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Economic Issues & the Roots of Progressivism 1890-1920
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The Gilded Age Laissez-Faire capitalism “Robber Barons” Carnegie (Steel) Rockefeller (Oil) Morgan (Banking) Vanderbilt (Railroads) The haves and the have-nots
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Economic Ups & Downs Depression of 1893 High unemployment Panic of 1907 Bank failures; tight credit Scrip World War I Mobilization Demobilzation
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Labor Unrest Homestead Strike (1892) Carnegie Steel Coxey’s Army (1894) Unemployed march on Washington, D.C. Pullman Strike (1894) Railway cars; Eugene Debs Coal Strike (1902) Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”
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1905-present Socialist “The Wobblies” Industrial, as opposed to craft
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The Tariff Protectionism v. Free Trade McKinley Tariff Act (1890) Protectionist Contributed to Depression of 1893 Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act (1909) Showed difficulty in lowering tariffs; led to split among Republicans Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act (1913) Reduced tariff rates Wilson’s “New Freedom”
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Income Taxes Most of history, US government relies on tariff for income Made Constitutional by 16 th Amendment (1913) Progressive (graduated) tax First introduced in Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act 1% if over $4,000 7% if over $500,000
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The Federal Reserve System Banking sector in need of greater regulation Federal Reserve Act of 1913 12 Regions Owned by commercial banks through stock Discount rate/money supply
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The Emerging Middle Class Managerial class Between the haves and the have-nots Appalled at behavior of rich Frightened by behavior of poor Something needs to be done!
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What is Progressivism? Desire for change Reform is possible - Rejection of Social Darwinism (although still subject to similar biases) Government must intervene
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Roots of Progressivism Response to Industrialization Created some rich, but left many poor Child labor Women in workforce Fouling of environment Dangers of cities Plight of farmers
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Roots of Progressivism Populism Farmers Alliances Labor Unions William Jennings Bryan Moral call for fair treatment
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Roots of Progressivism Rise of Scientific Study Belief that social problems could be solved by applying scientific methods Need to collect data Experiments
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Roots of Progressivism Religious revivalism The “evils” of modern society Alcohol Gambling Sex Decline of family cohesion Political radicalism
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Who Were Progressives? Middle Class Northern Educated They knew better Solving problems for poor rather than with poor Influential
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Methods Scientific Study Exposé Muckraking Lectures Publishing Lobbying Elections
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Industry Antitrust Laws Minimum Wage Safety Work Week Women Child Labor Consumer Protection Photo by Lewis Hine
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Urban Life Poverty Public Health Immigration Education Building Codes Crime Corruption Photo by Jacob Riis
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Women’s Issues Suffrage The vote Morality Safety Birth Control Photo Library of Congress
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Conservation Pollution Fitness Outdoors Public Parks National Parks Photo Library of Congress
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Other Areas of Interest Sin Alcohol Prostitution Racial Issues Lynchings Taxation
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