Progressivism

1. Progressivism The Progressive Reform Era (1890-1920)

2. Progressivism • During the Progressive Era, the period from about 1890-1920, reformers tried to alleviate the effects of industrialization, immigration and urbanization. • Their goals were to make government responsible to its citizens needs, curb the power of wealthy interests, expand the power of government, and make government more efficient and less corrupt. • Muckruckers often influenced public opinion because the y dug up “muck” about wrongdoing among businesses and politicians. • Upton Sinclair- exposed the filthy conditions in the meatpacking industry. • Ida Tarbell revealed the abuses of the Standard Oil Company. • Reform organizations included many socialists who favored public control of property and income. Socialists wanted to end the capitalistic system. • Unlike socialists, progressives only wanted to reform the capitalistic system. • Women’s groups played an active role in this movement. • Mary Harris “Mother” Jones fought for unions and child labor laws, campaigning nationwide for these things in the mining industry.

3. Progressivism • An instant best-seller, Sinclair's book reeked with the stink of the Chicago stockyards. He told how dead rats were shoveled into sausage-grinding machines; how bribed inspectors looked the other way when diseased cows were slaughtered for beef, and how filth and guts were swept off the floor and packaged as "potted ham."In short, "The Jungle" did as much as any animal-rights activist of today to turn Americans into vegetarians.But it did more than that. Within months, the aroused -- and gagging -- public demanded sweeping reforms in the meat industry.President Theodore Roosevelt was sickened after reading an advance copy. He called upon Congress to pass a law establishing the Food and Drug Administration and, for the first time, setting up federal inspection standards for meat.

4. Progressivism • Progressives sought an expanded role for government through social welfare programs. These programs included unemployment benefits, health benefits and social security. • Many of these reforms occurred at the municipal, or city level. The reformers were successful in getting many cities to take over utilities from monopolies and provide better and more affordable service. Many cities also began to provide welfare services. • On the state level, Progressives helped push through laws giving voters more power. • The direct primary, in which citizens rather than political leaders chose political candidates was the result of Progressive efforts. • Other progressive succesess at the state level included the initiative, referendum and the recall. • Initiative- allowed voters to put a law they wanted on the ballot by petition. • Referendum- citizens could approve or reject a state law • Recall- allowed the people to remove public officials from office before the end of their term in office.

5. Progressivism • On the federal level, President Roosevelt helped the workers by pushing for a “square deal” in a mine strike. • The Square Dealwas PresidentTheodore Roosevelt's domestic program formed upon three basic ideas: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection.[1] Thus, it aimed at helping middle class citizens and involved attacking the rule of wealthy citizens and bad trusts while at the same time protecting business from the extreme demands of organized labor. • In common law legal systems, a trust is a relationship whereby property is managed by one person, persons, or organizations for another’s benefit. • Sherman Antitrust Act- outlawed monopolies and unfair business practices. • United States Forest Service- Created to manage nation’s weather and timber resources • Meat Inspection Act of 1906- required federal inspection of meat processing to ensure clean working conditions. • Pure Food and Drug Act- outlawed dishonest labeling of food and drugs. • Department of Labor- Cabinet created to promote welfare of working people.

6. Progressivism • Progressive Reform Amendments- • 16th Amendment- Federal Income Tax • 17th Amendment-the direct election of senators • 18th Amendment- prohibition of alcohol, later repealed by the 21st amendment. • William Howard Taft was elected president in 1908, he promised to continue progressive policies, but he also sided with big business. • Taft favored lowering tariffs and angered conservationists, who worked to protect natural resources, by supporting business interests that wanted develop public lands. • Progressives in the Republican party rebelled against Taft, and former President Roosevelt turned against him calling for more reforms. • Roosevelt called his new program the New Nationalism. • Roosevelt’s New Nationalism called for more reforms in business regulation, welfare laws, workplace protection for women and children, and voting reforms. • Roosevelt and Progressives formed the Progressive party, nicknamed the Bull Moose Party. In 1912 Roosevelt ran for president, his candidacy split the Republican party vote and the election went to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Wilson supported many progressive reforms, tariffs were lowered. • Clayton Antitrust Act- strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act by stating that labor unions were not monopolies, therefore legalizing unions and preventing courts from holding further injunctions. • Wilson established the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to enforce regulation of businesses. • Wilson created the Federal Reserve System, a network of federal banks that hold money deposits from national banks and use the money to increase the credit supply when necessary. Reform was less of an interest as World War I approached and progressivism began to die out.

7. Progressivism • The first leaders of women’s suffrage were Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. • Stanton supported civil disobediance, the nonviolent refusal to obey a law to change it. • They also pressed for a constitutional amendment to give women the right to vote; they also pressured individual states to grant voting rights. • In 1890, Stanton and other leaders formed the National American Woman Suffrage Association(NAWSA). Women were gaining more rights, however, Stanton and Anthony died before their dream was realized. • A new generation of women’s suffragists under the leadership of Alice Paul, formed the Congressional Union (CU), which called for radical change and staged militant protests for a suffrage movement. • NAWSA continued its efforts by the leadership of Carrie Chapman Catt. • The CU split from NAWSA and staged a massive protest in front of the White House. They were all arrested and suffered terrible conditions in jail. • When the U.S. entered WWI in 1917, women committed themselves to the war effort, and arguments that women were not politically equal to men were forgotten. • In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified giving women the right to vote.