1. America Comes of Age
Topic 4

2. Topic 4: America Comes of Age
Essential Question:
What can individuals do to affect society?
Enduring Understanding:
Reformers worked for equality in politics, economics and government
Political organizations worked to enforce fair business practices and protect the environment
United States worked to expand trade and territory around the world
United States emerged as a world power after the Spanish-American War and expanded into East Asia and Latin America

3. 4.1 Progressives Drive Reform
Progressive Movement - Aimed to restore economic opportunities and correct the injustices in American life.
Response to the vast changes after the Civil War and from Industrialization
These were the problems:
Economic inequities
Environmental issues
Social welfare
Working conditions
Rights for women and children
Progressivism: political and cultural responses to industrialization and other issues
Immigration, corporate power, widening class divisions.

4. Progressive v. Populism

5. Progressive Goals 2. City Living Conditions 3. Big Business
1. Political Reform
Women gaining right to vote
Corrupt city officials (Political Machines)
2. City Living Conditions
Crowded cities
Pollution, Crime
Housing
Tenement Housing
Utilities
Water, Paved Roads
3. Big Business
Monopolies and Trusts
Create more opportunities for smaller businesses
4. Class System
Reduce gap between the rich and the poor
Improve working conditions
End Child Labor

6. Muckrakers Investigative journalists, known as “Muckrakers,”
Muckrake: - rake used to remove manure and hay out of stables
exposed corruption in business, terrible working conditions, living conditions.
Famous Muckrakers
Jacob Riis – How the Other Half Lives
Photos of living conditions in Tenement Houses
Upton Sinclair – The Jungle
Unsanitary working conditions in the meat packing industry.
Lincoln Steffens – Shame of the Cities
Political corruption in the cities
Ida Tarbell – The History of Standard Oil
Methods of eliminating competition
Thomas Nast-
Cartoons that exposed political bosses
McClure’s and Collier’s famous magazines
Middle Class citizens in shock
Today: 60 Minutes TV Program

7. The Jungle

9. Reformers Impact Society
Muckrakers: - Increased popular support for Progressivism
Improved living conditions, public health improved, education for children, break up monopolies
Social Gospel Movement
Applying Christian moral and ethics to improve society
Poverty, crime, alcoholism, slums, economic inequality, poor schools
Urge to end child labor + Shorter work week
Churches provide support
Settlement Houses – Jane Addams
Community centers that provided services to urban poor
Nursery schools, child care classes, art/theatre programs for adults
Hull House – Settlement House in Chicago – Jane Addams
Inspired college-educated middle class women to become social activists
YMCA – Young Men’s Christian Association
Promote Christian values, offered classes and sports for young men

10. Progressivism and Children
Child Labor
Individual states begin to ban child labor
Florence Kelley
Improve lives of women and children
Helped to form National Child Labor Committee
National Government studied effects of working conditions on children
Investigated the sweat shops
Campaigned for a federal Child-Labor Law
Prohibited child labor and limited hours women could work
Children work hours :
Work Monday –Saturday from 6 am – 9 pm
1916 – Keating-Owens Act – bans child labor
US Supreme court rules this unconstitutional.
States then pass laws requiring students to attend school
John Dewey – educational philosopher

12. Reforms in the Workplace
United States Industrialization
Highest accidents in the world, long hours, poor ventilation, hazardous gasses, no employee benefits
30,000 died… ½ million injured
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory – New York City
146 workers die due to lack of safety
Locked exits, no fire extinguishers, locked doors
NYC and other cities issue safety regulations
Workmen compensation, 10hr workday
Lochner v NewYork
- limiting workday unconstitutional

13. Political Reform Large Urban cities Local Governments
Ran by Political bosses – Kickbacks
Change: cities more responsive to its citizens
Local Governments
Established Council Members
Officials take charge of certain areas in a city and certain issues
Galveston, TX and Dayton, OH
Both cities hit with a natural disaster
Galveston – Hurricane Dayton – Flood

14. Election Reform: The people wanted a voice in politics
Secret Ballots – made it harder to rig elections
Hard to tell who you voted for
Initiatives – voters could create a bill rather than lawmakers
Voters instruct legislators
Referendums – Voters accepted or rejected the initiative
Express their views on a proposed measure
Recalls – Enabled voters to force out public officials by having them face another election
With a petition voters can remove a public official
As a result, Congress passed the 17th Amendment – the people elect the senators of their state.