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THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA. Progressive Roots. Sources of Strength: 1. Farmers – As Populism lost steam, famers held onto the desire for change. 2. Urban Middle Class/Social reformers- Alarmed by the power of corporations and political machines. Troubled by urban decay.

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THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

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  1. THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

  2. Progressive Roots • Sources of Strength: • 1. Farmers – As Populism lost steam, famers held onto the desire for change. • 2. Urban Middle Class/Social reformers- Alarmed by the power of corporations and political machines. Troubled by urban decay. • 3. Workers – Sought reform to protect workers from corporate excess, poverty, and work place dangers, • 4. Writers – Journalists that analyzed social ills. Muckrakers

  3. Muckrakers & Reformers • Muckrakers – Name given by T.R. to journalists that sought social reform by exposing the ills of the day. • McClure’s Magazine was the home of many of these articles. • Held the idea that the cure for the ills of democracy was an informed and active citizenry.

  4. Reform • Social Gospel: Protestant intellectual movement. Applied Christian ethics to social problems. • Settlement movement: goal to deal with the vast gap in wealth. • Object was to establish ‘settlement houses’ in poor urban areas • Provided educational, recreational, and social services to the community. • Jane Addams - Settlement House: Hull House in Chicago. • Jacob Riis – “How the Other Half Lives” -.

  5. State Reforms • Reforms in the workplace • Safety • Labor departments (provide info & dispute resolution services) • Workers’ accident insurance & compensation • Banned child labor (under age 14) • Set minimum wage laws

  6. Political Reform • State reforms focused on giving more power to voters • Direct primary (citizens vote to select nominees for upcoming elections) • Initiative (citizens can put a proposed new law directly on the ballot in the next election by collecting voters’ signatures on a petition) • Referendum (citizens can approve or reject a law passed by a legislature) • Recall (allows voters to remove public officials from office before next election)

  7. National Reforms • 16th Amendment : Clarification of the income tax • 17th Amendment : Direct election of Senators • 18th Amendment : National prohibition of alcohol • 19th Amendment : Universal Suffrage The Progressive Era had four constitutional amendments within 7 years. There were 43 years between the passage of the 15th and 16th Amendments, and another 12 between the 19th and 20th Amendments.

  8. IV. Social Ills & Solutions • The emergence of modern America brought social issues into sharp view • The economy had modernized, but many parts of society and the culture lagged behind. • Progressives sought the modernization of systems to deal with the pressing social ills

  9. Moral Reform: Temperance • Reformers viewed alcohol as cause for social ills • crime, unemployment, prostitution, wasting of wages, hurts family • Carrie Nation: • radical temperance reformer. • Noteworthy for vandalism, frequently attacking taverns with a hatchet • Anti-Saloon League & Women’s Christian Temperance Union • Connect alcoholism and the modern economy

  10. Women and Reform • Women were often at the fore of reform efforts • Child labor and temperance • Increased access to education • Visible in public life and social reform • Reform accomplishments: prohibition, federal Children’s Bureau, etc.

  11. Child Labor • In 1900 about 1 in every 6 children between the ages of five and ten were engaged in "gainful occupations • Fifty percent increase from 1880. • National Child Labor Committee campaigned against child labor • Sociologist Lewis Hine used photography to stimulate reform. • Successful on state level to ensure minimum age laws.

  12. Women’s Rights • The modern economy created a larger middle class, and thus a larger bloc of educated women • Women had pushed for many of the Progressive reforms, but lacking the right to vote, focused women’s concern for suffrage

  13. National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) formed in 1890 • United National Woman Suffrage Association & American Woman Suffrage Association. • Change of strategy: sought federal constitutional amendment • WWI: women able to “prove themselves” • 19th Amendment ratified (1920)

  14. Women’s Suffrage • New generation of suffragettes • Carrie Chapman Catt – pres. of NAWSA • Argue vote broadens democratic role of women in caring for families • Alice Paul • militant of taking it to the streets; hunger strikes; focus on amendment • 19th Amendment (1920) passed to reward women for role in WWI

