Progressive Era, 1901-1918

1. HIST 202 – U.S. HISTORY Progressive Era, 1901-1918

2. Woodrow Wilson, 1912 “I am, therefore, forced to be a progressive, if for no other reason, because we have not kept up with our changes of conditions, either in the economic field or in the political field. We have not kept up as well as other nations have. We have not kept our practices adjusted to the facts of the case, and until we do, and unless we do, the facts of the case will always have the better of the argument; because if you do not adjust your laws to the facts, so much the worse for the laws, not for the facts, because law trails along after the facts. Only that law is unsafe which runs ahead of the facts and beckons to it and makes it follow the will-o’-the-wisps of imaginative projects.”

3. Case Study - Progressivism • Gather the following information from sources: • Interpretation of the documents • Evidence of progression or regression • Evaluation of progressivism • ***These documents/events are fair game for Exam #2 - HINT

4. Origins of Progressivism • Grew out of: • Industrialization • Immigration • Urban Expansion • Progressivism is PROGRESS!!

5. Origins of Progressivism • National movement born out of state reforms • Progressive presidents: • Theodore Roosevelt • William Howard Taft • Woodrow Wilson

6. Attitudes and Motives • Country was changing RAPIDLY! • Industrialized • Non-agrarian • Melting pot of immigrants • Innocence was lost

7. Attitudes and Motives • Participants were extremely diverse: • Women • Liberal educators • Early civil rights crusaders • Middle-class reformers

8. Who were Progressives? • Middle-class • Shop owners • Lawyers • Doctors • Ministers • Religious • Social Gospel • Liberals

9. Scientific Management • Frederick W. Taylor • Conducted research in factories • Timed output cycles • Discovered ways to organize people in efficient manner • Progressives…govt. can be more efficient

10. The Muckrakers • Made Americans wake up!! • Origins • Henry Demarest Lloyd • Wealth Against Commonwealth (1894)

11. Popular Literature • Magazines • McClure’s • Collier’s • Cosmopolitan • Authors contributed stories • Books • Lincoln Steffans – The Shame of the Cities • Jacob Riis – How the Other Half Lives

12. Decline of Muckraking • Reasons: • Some stories were hard to beat • Magazines were asked to tone down the stories • Corporations had public relation departments • Legal problems

13. Political Reform in Cities and States • Secret ballots (“Australian Ballot”) • Direct election of Senators – 17th Amendment (1913) • Direct primaries • Robert LaFollette (Wis.) • Let the people decide

14. Political Reforms • Initiative • Method that voters could compel legislators to consider a bill • Referendum • Allowed voters to vote on the issue • Recall • Allowed voters to get rid of corrupt officials

15. Social Welfare • Settlement house reformers • Jane Addams • Believed in social justice • Better schools • Better courts • Divorce laws • Criminal reform

16. Municipal Reform • Get rid of political machines and bosses • Get control of public utilities • Voters elect city managers and commissioners

17. State Reform • Governors • Battled with corporate interests • Fraudulent companies • Corrupt railroads • Tax reform • Robert LaFollette

18. Occupational Reform • Triangle Shirtwaist Fire • March 25th 1911 • 146 women perished in flames • 71 injured • Blamed poor working conditions • No fire plans • Fire escapes were damaged or locked!!!

19. Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal • Progressivism shot into gear under Teddy • 1902 Coal Strike • Expanded T.R.’s power as president • Standard Oil trust • “Bad trusts” • “Good trusts”

20. T.R.’s Square Deal • Consumer protection • Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) • Meat Inspection Act (1906) • Environmental protection • Newlands Reclamation Act (1902) • U.S. Forest Service (1908) • 150 million acres of land for parks

21. Taft’s Presidency • Won election of 1908 • Defeated William Jennings Bryan • Busted the most trusts in history • U.S. Steel • Angered Teddy • Split Republican party • Progressives • Republicans

22. Election of 1912

23. Election of 1912 • Woodrow Wilson – D • William Howard Taft – R • Theodore Roosevelt – P/BM • Eugene V. Debs – S • Split in Republican Party • Economic policies • First time “3rd Party places 2ndin polls

24. Woodrow Wilson’s Progressive Program • Pledged “New Freedom” • Attacked the “triple wall of privilege” • Tariffs • Underwood Tariff (1913) • Banking • Federal Reserve Act (1914) • Trusts • Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) • Federal Trade Commission (1914)

25. African Americans • 2nd rate citizens • “Separate but equal” • Progressive presidents paid little mind to • Thought there were more pressing issues • Shared in the racist sentiment

26. Eugenic Studies • Authorized in 1912 – still governor of NJ • Appointed doctors to determine if “lesser beings” should procreate • Stripped freedoms away from those who didn’t understand • Mentally retarded, criminals, “idiots”, African Americans in South

27. Two Approaches – Washington and DuBois DuBois Washington

28. The Great Migration • Mass migration of blacks from South to northern cities • 1910-1930 • Aided by the Urban League (1911) • Causes • Deteriorating race conditions • Crops decimated by boll weevil • Job opportunities in cities

29. Civil Rights Organizations • 1905 – Niagara Movement • Dubois • Met at Niagara Falls, Canada • 1908 – NAACP • 1920 – 100,000 members

30. Progressives and Women • Liberal thinkers - educated • Wanted equal rights as men • Suffragist Movement • Carrie Chapman Catt – National American Woman Suffrage Assn. (NAWSA) • Alice Paul – National Woman’s Party

31. 19th Amendment • Wilson was VERY reluctant • 1920 – guaranteed women’s right to vote • Aided in women’s rights for • Property • Divorce • Birth control

32. End of Progressivism • WWI ends Progressivism • Worried about the war • Many reforms were in place • Reformers thought their jobs were done