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Explore the 5 major reform periods in American society, economy, and government from 1900-1969. Discover the economic, political, and social reforms that shaped the early 20th century and influenced future progressivism.
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Historical Perspective: Liberalism in the 20th Century In the ongoing struggle to reform American society, the economy, and government there have been 5 major reform periods: 1900-1920: Progressive Era Roosevelt, Taft, & Wilson 1933-1945: New Deal Franklin D. Roosevelt 1945-1953: Fair Deal Harry S. Truman 1961-1963: New Frontier John F. Kennedy 1963-1969: Great Society Lyndon B. Johnson
Reforms • Economic • Political • Social
Economic Reforms • Reforms that seek to control corporate behavior and check the abuses practiced by large corporations.
Political Reforms Reforms that • Extend or protect the political rights of previously disenfranchised groups, • Are intended to make public officials more accountable to the public, • Attack corruption and abuses of power by political officials
Social Reforms • Reforms that seek to protect and promote the human and social rights of deprived groups in society
Early 20th Century Progressives • Viewed government as a potentially positive force for change and reform, used to combat monopolies and corruption in government. • Instill order and stability to the institutions and relations of American life.
Reform Examples • The Salvation Army is an excellent example of the social gospel movement at work. It provided material and spiritual assistance to the urban poor. • Muckrakers: investigative reporters and journalists who wrote about the abuses that were prevalent in American society.
The Jungle(reform examples continued) Upton Sinclair’s novel, The Jungle (1906), exposed gruesome working conditions and the tainted meat that emerged from Chicago’s meatpacking plants. Although it did not generate support for socialism, which was Sinclair’s intention, it did lead to legislation to correct the abuses: the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.
Triangle Shirtwaist Company Building codes and state inspections acts were passed. Designed to protect workers against hazardous working conditions, the catalyst for this reform was the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire in New York (1911), which killed almost 150 young women textile workers.
Reform under Theodore Roosevelt • Square Deal: Roosevelt’s program to provide a square deal for control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation of resources for the public at large. • The most important test of the square deal was his support of the United Mine Workers Union in a labor dispute with the mine owners.
(Roosevelt Reform continued) • In 1903 the Bureau of Corporations was created to investigate antitrust violations. • By this time, 1% of corporations produced nearly 40% of the nation’s manufactured goods. • A key example in example in attacking monopolies that were clearly in restraint of trade was the Northern Securities Company.
Northern Securities v. United States (1904) (Roosevelt Reform continued) • Antitrust suit brought on by Roosevelt against J.P. Morgan’s railroad holding company that controlled nearly all long-distance railroads west of Chicago. • Roosevelt (so the government) wins, Northern Securities is dissolved, and TR becomes the “trustbuster”.
Reform under Taft • Although Roosevelt was known as the “trustbuster”, his successor, William Howard Taft, dismantled more trust than TR.
Mann-Elkins Act (1910)(Reform under Taft Continued) • Passage of this act strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) by giving it the power to regulate the new communications industry: the telegraph and telephone (and pipelines)
Mann-Elkins Act (1910)(Reform under Taft Continued) • Also, the ICC was given the power to initiate railroad freight rates and regulate railroad companies short- and long-haul rates (Often railroads companies charged more for transportation of passengers and commodities between 2 points on a railway line than for a longer journey on the same line).
Republican Party Splits • As Roosevelt’s handpicked successor, Taft proved to be a disappointment, both to TR and to progressives in general. • During his presidency, Taft moved closer to the conservative wing of his party, alienating his political base in the process.
Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909)(Republican Party Splits…) • The Payne-Aldrich Tariff was a high protective tariff (up to 40% tax on imports) that was supported by conservatives but opposed by progressives. • Taft decided to support the conservative wing on this issue.
Pinchot-Ballinger Controversy(Republican Party Splits…) • This affair grew out of western opposition to conservation measures because they inhibited the development of the West. • Pinchot represented the progressive wing that favored conservation measures (good friend of Roosevelt’s) • Ballinger (secretary of interior) identified with conservatives who opposed conservation measures. • Taft sided with the conservatives and Ballinger, who proceeded to open over 1 million acres of land that Roosevelt reserved.
Election of 1912 • At the Republican party convention in 1912, the progressive wing, led by “Battling Bob” La Follette, attempted to replace Taft as the party’s candidate. • Roosevelt refused to support either Taft’s renomination or La Follette’s attempt to unseat Taft, and instead he chose to run on a 3rd party ticket, the Progressive Party (more commonly known as the “Bull Moose party”).
