4. Chapter 21 – Progressives & Reformers
Section 1 – Early Reforms
Find out:
Why did reformers want to end the spoils system?
What did the Civil Service Commission do?
How did Congress try to regulate big business?

5. Taming the Spoils System
Patronage – giving jobs to loyal supporters
Led to corruption
Civil service – includes all federal jobs except elected positions and the armed forces.
President James Garfield
- called for reform of civil service
- basis of merit
- shot by an angry office seeker – died in office.

6. President James Garfield
President Rutherford B. Hayes

8. Civil Service Commission
Fills jobs in federal government.
Made up of both Dem. And Rep.
Exams were set up.

9. Regulating Big Business
Interstate Commerce Act – forbade unfair practices such as pools and rebates.
Interstate Commerce Commission – ICC –
oversaw the railroad industry
Enforced the Interstate Commerce Act
Collis Huntington
Central Pacific Railroad

10. Sherman Antitrust Act Benjamin Harrison elected Pres. in 1888.
Sherman Antitrust Act – prohibited trust or other businesses from limiting competition.
Difficult to enforce.
Was used to stop labor unions.

12. Chapter 21 – Progressives & Reformers
Section 2 – The Progressive Movement
Find out:
How did bosses control city governments?
How did muckrakers influence public opinion?
What were the goals of the Progressives?

13. Reforming City Governments
Boss rule
Influenced poor & immigrants to vote for them or their candidates by giving help.
William Tweed
Thomas Nast
– political cartoonist
Good Government
Leagues

17. Rousing Public Opinion
Muckrakers – crusading journalists who raked “the dirt” and exposed it to the public.
Lincoln Steffens (exposed corruption in STL)
Ida Tarbell (Standard Oil)
Upton Sinclair (The Jungle)
Wrote a novel that revealed gruesome details about the meatpacking industry in Chicago.

19. Progressives in Action
Progressive Era - (1898 – 1917)
Progressives - Forward-thinking people who wanted to improve American life.
Beliefs
Public interest (for the good of the people) should guide government actions
It shouldn’t be sacrificed to the greed of trusts and bosses.

20. Progressives…
Wisconsin Idea – elected officials with Progressive ideas that made positive changes
Robert La Follette
Lowered railroad rates.
Primary – pre-election to choose a party’s candidate for the general election.
Initiative – gave voters the right to put a bill directly before the state legislature.
Referendum – gave voters the power to make a bill become a law.
Recall – allowed voters to remove an elected official from office.

21. Other Progressive Reforms
16th Amendment – gave Congress the power to impose an income tax.
17th Amendment – allowed for the direct election of senators.