1. The Progressive Era and the 20s
Northwest Studies Summer School

2. Industrialization 2 effects of Industrialization Mass Production
Factories producing goods on large scale in assembly line fashion.
Reduces the costs of goods.
Demand for unskilled labor rises.
Immigrants flood country with need for jobs.
Women and children begin laboring in factories.
Increase for Raw Materials
Raw materials were needed to drive the factories.
Washington had many of the raw materials needed to drive the factories.
Increases the population of the cities.

3. The Great Northern Railroad
The Northern Pacific Railroad went most directly to Portland which slowed the growth of Washington.
The arrival of the Great Northern Railroad in 1893 solved the problem of Transportation to Washington.
The head of the Great Northern Railroad believed that Seattle would become the next great American city in the west and thus wanted to end his line there.
Many cities developed along the Great Northern lines.
Spokane, Wenatchee, Levenworth, Everett.
The resources and goods produced in Washington were able to be easily distributed to markets all over the country.
The reach of the Great Northern would increase after the bankruptcy and purchase of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

4. Klondike Gold Rush
When Gold is discovered in Alaska and the Yukon in 1897, Seattle becomes the starting point for miners heading North.
Seattle was the Gateway to Alaska and the money from the gold rush helped develop Seattle into a modern city.
Seattle was where the miners purchased their supplies and prepared for their trip.
Then on the return trip Seattle was the first place the miners stopped again.
Of the 100,000,000 worth of gold mined between , much of the wealth found it’s way back to and was spent in Seattle. Seattle Banks became rich and many prospectors settled and invested in the Seattle area.
Cities were flush with cash and ready to invest. Cities begin investing in extensive advertising campaigns to bring more people to Washington.
Washington would hold huge exhibitions to try and lure prospective investors and people to Washington.
By 1910, Seattle in the most important and largest city in the Northwest.

5. Social Divisions
Along with racial diversity issues, As Washington began to grow, there became differences between the working class and the wealthy.
Many people moved to Washington from the cities of the East due to the slums and poor working conditions.
Washington was promoted to be paradise.
What the working class found was that the cities of the Northwest were very similar to those in the east.
The working class had the same struggles. The working class families began to become resentful.
Instead of taking out their frustrations on the wealthy, they took it out on immigrants.

6. Economic Activities
By the 20th Century, the Timber industry continued to be the most important industry in Washington.
Agriculture, Mining, and Fishing Industries all benefited from new industrial techniques.
New pumps, canals and pipes are created to move water from the Columbia, Wenatchee, and Yakima rivers to new fields for farming.
New mines are created in towns like Cle Elum
The newest industry was the shipbuilding industry and later after the Boeing Airplane Company is created.

7. Economic Strains on Society
The economic growth of Washington had mixed results on society.
A small minority benefited and became wealthy from the economic growth.
Most though, especially the working class, did not benefit from the economic development.
Regardless of the industry, the working class labored in difficult and dangerous working conditions.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries there were virtually no laws regulating economic industries or working conditions.
People routinely worked 12 to 16 hour days, seven days a week.
Wages were low, and frequently all of the children in a family would need to work to make ends meet.
There were no safety standards in the workplace and injuries and death were routine occurrences.
Due to these factors, the workers began to organize to create better conditions and wages.

8. Organized Labor
Workers began forming Unions in Washington starting in the 1890s.
The largest Union in Washington during this time period was the International Workers of the World (IWW) also known as the Wobblies.
The IWW was an international labor union representing workers in different industries in the United States and Europe.
The group was politically and socially active and believed in Socialism.
By 1910 Unions had popped up all over Washington in various industries.
The struggle between Owners and Unions becomes a defining conflict in both Washington and the United States.

9. The Progressive Era
The Progressive Era was the response from the ills of Industrialization.
The progressives sought to fix the problems in the workplace, politics, and society.
The progressive Era was especially popular in big cities.
Progressives in Washington achieved a variety of political reforms.
1907 – Open Primaries
Women’s right to vote (State and Local Elections Only)
Initiative, Referendum, Recall process
Unions convinced it was time for government to step in and regulate businesses and the working conditions.
1911 – Workers Compensation and 8 hour work day for women
1914 – Alcohol sales banned
The progressive Era was slowed down by the start of WWI

10. WWI U.S. involvement in WWI begins in 1917.
It is estimated that 75,000 men from Washington served in WWI.
War was an economic boom time fro Washington Industries.
Harvesting natural resources
Making lumber products
Growing food
Manufacturing military equipment
Ships
Aircraft
Unemployment decreased as War production increased.
Wages went up and the people and businesses of Washington enjoyed a period of economic success.

11. Union Conflicts
The IWW looked to take advantage of the need to production in the lead up to the war in
A timber Mill in Everett went on strike.
To break the strike, mill owners convinced the Snohomish County law enforcement officials to beat, club and harass members of the IWW.
They told the IWW to leave the county. They instead boarded a boat bound for Everett.
Local press and county officials had raised popular opinion against the IWW.
When the IWW arrived at the Harbor 200 armed men were waiting for them.
As the tensions were high, shots were fired and 5 members of the IWW were killed along with 2 other men. While these tactics were common, this was the most violent incident to date.
It becomes known as the Everett Massacre.
People began to see the IWW as agitators not a Union trying to improve the lives of its members.

12. Post War Years
The years after the war led to an economic slump in Washington.
The high production of the war years was no longer needed. Unemployment rose and with a surplus of available labor, The owners had the upper hand in negotiations.
While the IWW was willing to risk alienating people during the war years at the risk of being unpatriotic, After the war, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was ready to strike.
The AFL called for all Unions in Seattle to a General Strike on Feb. 6th, 1919.
The idea was to shut down businesses for 1 day to show people how serious they were.
The strike proved to be very unpopular.
The government and the press portrayed it as a communist/socialist conspiracy.
The fear of Russian communists made the strike very weak and it ultimately accomplished little.
The Washington economy continued to struggle throughout the twenties, as much of the rest of the country was flourishing.
Washington goods were simply not in demand.

13. Assignment
P. 291 #1-12