1. The Progressive Era

2. Progressive Movement
After Populism, citizens saw the possibilities of reform through government
Populist success in local and national elections encouraged others to seek change through political action
Building on Populism’s achievements and adopting some of its goals, Progressives dominated the first two decades of 1900’s.

3. Roots of Progressivism
National Woman’s Suffrage Association
American Bar Association
National Municipal League
These are examples of some of the groups that rallied citizens around a cause or profession
Most of these groups’ members were educated and middle class

4. Muckrakers
Journalists who wrote exposes of corporate greed and misconduct
TR came up with this term
Lincoln Steffens: The Shame of the Cities
Ida Tarbell: History of Standard Oil
Upton Sinclair: The Jungle

5. Compare to 1830’s?
This reform was considered very similar to the reform movement of the 1830’s, in that those people campaigned for public enlightenment on the plight of orphans, prostitutes, and those held in mental institutions

6. Reformers W.E.B. DuBois Headed the NAACP Quest for racial justice
It was an uphill battle that was so strenuous that, after a lifelong struggle, DuBois abandoned the US and moved to Africa

7. Reformers Margaret Sanger Feminist Movement
Faced great opposition for promoting the use of contraceptives
They had been considered illegal in most places
Eventually, suffrage was granted to women in 1920 with the passing of the 19th Amendment

8. Reformers Robert LaFollette Wisconsin Governor Direct primary
Progressive taxation
Initiative: voters can propose new laws
Referendum: public can vote on new laws
Recall: elections that gave voters power to remove officials from office before their terms expired

9. Other Progressive Gains
State level reform:
Limit work day hours
Minimum wage requirements
Child labor laws
Urban housing codes
Progressive income taxes helped redistribute the nation’s wealth

10. Teddy Roosevelt
Expected to be conservative due to being McKinley’s VP, but was not!
Most prominent Progressive leader
First to use the Sherman Antitrust Act successfully against monopolies
Aka the “Trustbuster”
Also tightened food and drug regulations, created national parks, among other things

11. Taft Not known as much as TR, but did a lot for Progressivism
During his time as President, he pushed two amendments through:
One instituting a national income tax
Another allowing for direct election of senators
Taft pursued monopolies even more aggressively than TR!

12. Wilson The last of the Progressive Presidents
Created the Federal Trade Commission
Lobbied for and enforced the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914
Created the Federal Reserve
This gave the gov’t greater control over the nation’s finances
The 19th Amendment was passed during his term

13. End of Progressivism Lasted through WWI
War made reformers and rest of nation tired of fighting
The Red Scare split the Progressives by dividing those on the “left” from those in the center

14. Summary Progressive movement achieved many of its goals
Over time, it lost support of the interest groups whose ends it had met
Many historians argue that the Progressive movement was brought to an end by its own success!
There were no more crusades left to fight for!