  15. Carrie Chapman Catt: 1859-1947 Lucy Burns 1879-1966 Maud Wood Park: 1871-1955 Alice Paul:1886-1977

  16. THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE

  17. VI. National Politics

  18. National Politics • Election of 1900 • William McKinley (R) vs. William Jennings Bryan (D) • Campaign on domestic issues: currency, tariff • McKinley wins • Assassinated in 1901 • VP Teddy Roosevelt takes over

  19. The Roosevelt Era • Activist conservative, moralist, internationalist • Antitrust prosecution of the Northern Securities Company • Environmental conservation: Gifford Pinchot, U.S. Forest Service • Election of 1904 • Landslide victory • Square Deal – domestic program formed upon three basic ideas: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection • Policy debates over monopoly, various strategies for regulation • Pure Food and Drug Act, Meat Inspection Act resulting from Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

  20. Trustbusting • In 1902, Roosevelt instituted an antitrust suit against ta railroad holding company – Northern Securities Company. • First president to push enforcement of Sherman Antitrust Act • 1904 – Northern Securities Co. v. United States • 5-4 decision by court against the trust. • Northern Securities had to disband, and each RR had to be run independently. • Opens door for further anti-trust cases. • TR & Atty. Gen. took on about 40 trusts • Stated that bad trusts harmed public & stifled competition, while regulated good trusts

  21. Consumer Protection • Influenced by The Jungle (1906) • Pure Food and Drug Act forbade the manufacture, sale, & transportation of adulterated or mislabled food and drugs • Meat Inspection Act provided that federal inspectors visit meatpacking plants to ensure they met minimum standards of sanitation

  22. Conservation vs. Preservation • TR’s most original & lasting contribution • Repeated use of the Forest Reserve Act 1891 – set aside 150 mil acres of federal land as a national reserve • White House conference on conservation – est. National Conservation Commission

  23. OTHER TR CONSERVATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS • 150 National Forests • 51 Federal Bird Reservations • 4 National Game Preserves • 5 National Parks • 18 National Monuments • 24 Reclamation Projects

  24. Through Roosevelt’s Eyes: Taft’s Presidency Pro Con Taft aligns himself with the Old Guard, gutting many of Roosevelt’s Square Deal policies. Fired Forestry Director Pinchot and weakened National Forest Service • Trust-busting– twice as many • Conservation – Bureau of Mines; added large tracts in Appalachia to reserve; 1st pres. to set aside oil reserve • 16thAmendment – Progressive income tax (originally applied to very wealthy

  25. Election of 1912 • Reps nominate Taft • TR splits & forms Progressive Party (Bull Moose party) • Dems nominate Woodrow Wilson • Taft represents the Old Guard, pro-business Republicans, Roosevelt Progressive Republicans, and Wilson Progressive Democrats. • SPLIT VOTE!

  26. TR vs. Wilson New Nationalism New Freedom Favored small enterprise, entrepreneurship, & free functioning of unregulated & unmonopolized markets Banking reform Tariff reductions Shunned social programs • Continue with powerful regulatory agencies • Woman suffrage • Broad program of social welfare • Minimum wage • Social insurance

  27. Wilson’s Presidency • Attacks the “triple wall of privilege” • Tariffs • Banking • Trusts • Seeks to restore competition • Favors rights of unions and working man

  28. New Freedom • Wilson introduces the New Freedom: • New Freedom was Wilson’s social program for the US • Federal Reserve Act 1914 (National Bank is back) • National banking system of 12 district banks • Supervised by Federal Reserve Board • Oversees currency • Federal Trade Commission 1914 – Consumer protection. The FTC oversees business practices in US. Responsible for eliminating monopolies. • Federal Trade Commission 1914 – investigate & take action against “unfair trade practice”

  29. Effects of the Progressive Movement

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