roosevelt called his program the New Nationalism.  William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was the incumbent president and Republican nominee. He was seen by many as representing pro-business interests.

Discussion  How would the formation of the Progressive Party help the Democratic candidate? Members of the Republican Party formed the Progressive Party, thus splitting the Republican votes between Taft and Roosevelt. This gave the Democratic candidate an advantage.

Discussion  How did the reforms of Wilson differ from those of Roosevelt? Although Roosevelt did much in terms of conservation, Wilson was incredibly aggressive in battling trusts and regulating business.

Progressivism’s Triumphs  Governmental Reform The federal government took a greater role in people’s lives, offering protections and services to the public.  Business Reform Antitrust regulation was passed and the oversight of business became an important role of government.  Labor Reform Child labor became regulated, as did the minimum wage, the workday, and working conditions.  Suffrage Women gained the right to vote.  Safety Standards Meat inspection, Food and Drug regulation, and work safety were all implemented during the era.  Conservation The national parks were created, and vast segments of forest and coastline fell under federal protection.

Progressivism’s Failures  Civil Rights The Progressive movement did next to nothing to dismantle segregation or attack lynching.  Native American Rights During the Progressive Era, little was done to help Native Americans; in fact, in many instances, rights continued to be denied.  Women’s Rights Although women did attain suffrage, full equality was still not recognized.

Discussion Who do you think was responsible for true reform in society? Explain your answer with details. Muckraking journalists really galvanized support for the movement. They brought the issues to the public, whether the issues were big business corruption (Ida Tarbell), unsanitary conditions around food (Upton Sinclair), or poor living conditions in the New York slums (Jacob Riis). The politicians dealt with these issues only after the journalists exposed them.

Discussion  How were the Anti-Defamation League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People alike? How were these two organizations different? The ADL and the NAACP were similar in that they were organizations founded to achieve the end of social discrimination. A difference between the groups was that they advocated for different minorities.