1. Main Ideas and Teddy Roosevelt
Progressive Era
Main Ideas and Teddy Roosevelt

2. What the heck is the Progressive Movement?
Progressivism – A political movement designed to help REFORM (fix) society’s problems.
Progressive reformers included journalists, politicians, educators, ministers, and others.
Progressive felt that the crime and poverty of city life was bad, and that they needed to take an active role in gov’t to fix it.

3. MUCKRAKERS
Muckrakers were journalists who wanted to EXPOSE CORRUPTION and URBAN PROBLEMS.
IDA TARBELL: Attacked unfair practices with Standard Oil
LINCOLN STEFFENS: Wrote about the corruption in political machines.
JACOB RIIS: Wrote How the Other Half Lives, about poverty and disease among immigrants in cities.
Muckrakers hoped to BETTER society by writing about it and bringing it to people’s attention.

4. OTHER REFORMS
While some progressives focused on fixing the gov’t, others tried to deal with SOCIAL PROBLEMS.
Some progressives fight for CHILD LABOR LAWS, making children work less and go to school more.
Reformers like FLORENCE KELLEY and muckrakers like GEORGE CREEL attempt to make the public aware of child labor problems.
Others wanted safer factories and workplaces.

5. What is a shirtwaist anyway?
In 1911, a fire breaks out at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in NYC.
The bosses had locked the doors so no one could leave and take a break.
Over 150 women workers die.
This event helps many Americans see the Progressives point of view.

6. TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT
Some Progressives think alcohol abuse caused society’s problems.
The TEMPERANCE movement called of the elimination of ALCOHOL.
The WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION led this fight.
Eventually, they call for PROHIBITION – a ban on making, selling, and transporting alcohol.
The 18th Amendment makes PROHIBITION the LAW

7. SOCIALISM
Other progressives felt BIG BUSINESS was to blame for society’s problems.
They felt like these big companies had too much money, while workers did not have any.
Some wanted SOCIALISM – An economic system where the government owns the means of production and distributes wealth evenly. This would close the gap between the rich and the poor.

8. EUGENE V. DEBS
In 1912, this dude named Eugene Debs runs for president as a Socialist. Although he does not win, he gets over a million votes.
This shows that Progressive ideas are spreading.

9. OPEN SHOP vs. CLOSED SHOP
Labor unions become more serious about having “closed shop” factories – factories where everyone who worked there had to be a part of the union.
Business owners fight hard for “open shop” factories – shops that did not recognize unions where workers could decide whether or not they wanted to be in one.

10. Progressives and the Supreme Court
Workers and bosses fought in the courts about progressive reforms. Some cases went all the way to the SUPREME COURT.
Lochner v. New York: Said it was illegal to have a law saying people could only work 10 hours a day
Muller v. Oregon: Said that women could only work 10 hours a day because it was harmful to their health.
LOUIS BRANDEIS was the attorney who argued on behalf of women in this case

11. INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD (IWW)
As progressives get more serious about fixing the workplace, a more radical union forms.
The IWW (aka the Wobblies) are formed and led by “BIG BILL” HAYWOOD.
The IWW wanted to get rid of capitalism and talked about workers overthrowing bosses.
They included women and minorities in their group.
The IWW generally just scared everyone and lost power in the early 1900s.

12. Teddy Roosevelt as President
When he comes into office in 1901, TR enters at a turning point for America. America is turning into a IMPERIALIST power and focusing on PROGRESSIVISM.
Teddy Roosevelt had many images, four of the major ones are:
TRUSTBUSTER
FRIEND OF THE WORKER
PROGRESSIVE REFORMER
CONSERVATIONIST

14. TRUSTBUSTER
TR liked big business and capitalism, but he felt some trusts were hurting the public’s interest.
He believed that there were GOOD TRUSTS and BAD TRUSTS.
In 1902, he seeks to break up the NORTHERN SECURITIES COMPANY, a railroad trust owned by J.P. MORGAN and others.

15. TRUSTBUSTER (Cont’d)
Roosevelt, however, didn’t hate trusts. He set up the BUREAU OF CORPORATIONS to investigate big business and make sure they didn’t harm the public. If they cooperated, problems could be resolved without going to court.

16. FRIEND OF THE WORKER
TR, a progressive, believed that every one should have a fair shot at success. His policies became known as the “SQUARE DEAL.”
In 1902, coal miners go on strike in PA. As it got close to winter, many feared that the U.S. would go without heat for the winter.
Most thought the President would break it up, but TR forced the mine owners to accept ARBITRATION.
ARBITRATION occurs when an third party comes up with a settlement that both sides agree on.
Roosevelt doesn’t let big business have its way like other presidents had done.

17. The Jungle
In 1906, Upton Sinclair wrote a book called The Jungle about the awful conditions in the slaughterhouses of Chicago. He meant to enlighten people about the hardships of immigrants, but most people just got freaked out about unclean meat.

18. PROGRESSIVE REFORMER
Roosevelt set out to fix the meatpacking industry with two laws:
MEAT INSPECTION ACT – set up federal inspection of meat and cleaned up plants
PURE FOOD AND DRUG ACT – Prohibited the manufacture, sale or shipment of impure food and drugs.

19. CONSERVATIONIST TR loved the outdoors and wanted to CONSERVE nature.
1902 – The NEWLANDS RECLAMATION ACT provided federal $$ to irrigate lands in ARID states.
TR TRIPLED the amount of land set aside for national forests.
Put his buddy, Gifford Pinchot in charge of the U.S. Forest Service.
Other reformers, like JOHN MUIR, start organizations like the SIERRA CLUB to help protect land in the west.

20. Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir at Yosemite Nat’l Park