1. Chapter 21 The Age of Reform 1880-1920
Section 1: Early Reforms in Texas
Section 2: James Hogg & the Populists
Section 3: Progressivism & James Ferguson
Pages

2. Section 1 Early Reforms in Texas
With the development of industry and transportation, life in Texas was changing dramatically. As a result, Texas laws and politics needed to change as well.

3. Reforms Many people moving to cities….much new industry
Texas government had to change to keep up with the times…needed reform
Reform: changes made to improve something
Reforms included
limits placed on power of governor
State officials had to be elected, not appointed
Reduced taxes…but cuts had to be made

4. Improving Education Education Constitution of 1876
set aside money for schools from land sales
Set aside money for school taxes, like Poll Tax and school tax
Poll Tax: a tax that each person must pay in order to vote
In 1884, counties could create own school districts, school population grew rapidly
Emphasis placed on job training in schools
Colleges were created in 1870s-1880s
Texas A & M
University of Texas at Austin

5. Prohibition Prohibition Movement Temperance Movement
Started in1866 …closed saloons on Sundays
Thought drinking led to poverty, crime, and family violence
Temperance Movement
Supported total ban on alcohol
Texas women started the Women’s Christian Temperance Union
Keep alcohol out of Texas, dry counties/wet counties
Prohibition: a national movement to ban
manufacture, sale, transportation, or use
of alcoholic beverages
Temperance: avoidance of alcohol

6. Prohibition, con’t
World War I started…worried about effects on soldiers away from home
In 1918, Texas closed all saloons and ratified 18th amendment to US Constitution
18th Amendment
Prohibited manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages

7. Women’s Christian Temperance Union
Prohibition and the
Women’s Christian Temperance Union

8. Women’s Suffrage
Women were becoming very active in Texas politics but still denied suffrage
Suffrage: the right to vote
In 1903, Texas Equal Right’s Suffrage Association started
Result: in 1918,women could vote in Primaries
Primary: an election held to determine who will serve as a political party’s candidate in a major election
In 1919, US voted on 19th Amendment:
19th Amendment gave women right to vote

9. Section 2 James Hogg & the Populists
After enduring the unfair practices of railroads and other corporations, citizens rose up and demanded that the rights of the average Texas citizen be protected.

10. Railroad Abuses
Railroads helped farmers but railroad companies took advantage of farmers by charging high prices and giving favors to politicians, etc
People wanted that stopped
Members of The Grange wanted to stop the abuse
An organized group of farmers
Made of farmers to talk about crops, livestock, etc.
Also, could purchase farm products in bulk for cheaper
Started putting pressure on railroad leaders to stop unfair practices

11. Hogg’s Fight for Freedom
James S. Hogg
From Rusk, TX; was district attorney and then became attorney general
Fought for reform of large corporations
Insurance industry: lawsuits if didn’t follow law
Railroad industry: wanted to break up the railroad trust that controlled high prices for customers
Trust: a group of companies in the same industry that set prices and reduce competition
Hogg thought the railroad trust was a monopoly
Monopoly: one company’s complete control over a type of product or service in a market
He fought for a state antitrust law to make monopolies illegal
Antitrust: opposed to large corporations that control or limit business activities

12. The Railroad Commission
Hogg was elected governor in 1890
Also created reforms (Hogg Laws)
Forcing large corporations to sell land
Limited amount of debt a city could have
Increased school year from 4 to 6 months
Increased funding for schools/colleges
Changed way decisions were made about pardons for prisoners
Established the Texas Railroad Commission
To oversee all railroad activity in state…helped to lower prices, shipping costs, etc. The Railroad Commission also regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas.

13. Hogg and the Populists
Hogg was successful because of people’s belief in Populism
Populism: a political party for the common people that resulted in the formation of the People’s Party or Populists (1892)
This party helped mainly farmers and ranchers
The Populist Party:
Called for regulation of business
Public ownership of railroads, telephone/telegraph
Elimination of national banking system
Wanted public warehouses for crop storage till prices increased
Wanted labor reform
Wanted direct election of Senators
Wanted a Graduated Income Tax
Graduated Income Tax: a tax set according to how much a person earns

14. Hogg and the Populists, con’t
Populist Party never controlled Texas state government
But did have Populist senators, House of Representative members
National Democratic Party started adopting Populist Ideas
State economy did improve after Populist pressure
Read about “Miss Ima Hogg” on page 446

15. The Hogg Family Ima Hogg Governor James Hogg

16. Section 3 Progressivism and James Ferguson
During the early 1900s, populism expanded into the Progressive movement. Progressives wanted the government to operate more like a business. A number of politicians joined this effort, including controversial governor James E. Ferguson.

17. During 1900s, Populist ideas changed into Progressive movement
Progressives wanted government more like a business
Governor James Ferguson supported this idea
Reform began to spread to cities
Between s…cities grew rapidly…businesses grew and generated more taxes for Texas government
Beliefs about social, economic, and political reforms were known as Progressivism
Progressivism: social reform movement based on improving society through power of the government

18. Disaster Leads to Change
Hurricane at Galveston in 1900…wiped out most of city (see page 448)
People knew old style of government could not handle rebuilding of Galveston
Started a new style called a city commission
Commission: a group of government officials elected to perform specific duties
City commissioners made decisions about how to run the city
Very successful and adopted by other cities

19. Hurricanes and Humans Video

20. The Galveston Hurricane
1900

21. Progressives Push for Change
Created state banking system
Better conditions in Texas prisons
Better (more fair) way to tax property
Passed laws to have food/drugs inspected for safety before they could be sold
Texas labor laws changed
Number of hours a person could work in a day
Child Labor Laws
Kids under 12 could not work in industrial plants
Kids under 16 could not work in mines, distilleries, or breweries
Could not use blacklists to discriminate against labor unions
Blacklist: a list of persons who are to be punished or boycotted

22. “Farmer Jim” Takes Office
1915…Jim Ferguson elected as governor
Lawyer and banker; no political experience
Campaign for governor focused on helping poor tenant farmers…where nickname came from
Did good things as governor
Limited amount of rent landowner could charge
Create State Dept of Forestry
Improved rural schools and increased funding
for Texas colleges
Expanded labor laws and education reforms
But he made powerful enemies

23. Ferguson is Impeached
2nd term as governor, got into verbal fight with University of Texas Board of Regents
They wouldn’t fire some professors who had opposed him in election
Ferguson vetoed university’s funding from state
So, impeachment process started
Charges were mainly over misuse of money
Impeach: to bring formal charges of misconduct against a public official to remove him from office
He resigned before he could be impeached but he was impeached anyway

24. African Americans Seek Reform
Things still weren’t good for many African Americans
Economic conditions were bad for them
Democrats did things to keep them from voting
Poll Tax hurt them because they couldn’t pay tax to vote
New laws were passed in that were unfair
Laws segregated waiting rooms, railroad cars, water fountains, restrooms, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, etc
These laws were known as the Jim Crow Laws
To fight back, African Americans joined labor unions and formed the NAACP

25. Jim Crow Video

26. Hispanic Texans Many Hispanics were victims of Jim Crow Laws
They faced discrimination just like African Americans