Election of 1912 • Republican: Taft • Socialist: Eugene Debs • Bull Moose: Roosevelt • Democrat: Woodrow Wilson
New Nationalism • Roosevelt’s 1912 presidential campaign platform. • “Big Government” approach to solving the country’s affairs. • Program advocated use of the federal government as a positive interventionist tool to advance democracy. • TR’s reforms called for strict regulation of corporations, minimum wage, workers’ compensation, and women’s suffrage.
New Freedom • Woodrow Wilson’s 1912 presidential campaign platform. • Wilson argued that government should only intervene when democracy was threatened by social, economic, and political privilege and unfair business practices. • Public distrust of federal power led to this small government approach to advance social justice and restore competition. • Favored breaking up large corporations; independence for Philippines; labor union exemption from anti trust laws; lower tariff, federal income tax; and direct election of Senators. • Referred to as “Progressivism with the breaks on.”
Election of 1912: Results • The Bull Moose party splits the Republican vote allowing Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency. • Wilson -Democrat: 82% of Electoral Vote (42% of Popular Vote) • TR - Progressive: 16.5% of Electoral Votes (29% of Popular Vote) • Taft - Republican: 1.5% of Electoral Vote (23% of Popular Vote) • Debs - Socialist: (6% of Popular Vote)
Underwood-Simmons Tariff (1913) • First significant reduction in the tariff in 50 years. • Additionally, it removed over 1000 items from the list of protected goods. • Wilson believed lowering tariffs, and so increasing foreign competition, would compel U.S. businesses to become more efficient, lower their prices, and make better products. • Also, implemented the graduated federal income tax permitted by the 16th Amendment.
Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) • The response by Congress to Wilson’s call for steps to taken to break up monopolies. • Strengthened regulations on monopolies by declaring illegal: • Price discriminations • Excessive ownership of railroad stock by one company • Interlocking directorates • Exempted labor unions from antitrust laws
Federal Reserve Act (1913) • Considered Wilson’s greatest domestic achievement by many. • Addressed currency problems: the inability of the federal government to regulate the amount of money in the economy and to regulate banking practices. • Established government agency, Federal Reserve Board, to regulate the supply of credit. Uses “monetary policy” to expand and contract the money supply. • All national banks were required to join the Federal Reserve System
Federal Reserve System • The nation was divided into 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks (a balanced out system to help alleviate a economic panic or crisis). • Federal Reserve System served banks, not private citizens. • The Federal Reserve regulated credit by either raising or lowering interest rates. • The district banks issued national currency (to banks) in the form of Federal Reserve notes. This currency could be expanded (more $ in the system) or contracted (less $ in the system) depending on the status of the economy
Booker T. Washington • Born a slave • Founded the Tuskegee Institute, a vocational school for blacks. • Atlanta Compromise: • Washington’s strategy for improving conditions of blacks in the South • Advised blacks to “put down your bucket where you are” and work for individual self-improvement (so make oneself economically valuable and social justice would follow) • For many white Americans, this advice was sound/accepted.
W.E.B. Du Bois • Argued against “accommodation” tactics of Booker T. Washington and urged ceaseless agitation for black rights. • Attended Harvard University • Believed talented blacks should go beyond developing a trade or skill and seek a university education. • Led the Niagara Movement, which worked towards ending every kind of segregation. This movement gained little support, but Du Bois went on to help found the NAACP.
NAACP • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People • Goal: The Attainment of equal rights for blacks through the use of law suits in federal courts. • Thurgood Marshall, who represented Linda Brown in Brown v. Board of Education, was a NAACP attorney.
Marcus Garvey • Believed blacks would never gain acceptance and equality in the U.S. • Started the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which had the goal of creating an independent nation in Africa • Thousands of blacks purchased stock in the Black Star Line, whose fleet was to transport blacks to Africa (the plan failed) • Ironically, Garvey’s desire for a segregated black nation was exactly what racists organizations like the KKK supported
The Sixteenth Amendment (1913) • The 16th Amendment provided for a federal income tax. Made graduated income tax constitutional. • Implemented by the Underwood-Simmons Tariff of 1913.
The Seventeenth Amendment (1913) • The 17th Amendment replaced the method of selecting U.S. Senators as prescribed in the Constitution (by state legislators) with direct election of Senators by popular vote.
18th Amendment (1919) The Prohibition Amendment • Prohibited the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors” within the United States. • Implemented by the Volstead Act • Some reformers blamed alcohol for many of society’s problems. • The United States became “dry” on Jan. 15, 1920
Nineteenth Amendment: Women’s Suffrage Amendment • The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. • First state to give women the right to vote was Wyoming in 1869, followed by Utah and Idaho.
