2 Promoting Moral Improvement

2. TheProgressive Era aimed to restore economic opportunities and correct injustices in American life. • The 4 goals of the Progressive Era were • 1. Protecting Social Welfare • Many social reformers sought toSOFTEN some of the harsh conditions of industrialization. • During this time we see the emergence of theYMCA, the Salvation Army, and Settlement houses a community center providing assistance to residents-particularly immigrants-in slum neighborhoods • Labor laws, particularly Child labor laws were a priority of the Progressive Era and reforms successfully passed the: • Keating Owen Act 1916 • Muller v. Oregon limited women’s work hours to 10 hours a day.

3. Furman Owens, 12 years old. Can't read. Doesn't know his A,B,C's. Said, "Yes I want to learn but can't when I work all the time." Been in the mills 4 years, 3 years in the Olympia Mill. Columbia, South Carolina

4. 2 Promoting Moral Improvement • Reformers wanted immigrants and poor city dwellers to help themselves by improving theirPersonal Behavior • Many believed in prohibition which isbanning of alcoholic beverage • The Women’s Christian’s Temperance Union (WCTU)ledthe campaign for prohibition. • Tensions grew between the emerging Anti-Saloon leagueand immigrant groups becauseSaloons were a place for immigrants to gather • The 18th Amendment established prohibition

5. Reformers question to the uneven balance betweenbig business, government, and the people • The big problem was thatbig business is favored bythe governmentallowing them touse its economic power to limit competition.

6. Competition was natural enough at one time, but do you think you are competing today? Many of you think you are competing. Against whom? Against Rockefeller? About as I would if I had a wheelbarrow and competed with the Santa Fe railroad from here to Kansas City.(Eugene Debs)

7. 4. Fostering Efficiency • How to make the workplace run better (faster and more $) • Winslow Taylor believed in breaking manufacturing tasks into simpler parts. • He called it“Taylorism”today we call itScientific management • Henry Ford made the assembly line popular

8. Cleaning Up Politics • Local reforms coincided with progressive efforts thanks to progressive governors. One of the most famous Progressive governors was Robert La Follette

9. . . . So multifarious have become corporate affairs, so many concessions and privileges have been accorded them by legislation, -- so many more are sought by further legislation, -- that their specially retained representatives are either elected to office, directly in their interests, or maintained in a perpetual lobby to serve them. Hence it is that the corporation does not limit its operations to the legitimate conduct of its business. Human nature everywhere is selfish, and with the vast power which consolidated capital can wield, with the impossibility of fixing any personal or moral responsibility for corporate acts, its commands are heard and obeyed in the capitals of the state and nation. But in a government where the people are sovereign why are these things tolerated? Why are there no remedies promptly applied and the evils eradicated?

10. During this time period of reforming politics the 17th amendment was passed which means that direct election of senators. • Before senators were selected by each state’s legislature giving more power to party bosses/corporations • Government reform renewed attention onto women’s suffrage

11. During the Progressive Era women (both working class and upper middle class) helped lead reform movements. • In addition to“social housekeeping”reforms (educational improvement, workplace reforms, housing reforms) the fight for women’s suffrage also became a priority of the Progressive Era.

12. Read the Documents and Complete this Chart

13. Women’s suffrage was finally achieved in 1919 with the passing of the19th amendment.

14. If we were to have a progressive movement today… • What topic would people aim to reform? • What techniques would people use to bring about change?