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The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era. Richard Jensen & D’Ann Campbell July 2011 . . . What is Progress?. Reform = always possible, always good the spirit of the age, shared by all Progress not inevitable; can be blocked by Ignorance and Corruption Everyone and everything can be improved

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The Progressive Era

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  1. The Progressive Era Richard Jensen & D’Ann Campbell July 2011. . .

  2. What is Progress? • Reform = always possible, always good • the spirit of the age, shared by all • Progress not inevitable; can be blocked by Ignorance and Corruption • Everyone and everything can be improved • traditions = automatically suspect • Experts can ALWAYS find one best way • Education & Purity always = progress. • American mission = Progress for world

  3. Core Values • Republican Virtue • Democracy: duty of citizen to participate • threatened by corruption • Modernity • Efficiency • science, education • threatened by ignorance, tradition, corruption • free enterprise; free labor; free land

  4. Efficiency • Personal--plan your future achievement • compulsory education; “reform” schools • Society: everything can be improved • experts analyze the problem • old ways = wasteful; everything can be improved; ignorance as the #1 enemy • science, technology, medicine • university as research center

  5. Efficiency in Business • F. W. Taylor & Scientific Management • Henry Ford & Assembly Line • Fordism: high wages = high skills, lower turnover, high spending power • Railroad Efficiency: E.H. Harriman

  6. Efficiency in Business • Finance: J. P. Morgan • Heavy Industry: Andrew Carnegie • Judge Gary & U S Steel (1901) • Retailing: Julius Rosenwald @ Sears • “new, improved”; annual model changes • Eliminate waste = higher wages, lower prices, more profit

  7. Experts in Government • Need “disinterested” experts in fairness • Party politics = controlled by special interests • Independent Regulatory Commission • Appointed experts (European model) • Missing: fear that they will become captive

  8. Judiciary • Judges as experts in fairness • Taft (conservative) & Brandeis (liberal): courts & judges = best, final experts • Labor: hates injunctions that stop strikes • Roosevelt: Courts are undemocratic • overrule them by referendum • key reason GOP rejected TR in 1912 • Taft wins: picks 5 Supreme Court justices • active as Chief Justice 1921-30

  9. Efficiency in Local & State Government • Conduct a survey to discover problems • Local: better service, lower taxes • State: Independent Regulatory Commission • sets rates; solves monopoly problem • Missing: fear that they will become captive • Danger: patronage & corruption • Solution: civil service reform • crusading district attorneys • clean elections; reform parties

  10. Religious Activism:Social Gospel • Social Gospel = mainline Protestant • Missions to all world • End evils • Will speed Christ’s Second Coming • End saloons • Prohibition • End prostitution Christ calls on efficiency oriented businessman , who is listening to the devil

  11. Social Gospel appeals Compare Gast 1872, no religion Woman with cross = Christianity Leading man labeled “civilization” carrying tools (= industry) and telescope (= science)

  12. Who was Jane Addams? • Hull House = bring best practices to inner city Chicago • Rally intellectuals • Americanize immigrants • Clean up politics • Woman suffrage • World Peace See Citizendium article

  13. Hull House • "to teach by example, to practice cooperation, and to practice social democracy, that is, egalitarian” • Housing reform • Focus on children • Fight child labor • Music, sports

  14. Crusade Against Evil Corruption: Muckraking journalism • Hidden Evil doers threaten America • actual people, not just social forces • they block reform for own selfish $$$ • Expose Them! Muckraker Journalism • expose boss rule in all major cities • expose corporate wrong-doing; Rockefeller • magazines: Lincoln Steffans, Ida Tarbell • newspapers: Wm R Hearst

  15. Crusade against Corruption • Moralism: strong religious flavor • destroy "saloon power" by prohibition • strong law enforcement; FBI & Hoover • Fear of Evil Escalates 1904-1912 • only antidote = more democracy • Conservatives = Counter-Crusade • “the crusaders are crazy and dangerous” • WWI Crusade against “Huns” (Germans) • Crusades burn out after a couple years

  16. Political Crusaders • Democrats: • William Jennings Bryan, Wm R. Hearst • Woodrow Wilson • Republicans: • Robert LaFollette (Wisconsin) • Hiram Johnson (California) • Teddy Roosevelt (after 1907) • Cities: local crusaders in every big city

  17. Democracy: Let the People Rule! That is The Pure People • Women: needed force for purity in politics, interests in "good housekeeping" & needs of family. America needs their vote • antisuffrage: vote corrupts pure womanhood • Stop corrupt voting; Literacy test; Registration • no votes for “unrepublican” groups • Asians, African Americans • doubts re: Hispanics delays statehood for New Mexico; granted in 1912

  18. How can the people rule? • weaken parties; elect Senators; Primaries; reject party bosses (hard to do) • direct rule: referendum & initiative (California); recall of judges (Arizona) • stunning shock in WWI = people easily manipulated by propaganda; no true "public opinion" at all

  19. States & Cities Take Lead • Wisconsin; Bob LaFollette: tax & spend; university experts • LaFollette machine • Battles conservative anti-tax GOP • California; Hiram Johnson: destroy parties • Numerous independent crusades • New Jersey; Woodrow Wilson (Dem) ruins the bosses

  20. State & Local Issues • Corruption in Politics • Efficiency in Government • Protect women • Regulate working hours & conditions • Attack prostitution • Public Health; Hospitals • Water & sanitation; smoke; TB; milk • High Schools & Colleges • Compulsory education to age 14

