1. The Progressive Era
Reform shifts from the farm to the city and climbs the ladder of government from the local to the state and then to the national level.

2. I. The Problems of the 1890’s Huge Gap between rich and poor
Tremendous economic and political power of the rich
Wealthy were insensitively flaunting their wealth before a poorer public

3. I. Problems of the 1890’s (cont.)
Industrial workers hideously poor, living in squalor and working in dangerous conditions
Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives (1890)
Little concern for Black America

4. II. Progressive Reformers

5. A. Streams of Reform The “Social Gospel” movement
--Walter Rauschenbusch: Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907)
Settlement House Workers
--Jane Addams, Hull House in Chicago (1889)
Americans of “Old Wealth”

6. A. Streams of Reform (cont.)
Young, socially-conscious lawyers
Investigative Journalists
-- “Muckrakers”
--Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell, and Upton Sinclair
Small businessmen

7. B. Features of Progressive Reform
Desire to remedy problems through government initiative
Reliance on “experts”
-- Robert Lafollette’s “Wisconsin Idea”
Wanted reform not revolution
Stressed the importance of efficiency in reform
--Frederick W. Taylor

8. B. Features of Progressive Reform (cont.)
Want to bring order out of chaos
--Creation of NCAA in 1910
--Federal Budget (1921)
Desire to make politics more democratic
Desire to make businessmen more responsible for problems

9. B. Features of Progressive Reform (cont.)
Desire to make society more moral and more just
Desire to distribute income more equitably
Desire to broaden opportunities for individual advancement
Women were active in progressivism
--Suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony

10. B. Features of Progressive Reform (cont.)
Infiltrated both political parties
-- Republican “insurgents”
Middle-class reform movement
Operated on all three levels of government

11. III. Sample Progressive Reforms

12. A. Political Reforms
Tried to put more power into the hands of the people
Innovative changes in city government
--city managers and commission model
The Direct Primary
Initiative, Referendum and Recall
The Secret Ballot
Direct Election of Senators and the Vote for Women

13. B. Social Reforms Child labor laws Ten-hour work days
--The “Brandeis brief”
--Muller v. Oregon (1908)
--Bunting v. Oregon (1917)
Prohibition initiatives
Moral Purity campaigns
--Mann Act (1910)

14. B. Social Reforms (cont.)
Minimum safety standards on the job
Minimum standards for housing codes
“City Beautification” movement
Immigration Restriction
Eugenics
--Buck v. Bell (1927)
Little Help for Blacks
--NAACP (1909)
-- “Birth of a Nation”

15. IV. Progressive Amendments to the Constitution
Progressive reliance on the law
16th Amendment (1913)—federal income tax
17th Amendment (1913)—direct election of senators
18th Amendment (1919)—prohibition
19th Amendment (1920)—vote for women

16. V. Presidential Progressivism: Theodore Roosevelt
Great drive, energy and exciting personality
TR’s interests and early years
NYC police commissioner
Spanish-American War experience
-- “Rough Riders”
Political Rise from NY Governor to Vice-President

17. A. First Term as President (1901-1904)
McKinley’s assassination
Offered energetic national leadership
Cast every issue in moral and patriotic terms
--The “Bully Pulpit”
Master Politician
Modest goals for his “accidental” presidency

18. B. “Trust-Buster”? TR’s attitude toward Big Business
Wants to regulate in order to get businesses to act right
The “Square Deal” (1902)
Making an example of the Northern Securities Co.
The Elkins Act (1903) and the Bureau of Corporations

19. C. Second Term as President (1905-1909)
More vigorous progressivism
Hepburn Act (1906)
Federal Meat Inspection Act (1906)
Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)
Conservation Policy
--Preservation vs. Conservation

20. VI. “A Tough Act to Follow”: The Presidency of William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
The Election of 1908
Taft’s political experience
Taft’s weight
Not a dynamic politician
Never completely comfortable as President

21. VI. Presidency of Taft (cont.)
Controversy over the Tariff
More conservative than TR, but also more trust suits
The “Ballinger-Pinchot” Affair
Growing tension with Teddy Roosevelt

22. VII. The Election of 1912 Growing split within the Republican Party
Creation of the “Bull Moose” Party
Progressive Party Platform: “New Nationalism”
Democrats drafted Woodrow Wilson
Results of the Election

23. The Republican Party & President William H. Taft

24. Republican Party Platform
High import tariffs.
Put limitations on female and child labor.
Workman’s Compensation Laws.
Against initiative, referendum, and recall.
Against “bad” trusts.
Creation of a Federal Trade Commission.
Stay on the gold standard.
Conservation of natural resources because they are finite.

25. The Progressive Party & Former President Theodore Roosevelt
People should rise above their sectarian interests to promote the general good.

26. Theodore Roosevelt at Osawatomie, KS: New Nationalism
Big business requires big government.

27. Progressive Party Platform
Women’s suffrage.
Graduated income tax.
Inheritance tax for the rich.
Lower tariffs.
Limits on campaign spending.
Currency reform.
Minimum wage laws.
Social insurance.
Abolition of child labor.
Workmen’s compensation.
N e w N a t i o n a l i s m

28. The Socialist Party & Eugene V. Debs
The issue is Socialism versus Capitalism. I am for Socialism because I am for humanity.

