1. Gilded Age – Progressive Era

2. Gilded Age
Gilded – cheap center covered w/ thin layer of gold (Mark Twain)
Gov’t followed Laissez – Faire policies

3. Political Party Differences
Republican
Gold based $
High Tariffs
$ for Union soldiers
Aid to RR
Limits on Immigrants
Enforce Blue Laws
Democrat
Silver based $
Lower Tariffs
High farm prices
Less aid to RR
Fewer Blue Laws

4. Lewes, Delaware:
It is illegal to wear pants that are “firm fitting” around the waist.
Rehoboth Beach
No person shall change clothes in his or her vehicle.
No person shall pretend to sleep on a bench on the boardwalk.
Changing into or out of a bathing suit in a public restroom is prohibited.
Six-year-old girls may not run around without being fully clothed.
Alcohol may not be served in nightclubs if dancing is occurring on the premises at the same time.

5. Maine
It is illegal to stroll down the street and play a violin at the same time.
Advertisements may not be placed in cemeteries.
North Carolina:
Elephants may not be used to plow cotton fields.
In cemeteries, no one may visit their departed loved ones late at night.
Women must have their bodies covered by at least 16 yards of cloth at all times. (Charlotte)

6. Presidents of the Gilded Age
Rutherford Hayes
Republican
Ended Reconstruction
Reformed Spoils System

7. Presidents of the Gilded Age
James A Garfield
Republican
Killed by a lawyer, Charles Guiteau

9. Presidents of the Gilded Age
Chester Arthur
Republican
Created Civil Service Commission
Check qualifications

10. Presidents of the Gilded Age
Grover Cleveland
Democrat
Gov’t control over RR

11. Presidents of the Gilded Age
Benjamin Harrison
Republican
Sherman Anti Trust Act
Country begins a Depression

12. Presidents of the Gilded Age
Grover Cleveland
Democrat
Stops Pullman Strike
Only Prez elected twice not in a row!

13. Presidents of the Gilded Age
William McKinley
Republican
Increases US Tariffs
Supported the Gold Standard

14. Presidents of the Gilded Age
William McKinley
Spanish – American War
Annexation of Hawaii
Killed during 2nd term – Leon Czolgosz

16. Progressive Era
A variety of reforms were enacted at all levels
Many Progressives believed that political action and reform were required for progress in society.

17. The Progressives: Their Goals and Beliefs
Progressives were not a single unified movement. Their efforts fell into four categories:
Social Reform
Moral Reform
Economic Reform
Political Reform

18. Social Reform Government should be given
expanded powers so that it could
become more active in improving
the lives of its citizens.

19. Social Reform Examples
1.Women’s rights
Suffrage (voting)
Owning Property
Divorce
Clothing
Birth Control

20. Women’s Reform Leaders
Susan B Anthony – activist who worked towards gaining suffrage for women
Created National
American Woman
Suffrage Association
(NAWSA)

21. Women’s Reform Leaders
Florence Kelley – activist who worked towards gaining better working conditions

22. Women’s Reform Leaders
Alice Paul – radical activist who worked towards gaining suffrage for women
Created Congressional
Union (CU): wanted an
Amendment giving
Women right to vote

23. Social Reform Examples
2. Protection of the Environment
Antiquities Act of 1906
Allows President to designate National Monuments
Protect and Preserve Wildlife Areas

24. Social Reform Examples
3. Tenement Life
Over Crowding of the Cities
Poor Living Conditions
Unsanitary Conditions

27. Social Reform Examples
4. Unsafe working conditions and Child Labor
Fewer Hours
Higher Wages
Safer Factories
Unions

28. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory operated on the top 3 floors of the 10 story Asch Building in New York City

29. In 1911, Unsafe working conditions lead to a deadly fire
Notice that the tallest ladders owned by the fire department only reach the 6th floor

30. Rather than burn alive in the swift moving fire, many women jump from windows

32. This is actually a photo of the building after the fire
This is actually a photo of the building after the fire! Note how there is very little damage on the outside of the building

34. Eight months after the fire, a jury acquitted the factory owners, of any wrong doing.
Twenty-three individual civil suits were brought against the owners of the Asch building. On March 11, 1913, three years after the fire, the owners settled. They paid 75 dollars per life lost.
This tragedy led to a push for comprehensive safety and workers compensation laws.

35. Social Reform Examples
5. Safer Medicines
Restriction of Harmful Drugs
Proper Labeling
Government Approval of Future Drugs/Medicines

36. Medicines at the turn of the century did not require a prescription.
Patent Medicines
Medicines at the turn of the century did not require a prescription.
Making exaggerated claims, they were used for a variety of ailments.
Many contained dangerous ingredients.

39. Cocaine was a common ingredient – even for children's medicines

40. Notice it's from the makers of Bayer Aspirin...

41. Social Reform Examples
6. Safer Food
Government Inspection of Food
Proper Labeling
Cleanliness
Have you read “The Jungle”?
yuck.

42. The Jungle Written by Upton Sinclair
Talks about the horrors of the meat packing industry

47. Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906
Created Food and Drug Administration, responsibility of testing all foods and drugs destined for human consumption
The requirement for prescriptions from licensed physicians before a patient could purchase certain drugs
The requirement of label warnings on habit-forming drugs.

48. Meat Inspection Act of 1906
All animals were required to pass an inspection by the FDA prior to slaughter
All carcasses were subject to a post-mortem inspection
Cleanliness standards were established for slaughterhouses and processing plants.

