Progressives

1. Progressives 1890-1920 To improve society through reform Roots in the Greenback Labor Party (1870) & the Populist Party (1890)

2. Progressivism • Progressivism was a collection of different ideas and activities about how to fix the problems within American society. • Progressives disagreed among themselves on the solutions, but agreed that the government should take a more active role in solving society’s problems caused by urbanization and industrialization

3. Muckrakers • Reporters who revealed the injustices to the public (used newspapers, books and 10 cent magazines) • Ida Tar bell – Standard Oil • Upton Sinclair – The Jungle • John Spargo – Bitter Cry of the Children • Lincoln Steffens – The Shame of the Cities • Jacob Riis - photographer

4. Let Government Fix It! • Progressives believed that first the government needed to be fixed and made more responsive to people before other problems could be addressed. • Progressives also believed that they could fix society’s problems by applying scientific principles to society.

5. One Group thought that managing a city required experts, not elected politicians. They wanted to replace the existing system with a commission plan where a board of commissioners or a city manager with expertise in city services would select and hire specialists to run city departments. Many progressives wanted more democracy in society. Three new reforms were introduced by progressives to force state legislators to respond to voter’s concerns. The initiative allowed a group of citizens to introduce legislation and required the legislature to vote on it. The referendum allowed proposed legislation to be submitted to the voters for approval. The recall allowed voters to demand a special election to remove an elected official from office. To stop Senate corruption, progressives wanted the direct election of senators by all state voters. In 1912 Congress passed the direct-election amendment. In 1913 it was ratified, becoming the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution. 2 Types of Progressives

6. A group of progressives focused on regulating big business, but they disagreed on the solutions. One side believed government should break up big companies to restore competition. The other group wanted the creation of government agencies to regulate big companies and prevent them from abusing their power. Progressives vs. Business Socialism, the idea that the government should own and operate industry for the community as a whole, was an idea shared by a small minority of progressives. Most progressives and most Americans believed in the American system of free enterprise.

7. Government Involvement • Why? • Abuse of power • Corruption • Protect consumer • Prevent monopolies

8. Women’s Suffrage • Continued struggle - 1870 • Susan B. Anthony – (NWSA) • Eventually got the vote in 1920- • 19th Amendment

9. Suffrage Radical suffragists – Alice Paul 1917 – pickett’s that led to arrests & force feeding during hunger strikes/ Vote came in 1920

10. Federal changes • 16th Amendment – Income Tax • 17th Amendment – Direct Election of Senators • 18th Amendment- Prohibition (1919) • 19th Amendment – Women Suffrage (1920)

11. Teddy Roosevelt • Square Deal • ***The 3 C’s – what to attack? • Considered the “trust buster” – cracked down on 40 trusts

12. 3 C’s • 1. Corporations • 2. Consumer protection • 3. Conservation

13. Regulations • Pure Food & Drug Act • Meat Inspection Act • Dept. of Commerce & Labor • Interstate Commerce Commission • Regulate trade (trust busting) • Elkins Act – fined RR • Hepburn Act – restricted RR

14. Taft • Taft was picked by Teddy R. - but had a slow approach to problem solving that led to conflicts with the progressives. Taft, like many progressives, felt high tariffs limited competition, hurt consumers and protected trusts. • T. R didn’t run (1908) • Taft- made better judge than Pres. • Foreign policy – Dollar Diplomacy Investments/Loans in Far East- Asia / Japan Manchuria (China) \Central, South America. Policy was controversial.

15. Taft • Trust buster – dissolved 90 trusts • Opened national parks for use • Passed high tariff bill • TR came back to run against him in 1912 • Bull Moose Party – Progressive Party - Votes were split between Roosevelt and Taft, resulting in….

16. Woodrow Wilson wins • Democrat – minority Pres. • Idealism -philosophical theory that maintains that the ultimate nature of reality is based on mind or ideas • Moral diplomacy- duty to help 3rd world countries

17. Wilson’s Problems with Mexico • Wilson refused to recognize the new Mexican government led by General Victoriano Huerta, who had seized power in Mexico. • Wilson sent U.S. marines to Mexico to overthrow Huerta. When anti-American riots broke out in Mexico, Wilson was forced to accept international mediation over the dispute. • Venustiano Carranza was made Mexico’s president. Mexican forces, led by Pancho Villa, were opposed to Carranza and conducted raids into the U.S. • Wilson sent general John J. Pershing into Mexico to capture Villa. • Pershing was unsuccessful. Wilson’s Mexican policy damaged U.S. foreign relations.

18. New Freedom - domestic • ‘Triple wall of privilege” • Attacks: Tariff, trusts, banks • Federal Reserve System • **Clayton Anti Trust Act- Magna Carta of Labor (gave legal rights to labor via anti – trust acts) • President During WWI