U. S. History – Chapter 6

1. THE PROGRESSIVES 1898-1920 U. S. History – Chapter 6

2. PROGRESSIVISM Definition: Activists who fought to make America’s economic and political systems fairer. Sought reform in Women’s suffrage (voting) Urban poor (housing, poverty) Unchecked power of big business

4. “Muckrakers” They “raked up mud” (the filth of society) Jacob Riis (photographed desperate urban living conditions) Ida Tarbell (condemned business practices of Standard Oil Company) Lincoln Steffens (exposed corruption in city governments)

6. Reforming Society By the 1920’s more than half of all Americans lived in cities – as cities grew they were unable to provide services people needed (garbage collection, safe housing, police and fire protection) IDA TARBELL PRIMARY SOURCE (p. 171)

7. Jacob Riis, “HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES” (1889, SCRIBNER’S MAGAZINE) “Someone had to tell the facts; that is one reason I became a reporter.” He described a room where six adults and five children lived: “One, two, three beds are there, if the old boxes and heaps of foul straw can be called by that name; a broken stove with crazy pipe from which the smoke leaks at every join…piles of rubbish in the corner. The closeness and small are appalling.”

8. Housing Reform New York City: TENEMENT ACT OF 1901 forced landlords to install lighting in public hallways and provide at least one toilet for every two families Within 15 years – death rate dropped dramatically

9. Fighting for Civil Rights Some progressives fought prejudice in society 1909: NAACP 1913: ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE (Jewish)

10. Fighting Prejudice…

11. REFORMING THE WORKPLACE By end 1800’s LABOR UNIONS working on behalf of workers’ rights Progressives also began to seek legal limits on CHILD LABOR Courts began to limit the length of the working day

12. Triangle Shirtwaist Company FIRE (Textbook, page 172 – picture p. 173) Fire erupted – more than 140 men and women died Turning point for reform: SAFETY in the workplace

13. The Fire

14. REFORMING GOVERNMENT City Government reforms: progressives sought to win political office to make needed changes State government reforms: elections, regulatory commissions, worker safety laws Election reform: 17th Amendment (1913) – allowed voters to directly elect U.S. Senators

15. IDENTIFYING CAUSE & EFFECT Critical thinking… PROGRESSIVES Society Government Workplace