1. Progressive Era

2. Big Business Practices
Powerful monopolies restricted competition.
Business leaders used the concept of “Social Darwinism” to justify their actions.
Limited government interference in business practices.

3. Conditions for Industrial Workers
60-hour work weeks on machinery in unsafe/unhealthy conditions
Hurt on the job = FIRED
Low wages for men. Women and children were paid even less.
No job security.

4. Rich built lavish homes in safe and secure parts of the city.
Life for the Urban Poor
Rich built lavish homes in safe and secure parts of the city.
Slums characterized by poverty, crime, congestion, and poor sanitation.
Housing was segregated (social class, race, ethnic background).

5. Government Intervention
Government remained unresponsive to industrialization and urbanization.
Mixed responses from government:
Lochner v. New York (1905) decided it was unconstitutional to limit banker’s hours.
Muller v. Oregon (1908) upheld a law limiting women to a 10-hour work day for their health.

6. Who were the Progressives?

7. What do we mean when we say something is “PROGRESSIVE”?
Progressive Movement aimed to restore economic opportunities and correct injustices in American life.
Four goals of Progressives:
Protecting Social Welfare
Promoting Moral Improvement
Creating Economic Reform
Fostering Efficiency

8. Protecting Social Welfare
Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) opened libraries, sponsored classes, etc.
“Settlement Houses” began to remove children from slum life and educate them.

9. Promoting Moral Improvement
Prohibition, the banning of alcohol and closing of Saloons, was instituted to improve moral behavior.
Saloons provided immigrants with a meeting place, check cashing service and other necessities.

14. Creating Economic Reform
Eugene V. Debs begins American Socialist Party to balance out business.
Journalist who wrote about the corrupt side of business became known as muckrakers.
Ida M. Tarbell wrote “The History of the Standard Oil Company” in which she criticizes Rockefeller for his business practices.
Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle which exposed the bad practices of the meat industry.

16. This caused a high worker turnover from fatigue and injury.
Fostering Efficiency
Introduction of the assembly line caused people to have to work like machines.
This caused a high worker turnover from fatigue and injury.