The Progressives

1. The Progressives

2. Definition of Liberalism: • Government should be more active • Social problems are susceptible to government legislation and action • Throw money at the problem

3. What is Progressivism • Belief that if society (economics, democracy, community, and family) is left to its own devices without government interference society would destroy itself

4. The Dawn of Liberalism: Progressivism • Historians often describe the Progressive movement as the urban counterpart to Populism • Important Differences : • support among small businessmen • professionals • middle-class urban reformers

5. Populist Ideas that become Progressive • Primary system • A secret ballot, • A graduated income tax, • The direct election of Senators

6. The Progressives Progressive Era 1890 – 1920 Progressives – a loose knit group of reformers who believed that the government needed to take a more active role in solving societies problems Muckrakers – crusading journalist who investigated social conditions and political corruption Commission Plan- a plan in which a city’s government is divided into different departments with different functions, each placed over the control of a commissioner

7. The Progressives Direct primary – all party members vote for a candidate to run in the general election Initiative – citizens can introduce legislation and ask for the legislature to vote on it Referendum – allows proposed legislation to be presented to the public for approval Recall – allows voters to demand a special election to remove an elected official before their term had expired

8. The Progressives Suffrage - the right to vote Compulsory education – requirement that young children be in school instead of work Temperance – the moderate use or elimination of alcohol Socialism – the belief that the government should own or operate industry for the community

9. The People Ida Tarbell –The History of Standard Oil, the story of unfair business practices of Standard Oil Jacob Riis – How the Other Half Lives, about poverty, disease, and crime in the tenements Frederick Taylor – The Principles of Scientific Management, led to the principle of efficient government. Have professionals run cities and the departments

10. People Robert La Follette led the Progressive wing of the Republican Party “knowledge is power” Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott –organized the first women’s rights convention – Seneca Falls Susan B. Anthony – a leading suffragette died before women got the right to vote

11. People Alice Paul led NAWSA organized a march on Washington for Women’s Rights for Wilson’s inauguration. Carrie Chapman Catt – led the final charge that led to the 19th amendment John Spargo – The Bitter Cry of the Children about child labor Eugene Debs – led Socialist Party received a million votes in 1912 election Upton Sinclair – The Jungle the story of the meat packing industry

12. Issues Good Government – Controlling business bad practices, making government professional, and more democracy Direct primaries Initiative , recall, and referendum Direct election of Senators

13. Issues Women's’ Rights Suffrage Tried to use the 15th amendment Women in western states had vote in 1900 Alice Paul

14. Issues Labor Child Labor 1.7 million children under 16 worked outside the home. Child Labor Committee formed in 1904 Health and safety codes Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Safety codes, insurance for injuries on the job, health codes for food in restaurants

15. Temperance Movement Prohibition of Alcohol The effect of drinking on families Women’s Christian Temperance Union 1874

16. Foes of Democracy - Examples • Boss Tweed – destroy democracy through political machines • John D. Rockefeller - destroy capitalism through monopolistic practices • Immigrants - destroy community through ending “American” work ethic and anarchism • Working mothers – destroy the family culture

17. “Raging Moderates” • Government needed to be run by virtuous, well educated activist looking out for the good of society • They like capitalism because their middle class background arose from jobs created by industry • Democracy should be an activity; especially whites

18. Objectives • End to "white slavery" (prostitution and the sweat shops) • Prohibition • "Americanization" of immigrants • Immigration restriction legislation • Anti-trust legislation • Rate regulation of private utilities

19. Objectives • Full government ownership of private utilities • Women's suffrage • End to child labor • Destruction of urban political machines • Taylorism – scientific management • Political reform

20. Types of Progressive Reform • Economic--"Monopoly" • Structural and Political--"Efficiency" • Social--"Democracy" • Moral--"Purity"

21. Who and what Progressives liked • Professional Associations and Certification Boards • Science- History moves forward and gets better • Harmonizing – No class conflict • Non partisan in politics, voted for the more progressive candidate

22. Who and what Progressives liked • Huge moralist – saw issues through public morality. (CPS, Anti child labor) • Education the great leveler. ( Don’t redistribute wealth, tax the public to educate everyone)

23. What they didn’t Like • Immigrants – not properly American – didn’t vote right (control by machine) wrong religion • African Americans – no real interest in changing Jim Crow laws • Radicals – don’t challenge capitalism, government shouldn’t own industry. Don’t be a socialist or communist

24. What they didn’t Like • Populist – poor farmers who wanted the government to set prices • Feminist – give the vote, however follow the Victorian model of family. Stay at home even if educated.

25. Religion • Believed good works were more important than faith • Hull House -settled in working-class neighborhoods to try and help the poor and learn about the real world- tried to instill middle-class values and often had a paternalistic attitude toward the poor. • Social Gospel - make Christian churches more responsive to social problems like poverty and prostitution • YMCA

27. The Jungle Reading • 'The meat will be shoveled into carts [for processing] and the man who did the shoveling will not trouble to lift out a rat even when he saw one.'--The Jungle Mister Dooley says • " Well, sir, it put th' Prisidint in a tur-rble stew. Oh, Lawd, why did I say that? Think iv — but I mustn't go on. Annyhow, Tiddy was toying with a light breakfast an' idly turnin' over th' pages iv th' new book with both hands. Suddenly he rose fr'm th' table, an' cryin': 'Fm pizened,' begun throwin' sausages out iv th' window. Th' ninth wan sthruck Sinitor Biv'ridge on th' head an' made him a blond. It bounced off, exploded, an' blew a leg off a secret-service agent, an' th' scatthred fragmints desthroyed a handsome row iv ol' oak-trees. Sinitor Biv'ridge rushed in, thinkin' that th' Prisidint was bein' assassynated be his devoted followers in th' Sinit, an' discovered Tiddy engaged in a hand-tohand conflict with a potted ham.

29. Roosevelt Extras • Conservation • Gifford Pinchot • Newlands Reclamation Act

30. Taft Extras • Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy • Gifford Pinchot-head of forestry division • Fired by Taft for insubordination • Exposed to public Sec. of Interior Ballinger’s plan to sell public Alaskan land to private interests

31. Wilson Extras • Federal Reserve Act • Required banks to keep portion of deposits in regional reserve banks • Board of Governors (appt. by Pres) • Set interest rates the reserve banks could charge other banks • Helps regulate economy through money circulation