29. Growth of the Socialist Vote
Year
Socialist Party
Socialist Labor Party
Total
1888
2,068
1890
13,704
1892
21,512
1894
30,020
1896
36,275
36,274
1898
82,204
1900
96,931
33,405
130,336
1902
223,494
53,763
277,257
1904
408,230
33,546
441,776
1906
331,043
20,265
351,308
1908
424,488
14,021
438,509
1910
607,674
34,115
641,789
1912
901,873

30. Socialist Party Platform
Government ownership of railroads and utilities.
Guaranteed income tax.
No tariffs.
8-hour work day.
Better housing.
Government inspection of factories.
Women’s suffrage.

31. The Democratic Party & Governor Woodrow Wilson (NJ)
Could he rescue the Democratic Party from “Bryanism”??

32. Democratic Party Platform
Government control of the monopolies  trusts in general were bad  eliminate them!!
Tariff reduction.
One-term President.
Direct election of Senators.
Create a Department of Labor.
Strengthen the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
Did NOT support women’s suffrage.
Opposed to a central bank.
Ne w F r e e d o m

33. VIII. Democratic Progressivism: The Presidency of Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
Wilson’s early life and political career
True progressive and dynamic speaker
Sympathetic to small businessmen
Could be a stubborn, moral crusader and ideologue

34. Background Idealistic, intelligents, righteous, inflexible
Believed the president should actively lead congress – Chief Executive should play a dynamic role
Excellent speaker – “born ½ way between bible and dictionary”
Virginia (Civil War era) – 2nd democrat in presidency since Cleveland
Professor (Princeton)
Governor of NJ - reformer

35. A. “New Freedom” Wilson’s brand of progressivism
Wants to recreate the “golden age” of small American businesses
Wilson wants to open channels for free and fair competition – revive competition through small business
Limit big business and gig government – reform to end corruption
CAN have big business – NO TRUSTs
Historic Jeffersonian approach to federal power

36. Wilson’s Assault on the Triple Wall of Privilege
TARIFF - Too high
TRUSTS – Trusts are artificially created- a deliberate practice by greedy individuals. Eliminate man made laws that allow trusts and replace with natural laws of fair competition
BANKS – Need a central agency to monitor distribution of funds
Wanted to bring stability and flexibility to the US financial system and elasticity of currency.

37. B. Key Wilsonian Legislation
Underwood Tariff Act (1913) – lowered 1st time in 50 years – 41%-29%
Federal Reserve Act (1913) – National bank with 12 district banks supervised by Fed. Res. Bd. Distribute currency – FLEXIBLE $ SUPPLY
Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) – Strengthened Sherman – Supported Labor by exempting Unions & Agriculture from prosecution as a ‘trust’. Legalizes strikes and peaceful picketing
Federal Trade Commission (1914) – regulatory commission to investigate unfair business practices in every industry except banking and transportation

38. C. Congressional Progressivism After 1914
Wilson was not a strong progressive when it came to social reform
Congress takes over the progressive agenda
Appointment of Brandeis to Supreme Court
Examples of congressional progressive legislation after 1914
--Federal Highways Act (1916)

39. Other Legislation
16th Amendment (1913) – Graduated income tax - $ (replaces lost revenue from lower tariff)
17th Amendment (1913) – Direct popular vote of senators
Federal Trade Commission (1914) – investigate unfair business practices – false advertising, mislabeling, bribe
Federal Farm Loan Act (1916) – credit at low interest rates
Child Labor Act (1916) – prohibited shipment of goods manufactured by children under 14 years
Warehouse Act (1916) – Authorized loans on security of staple crops
LaFollette Seaman’s Act (1915) – decent treatment and living wage for US Merchant marine
Workmen’s Compensation (1916) – Assistance to Fed. Civil Service employees during disability
Adamson Act (1916) – 8 hour workday for rail workers and overtime pay

40. IX. The Waning of the Progressive Movement
Progressive movement peaks by 1917
Success of the movement led to its decline
Advent of World War I also hurt progressive activism
Progressives themselves began to weary of their reform zeal—as did the nation as a whole
Ironically, voter participation has steadily declined since the election of 1912

41. Failure of Progressivism
Didn’t help blacks
(Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois)
Escalation of segregation and discrimination
Women’s Suffrage – not until 1920 with 19th amendment
Prohibition – 19th Amendment (1919)

42. The
Key
Issues

43. Up Against the Hurdles

44. As Big As a Balloon
Tariff Reform

45. Conservation Issue: The Ballinger- Pinchot Controversy

46. The Unanswerable Argument for Suffrage

47. Taft Abandons Support for Women’s Suffrage
Never Again!
Taft Abandons Support for Women’s Suffrage

48. TR & Women’s Suffrage:
The Militant Recruit

49. Woman Suffrage Before 1920

50. Songs of the Sunny South

51. Lynching & the Race Issue

52. Trying to Catch the Colored Vote

53. Mr. Lewis Gets His Share

54. The
Results

55. An Actual 1912 Ballot

56. Election Results
By 1912, 100,000 fewer people had voted for Wilson than had voted for Bryan in 1908.
The 1912 election marked the apogee of the Socialist movement in America.

57. Oh, That This Too, Too Solid South Would Melt!

58. GOP Divided by Bull Moose Equals Democratic Victory!

59. On Uncle Sam’s Farm
The Democratic party took control of the Senate for the first time in 20 years.

60. The GOP:
An Extinct Animal?