49. Social Reform Examples
Civil Rights Movement
African Americans were still fighting for basic rights guaranteed them in the Constitution

50. Problems African Americans fought Against
Voter Restrictions
Poll Tax – Pay a fee to vote
Literacy Test – prove you could read & write to vote
Grandfather Clause – exempts a group of people from obeying a law provided they met certain conditions before law was passed

51. Problems African Americans fought Against
Jim Crow Laws – System of laws that segregated public services by race

52. Problems African Americans fought Against
Plessy v. Ferguson – “Separate but Equal”
Supreme Court ruled against Homer Plessy saying segregation was legal as long as separate facilities were equal

53. Problems African Americans fought Against
Lynching – mob’s illegal seizure & execution of a person, usually by hanging

54. African American Leaders
Booker T. Washington – encouraged African Am. To become educated & learn a trade

55. African American Leaders
WEB DuBois – encouraged African Am. To attend college & become leaders; Also started NAACP

56. African American Leaders
NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Worked through courts to gain equal rights for African Am.

58. Moral Reform
Many felt the Morals of our society were at the root of many turn of the century problems.
- Moral Reformers sought to promote Moral Improvements:
End Prostitution
End Gambling
End Drunkenness
Education for Children
Americanization and Restriction of Immigrants

59. Economic Reform
Economic Reformers sought to curb the power and influence of wealthy interests.
Monopolies
Trusts
Gap between Rich and Poor

60. Political Reformers demanded Political Honesty and Accountability
Governments should become more efficient and less corrupt so that they can competently handle an expanded role.
Political Reformers demanded Political Honesty and Accountability
Patronage/Spoils System
Only Politicians can introduce bills
Only Legislatures can pass laws
Only Courts can remove corrupt officials
Political Machines
Bribery

61. Patronage
The giving of jobs or other political favors to supporters – even if they are not qualified
Even Presidents did it! …until…

62. Progressive Political Reforms
BEFORE
Party leaders chose candidates for state & local offices
AFTER
Direct Primaries – Voters select their party’s candidates

63. Progressive Political Reforms
BEFORE
State legislature chose US Senators
AFTER
17th Amendment – US Senators are elected by popular vote

64. Progressive Political Reforms
BEFORE
Only members of state legislature can introduce bills
AFTER
Initiative – Voters can put bills before the legislation

65. Progressive Political Reforms
BEFORE
Only legislatures pass laws
AFTER
Referendum – voters can vote on bills directly
DE voters control raising school taxes

66. Progressive Political Reforms
BEFORE
Only courts or legislature can remove corrupt officials
AFTER
Recall – voters can remove elected officials from office

67. Progressive Political Reforms

68. MUCKRAKERS
Journalists that exposed turn of the century problems such as illegal business activities, putrid food, quack medicines, squalid living conditions, dangerous working conditions, etc.
The uncovering of these awful truths led progressives to demand changes.

69. SOME FAMOUS MUCKRAKERS
Ida Tarbell
Jacob Riis
Lincoln Steffens
History of Standard Oil
How the Other Half Lives
Upton Sinclair
SOME FAMOUS MUCKRAKERS
Shame of the Cities
Exposed the ruthless practices of big business
Exposed the shameful living conditions in city tenements
The Jungle
Exposed the horrors of the meatpacking industry
Exposed Big City Political Corruption

71. Progressive Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt
Republican
Youngest Prez
Took office after McKinley is shot

73. Progressive Presidents
Led the fight to dissolve 40 monopolies as a “trust buster“
“Square Deal" promised a fair shake for the average citizen, including:
regulation of railroad rates and pure foods and drugs.
promotion of the conservation movement, emphasizing efficient use of natural resources.

76. Progressive Presidents
William H Taft
Republican
Promised to continue TR’s ideas
Tried but lacked TR’s energy

77. Progressive Presidents
Interstate Commerce Commission was directed to set railroad rates.
Initiated 80 antitrust suits
Submitted to the states amendments for a Federal income tax and the direct election of Senators.

79. Progressive Presidents
Ballinger-Pinchot Affair
Gifford Pinchot – Head of Forest Service
Richard Ballinger – Sec. of Interior
Pinchot accused Ballinger of taking bribes for mining rights in Alaska
Taft fired Pinchot!

80. Progressive Presidents
Progressive Republicans are upset w/ Taft & want TR back
TR loses in the primaries so he creates his own political party
Progressive Party aka Bull Moose Party

84. Election of 1912 Rep – William Taft Dem – Woodrow Wilson
Prog – Teddy Roosevelt

85. Wilson Wins!!!! Candidate Popular Vote Electoral Vote Wilson
6,296, 547
435
Roosevelt
4,118,571 88
Taft
3,486,720 8
Other
1,135,637
None

87. Progressive Presidents
Woodrow Wilson
Democrat
Continued Progressivism
Prez during WWI

88. Progressive Presidents
Anti-trust legislation established a Federal Trade Commission to prohibit unfair business practices.
Laws prohibiting child labor; another limited railroad workers to an eight-hour day.
Lowered Tariffs

89. Progressive Presidents
Clayton Antitrust Act
Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890
Spelled out specific activities businesses could NOT do
Aide to Union Strikes now Legal!

90. Progressive Presidents
Federal Reserve System
Central bank of the US
Divided nation into 12 regions each w/ its own Federal Reserve Bank
Banks now under the rules of “the Fed”

92. Progressive Presidents
Federal Reserve System
Regulates Amount of money in circulation
Sets interest rates
Regulates how much a bank can lend

93. Progressive Presidents
Louis Brandeis – 1st Jewish Supreme Court Justice
Dept. of Labor
Women’s Bureau

94. Progressive Presidents
16th Amendment – Congress can levy income taxes
17th Amendment – Direct Election of Senators
18th Amendment – Prohibition of Alcohol
19th Amendment – Women’s Suffrage