1. Progressive Era 1890-1920

2. What are the verbs? We can no longer treat life as something that has trickled down to us. We have to deal with it deliberately, devise its social organization, alter its tools, formulate its method, educate and control it. - - Walter Lippman, 1914

3. Progressive historians Charles Beard – Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States Collect data Challenge tradition, authority

4. #1 -- Embrace Urbanization and Industrialization Capitalism good, excesses of capitalism bad Feared revolution – fix things before they get worse

5. #2 -- Faith in science and data Florence Kelley – research, research, research Louis Brandeis – win court cases by evidence Belief in efficiency, avoid waste

6. Why is it important to Americanize immigrants? “They came as strangers to a strange land. They could not speak nor understand our language. They were immediately at the mercy of the worst type of ward politician. They were confused — puzzled. Our way was not their way. Our customs not theirs. It is hard to realize now how little in 1907 the Italians understood the Americans — and how even less the Americans understood them.” —Helen Rochester Rogers, speaking at the 30th anniversary dinner of the Lewis Street Center in 1937. Clean up politics by educating foreigners Make them better people by teaching them our ways

7. #3 -- Necessity for moral improvement Temperance (again) Americanization, assimilation of foreigners Social Gospel (Not Social Darwinism, Not Gospel of Wealth – opposite of both) = applied Christianity

8. #4 -- Government responsibility for social welfare and fair play Regulate RRs, banking, trusts Help unions Manage and conserve environment Edward Bellamy – Looking Backward, novel about utopian gov’t monopoly on everything, no longer any harmful competition

9. Progressive amendments 16 – income tax 17 – direct election of senators 18 – prohibition 19 – women’s suffrage Why are they progressive? (don’t they sound Populist?)

10. Heroes and heroines Florence Kelley (child labor laws) Theodore Roosevelt (everything. seriously.) Gifford Pinchot (environment), John Muir Robert LaFollette (because I like saying “Fightin’ Bob”) Jane Addams (Hull House, Nobel Peace Prize 1931) Ida Tarbell (muckraker, history of Standard Oil) Upton Sinclair (The Jungle, meatpacking Chicago)