Progressivism and the Progressive Presidents

1. Progressivism and the Progressive Presidents

2. 1880s and 1890s - Reform • Two leading reformers • 1. Henry George – 1879 – wrote Progress and Poverty • to explain why poverty continued in an advance society • Believed that land speculation prevented others from using land productively • Promoted taxing landowners

3. 2. Edward Bellamy – 1888 – Looking Backward • A man undergoes hypnosis in 1887 and awakens in 2000 to a changed America • In his year 2000 there is no poverty, harsh working conditions, and political corruption. • Instead, the government owns the big businesses and everything is based on human need rather than profit! • Led to the development of a socialist movement! • Socialists wanted to distribute wealth more equally

4. Socialism • 1901 – The Socialist Party of America was formed • Socialists wanted • End of capitalism • Distribution of wealth more equally • Nationalize American industries

5. The Labor Movement • Unions focused on • Reducing hours • Gaining better wages • Gaining better working conditions Unions grew slowly in the 1890s Often courts would issue injunctions or court orders to prohibit strikes

7. Example of protestors • International Ladies Garment Workers Union formed in 1900 • 1909 – 20,000 New York women went on strike and won the right to bargain collectively (negotiate contracts) with employers

8. City Government Reform • Reformers hoped to eliminate corruption within cities by getting rid of political bosses • Argued for a civil service system for city (Municipal) jobs rather than by favors • Many wanted cities to have home rule instead of being controlled by the state government

9. MUCKRAKERS! • The term referred to journalists for newspapers who wrote articles about wrongdoings in government and business(working conditions and slums). • President Theodore Roosevelt called journalists “muckrakers” • The term comes from a 1678 book Pilgrim’s Progress • a muckrake is used to rake filth

10. Famous Muckrakers… Lincoln Steffens was a New York reporter who exposed political corruption in St. Louis and other major cities He wrote The Shame of the Cities

11. Famous Muckrakers… • Ida Tarbell wrote The History of Standard Oil Companyin 1904 • One of the first investigative reporting • Focused on the abuses of Rockefeller and his trust

12. Famous Muckrakers… Upton Sinclair wrote The Junglein 1906. Focused on the horrors of the meat packing industry Led to the creation of a federal meat inspection program Click the picture to watch a video!

13. Progressive Era 1890-1920 • This era is made up of numerous groups working to bring progress in society. • Nativists • Prohibitionists • Charity reformers • Social gospel adherents • Settlement house workers • muckrakers

14. What did Progressives want? • They didn’t want to lose a high standard of living • They didn’t want to lose personal liberty • They didn’t want to lose democracy and capitalism • They WANTED to free government of corruption so that workers and the poor can be protected

15. What else did they want? • Progressives wanted government to REGULATE business. • Progressives wanted social welfare programs to help with unemployment, health insurance, and accidents

16. Click the picture to see a video on workplace safety…

17. Urban (City) Reforms • 1. attacked political bosses • 2. Cities took over public utilities such as water, gas, and electricity • 3. public playgrounds • 4. free kindergartens

18. State Reforms (5 reforms) • 1. Direct primaries – election in which voters cast ballots to select nominees for upcoming elections (by 1916, all but 3 states had direct primaries) • 2. 17th amendment – 1913 – people in each state were allowed to directly elect Senators (party leaders had previously selected Senators)

19. State reforms … • 3. Initiative – Citizens can propose laws by getting enough signatures on a petition, then placed on a ballot and voted on • 4. Referendum – citizens may demand by petition for laws passed by legislatures be “referred” to the people • 5. Recall – people have the ability to remove elected officials

20. State reforms… • Triangle Shirtwaist Fire – 1911 –New York • 146 died • Exits were locked to prevent theft • Led to reforms in safety standards in businesses

21. On your graphic organizer: 1. What are the three most interesting details you see? Sketch and label each. 2. What do the lions represent? 3. What might Theodore Roosevelt’s personality be like? 4. Does the cartoonist seem to believe President Roosevelt will be able to control the trusts?

