What was the Progressive Movement?

1. What was the Progressive Movement? WHEN? Time between 1890 / 1900 and 1920 WHAT? A grassroots movement for economic, political and social reform. Reformers worked at the local, state and national levels.

2. What was the Progressive Movement? WHY? Problems caused by rapid industrialization: *Monopolies *Government corruption *Wretched living and working conditions of poor and immigrants

3. What was the Progressive Movement? WHO? Diverse group of middle class, educated, urban professionals committed to social justice and driven by religious faith and/or moral outrage Famous: Jane Addams and Robert La Follette Muckrakers: journalists who exposed society’s ills: Sinclair, Riis, Steffens, Tarbell

4. What was the Progressive Movement? How? Change from within the system Highly optimistic activists going to work Belief... that local, state, and national government would help achieve their goals (2) in scientific management and government bureaucracy to solve problems

5. What was the Progressive Movement? How? They relied on government action to solve social problems. In this sense, they were “Pioneers of the Welfare State”

6. What was the Progressive Movement? How? The Welfare State A social system whereby the government assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens, in matters of health care, education, employment, and social security.

7. the Progressive Movement Three (related) Reform Movements 1890s: Populists—farmers demanding reform 1900-1920: Progressives— urbanites demanding reform 1930s: The New Deal—built on, extended reforms, creating the Welfare State

8. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Woman’s activism: Florence Kelley founded the Consumers League that boycotted products from companies with horrible working conditions—especially those who took advantage of children and immigrant women

9. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Woman’s activism: The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) Largest women’s organization in the nation Led by Frances Willard Goal: Prohibition—ban sale of liquor Believed alcoholism to be leading cause of suffering and poverty among women and children.

10. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Woman’s activism: Muckraker Ida B. Wells investigated lynchings of Negroes in the South Worked for women’s suffrage Founding member of the NAACP

11. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Woman’s activism: The Cult of Domesticity was being stretched to the breaking point Women would no longer be “only a bird in a gilded cage”

12. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Living conditions: Muckraker Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives Progressive Victories: Settlement houses like Hull House City housing regulations with laws to clean up the slum/absentee landlords

13. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Working conditions: Muckraker Lewis Hine’s photographic documentary aimed at child labor Progressive Victories: State level: legislation protecting children vs. labor Federal level: Children’s Bureau Short-lived Keating-Owen Act

14. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Working conditions: Muckraker Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle: horrific conditions in the meat-packing industry Aimed at America’s heart but hit its stomach Progressive Victories: Meat Inspection Act Pure Food and Drug Act

15. Social Reform of the Progressive Movement Still no Social Safety Net: No minimum wage No mandated 8-hour day No Workman’s Compensation for injuries No unemployment insurance No Social Security for old age

16. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Muckraker Lincoln Steffens The Shame of the Cities: corrupt government Progressive Victories—city level: (Expert) City manager directing departments City commission as in rebuilt Galveston, TX Secret ballot so bosses couldn’t control votes

17. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories—city level: Remembering his working days before becoming a millionaire, Republican Mayor Samuel “Golden Rule” Jones of Toledo, OH initiated... Free kindergartens, night schools, public playgrounds

18. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories—city level: Mayor Tom L. Johnson of Cleveland, OH devoted himself to tax reform and $.03 trolley fares for the working people; fought—but failed—to win public ownership of city public utilities from corrupt local businesses

19. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories—city level: By 1915, 67% of all cities owned their city/town water systems and many also came to own their gas lines, electric power plants, and urban transportation systems to wrest control from political bosses and monopolies

20. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories—state level: NY’s Charles Evans Hughes battled fraudulent insurance companies CA’s Hiram Johnson successfully fought against the stranglehold of the railroads Robert LaFollette: the Wisconsin Idea—direct primary, tax reform, control of RR rates

21. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories—FEDERAL level: Reformer President, Theodore Roosevelt Implemented his Square Deal for Labor and put it to use in the Coal Strike of 1902. Respect and a “fair shake”—10% raise + 9H days—were given to coal miners and union leaders

22. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories: Less power to state legislatures controlled by party bosses and business monopolies More power to the voters— more DIRECT democracy THUS...

23. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories: THUS... Direct election of U.S. Senators: Amendment 17 The Direct Primary: voters nominate candidates Initiative: voters could pass state laws Referendum: voters could overrule legislature Recall: voters could remove elected official

24. Political Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories—FEDERAL level: Constitutional Amendments 16th The income tax—also, tariff reform (1913) 17th Direct election of senators (1913) 18th Prohibition (1919, after WWI) 19th Women’s Suffrage (1920, after WWI)

25. Economic Reform of the Progressive Movement Death of laissez-faire capitalism Birth of government regulation of big business Muckraker Ida Tarbell’s The History of Standard Oil helped the case against this monopoly

26. Economic Reform of the Progressive Movement Theodore Roosevelt dusted off the Sherman Anti-trust Act of 1890 to prosecute J. P. Morgan’s RR trust Supreme Court decision Northern Securities Company v United States ruled that trusts were unconstitutional.

27. Economic Reform of the Progressive Movement TR continued to prosecute “bad” trusts, 45 altogether. Wm H. Taft doubled that number. Wilson continued the established policy.

28. Economic Reform of the Progressive Movement Conservation of natural resources Gifford Pinchot: Appointed Chief Forester John Muir: Camped out West—millions of acres set aside as federal reserve; establishment of national parks for enjoyment of all Americans Newlands Act for irrigating the West

29. Economic Reform of the Progressive Movement Progressive Victories—Federal laws: Railroads: Elkins and Hepburn Tariff: Underwood-Simmons Bill/16th Amendment Banking: Federal Reserve Trusts: Federal Trade Commission Business regulation and Labor’s “Magna Carta”: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

30. QUIZ • What were TR’s “3 C’s”? • Name the elements of Wilson’s “Triple Wall of Privilege” in his New Freedom proposal • Extra Credit: Name a law for each of Wilson’s Triple Wall of Privilege

31. What were TR’s “3 C’s”? Control of corporations; Conservation of natural resources; Consumer protection • Name the elements of Wilson’s “Triple Wall of Privilege” in his New Freedom proposal Tariff; Banking; Trusts • Extra Credit: Name a law for each of Wilson’s Triple Wall of Privilege Tariff: Underwood Tariff lowered it to 10% Banking: Federal Reserve Act Trusts: Federal Trade Commission; Clayton Act

32. FRQs 1. How successful were progressive reforms during the period 1890 to 1915 with respect to TWO of the following? Industrial conditions Urban life Politics 2. Compare the work of the Progressives at the local and state levels.

33. 1. How successful were progressive (any TWO) ...? Industrial conditions Urban life Politics 2. Compare work of the Progressives at... Local level State level

34. QUIZ