22. Theodore Roosevelt

23. Federal Reforms… • Theodore Roosevelt intervened in the 1902 United Mine Workers Strike • Because of a coal shortage, Roosevelt decided to arbitrate (allow a third party to settle the dispute) • Both sides had to agree • Roosevelt called this a Square Deal for both sides • Became the slogan for his presidency

24. Federal Reforms • Under Theodore Roosevelt • 1906 – Meat Inspection Act • Required federal inspection of meat passed across state lines • Pure Food and Drug Act • Prevented the manufacture, sale, or transportation of food or medicine containing harmful ingredients. • Also required food and medicine containers to have accurate ingredient labels.

25. Political Cartoons for Discussion

26. Click the picture to see a video

27. Trusts and Monopolies under Theodore Roosevelt • By 1909, the government had filed 42 anti-trust actions • Beef trust, Standard Oil, and American Tobacco Company were forced to reorganize Roosevelt was not anti-business. He felt some trusts were good as long as they weren’t harmful to the public

28. Northern Securities Company • J.P. Morgan, James Hill, and E.H. Harriman joined their railroads together to eliminate competition. • TR order the US Attorney to sue the Northern Securities Company for violating the Sherman Anti-trust Act. • Supreme court ruled against the Northern Securities Company

29. Regulating Railroads • Elkins Act 1903 • Forbid the railroads from accepting rebates. • Ensured that all rail customers paid the same rate for shipping • Hepburn Act 1906 • Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission giving them power to set maximum railroad rates • Also gave the ICC power to regulate any companies engaged in interstate commerce

30. Click on the picture for a video • TR believed that each generation had a duty to protect and conserve national resources for future generations

31. Newlands Reclamation Act 1902 • Allowed Federal Government to create irrigation projects to make dry lands productive. • 1905 TR established the US Forest Service with Gifford Pinchot as Chief • 1906 Antiquities Act • Created 18 national monuments • Conservation is TR’s greatest legacy

32. Click to watch a video

33. Roosevelt set aside 200 million acres of land for national forests, mineral reserves, and water projects

34. 1913 – The Department of Labor was added to the Cabinet

35. New Amendments • 16th amendment 1913 – Federal Income Tax • Allowed the government to not totally rely on tariffs • 18th amendment – 1919 – illegal to make, sell or import liquor

36. 1908 Election Beat William Jennings Bryan Click on the picture for a video… William Howard Taft

37. Taft eventually angered the progressives more by not supported environmental concerns and other progressive topics Click this for a cool video

38. The Ballinger – Pinchot Affair • Secretary of Interior – Richard Ballinger allowed a private group of business people to obtain several million acres of public lands • Pinchot (head of Forest Service) felt that Ballinger was wrong • Progressive Conservationists were angered

39. Even though Taft had “busted” more trusts than TR and helped regulate business, he lost support of the progressives • He had supported the Children’s Bureau, the 16th and 17th amendments, and the Mann Elkins Act • Mann Elkins – government could regulate telephone and telegraph rates

40. Election of 1912 • Theodore Roosevelt – decided to challenge Taft for President • Roosevelt’s New Nationalism • There was no amendment limiting presidential terms • Taft won the Republican nomination

41. Progressive Party • The progressives formed the Progressive Party and nominated Theodore Roosevelt (He said “I feel as fit as a bull moose”) • Thus the party became known as the Bull Moose Party

42. Bull Moose Party • Tariff Reduction • Women’s suffrage • Regulation of business • End of child labor • TR -Shot in Milwaukee while giving a speech • Continued his speech for an hour and a half • “It takes more than this to kill a bull moose” • He showed his blood stained shirt

45. Election of 1912

46. Wilson’s New Freedom • Promised to enforce anti trust laws without threatening free economic competition • 1914 – Clayton Anti-Trust law – strengthened the Sherman law by allowing unions and making more rules for business

47. Federal Trade Commission was developed in 1914 1913 – Federal Reserve System – reorganized federal banking 1916 – Federal Farm Loan Board -

48. Election of 1916 • Wilson won a second term promising to keep the country out of the war raging in Europe

49. End of Progressivism – Beginning of World War I in 1914

50. Women’s Suffrage • Called for as early as 1848 at the Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York