  21. Presidential Progressives4 contrasting styles • Roosevelt: the Warrior • strong moral character; call to battle • Taft: the Judge • judicial supremacy, cautious • Wilson: the Priest • moralism; global leadership; inflexible • Hoover: the Engineer • pro-business; poor politician

  22. Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) • Media Superstar; middle class hero • Family: wealthy business; Civil War? • The Cowboy; manliness; extreme sports; barbarian & civilized • intellectual in politics; history & biology • 1890s: Navy & Empire; Spanish War 1898 • President 1901-1909 • 1912 “Progressive” 3rd Party split GOP

  23. TR as President 1901-09 • Railroads: mild regulation by ICC & Courts • National Civic Federation • business/union cooperation to avert radicalism; settle 1902 Coal Strike • Conservation: efficient use of resources • Good Trusts (US Steel) Vs Bad Ones (Standard Oil, Northern Securities) • 1907 Panic; he blames big business • Elihu Root modernizes the Army • Modernization in Cuba, Philippines

  24. Railroad Reform • The Problem: monopoly RR as threat to businessmen and to politics • Solution: Federal Regulation • ICC controls rates; no rebates; no secrets • Railway Labor: 1916 Wilson gives in • 1918: Wilson seizes all railroads • 1920: railroads returned to private hands • Long term: regulation helps shippers and hurts RR; can’t compete w highways

  25. Antitrust 1 • Democracy • big business = illegitimate political power • hurts small business • gov’t regulation is even more dangerous • Efficiency • trusts are more efficient & innovative • not true, says Brandeis • trusts raise prices, hurt consumer • trusts reduce innovation

  26. Antitrust 2 • Trust = Monopoly, any big business • illegitimate political power • run roughshod over smaller entrepreneurs • efficient and good for consumers?? • raise or lower prices?

  27. Antitrust 3 • Trust = Monopoly, any big business • illegitimate political power • run roughshod over smaller entrepreneurs • efficient and good for consumers?? • raise or lower prices? • TR & Taft most active • Break up hated Standard Oil (1911) • Supreme Court: “rule of reason” • Fail to break up US Steel • no sense of limits of expertise, or need to limit gov't

  28. Antitrust 4 • 1914: Federal Trade Commission • specifies illegal activities • 1920s: helps business • Fordism: high wages, low prices, efficiency through mass production • Ford a national hero despite monopoly • 1930s New Danger = cutthroat competition • small business needs protection • Today: big mergers need approval

  29. Tariff Debate • GOP high tariff (1890-1913) • GOP: it “protects” industry & high wages • Dems: it is corrupt --> monopoly & inflation • Actually: does neither. It’s a delicate balance of interests inside GOP with little $ impact • 1909 Midwestern GOP insurgents fight new tariff; defeated by Aldrich; they revolt • 1913: Wilson lowers tariff • Debate fades away; income tax more important • 1922, 1930: GOP raises it again

  30. Labor Unions • Grow rapidly 1900-1920, then collapse • Locals = branches of national crafts unions • coal miners, machinists, teamsters, printers, needle trades, carpenters etc • National: AFL & Samuel Gompers • Goals: control trade, higher pay • support technology & modernization • politics: stay loose; lean Democratic • Most oppose Socialism

  31. Union Political Goals • Local: keep police away from strikes (strikers threaten violence to win) • State: no National Guard intervention • problem: judges rule against strike tactics • National: work w both parties • 1916: Wilson get +++ Railroad Labor Law • 1917-18 support war; grow; get $$$ • 1919: strikes, collapse

  32. Public Opinion on Unions • Favor Working Man, high wages, short hours • Oppose Union monopoly • illegitimate use of power • Usually oppose strikes • Strongly oppose strike violence • Street railway strikes test public patience • National Civil Federation = efficient harmony

  33. War with Spain 1898 • Causes: anger at Spain’s treatment of Cubans • Result: “splendid little war” • Insurrection in Philippines • US Empire: Hawaii, Philippines, Puerto Rico • 1905: US gives up expansion plans, looks to Panama Canal

  34. US rebuilds army & navy • Roosevelt • Modern navy • Modern army • But very small

  35. Imperialism Worldwide • Asia, Africa divided up by Europe & Japan • Britain & France: large empires • Germany: stuck with leftovers; resentful • American sentiment: • Empires are evil & cause war • But they also modernize backward peoples • Give up Cuba & Philippines • Keep Hawaii, Puerto Rico

  36. The Far Left attacks Republicanism • IWW overthrow the system! • Reject republicanism for Class Struggle • Reject democracy for Dictatorship of Proletariat (i.e. by left wing leaders like Haywood) • Anarchists: Assassinate McKinley • Lawrence Strike 1912 fails • 1917: oppose the war • Destroyed by Federal Government • 1919: Radicals deported to USSR • Remnant forms Communist party

  37. Socialists are split • Socialist Party: Eugene Debs • capitalism is evil & inefficient • scientific solution = workers own industry • strongly opposed by Catholic Church & by most unions • left: oppose WW1; go to jail • War: right wing supports war (Lippmann) • Debs opposes it & goes to prison

  38. Taft Vs TR Progressives • Tariff battle disrupts GOP • Income tax: constitutional amendment • Purists distrust Taft; he relies on courts and conservative GOP (Senator Aldrich) • Feuds erupt between left and right wings • Crisis of 1910-1912 splits the GOP • Republican Insurgents weaken Speaker • Democrats: sweep 1910 elections

  39. 1912: Taft-TR-Wilson • TR breaks with Taft • conservation issue; trusts; personality • TR: recall of judicial decisions • TR challenges Taft for GOP nomination; starts too late; beaten; cries foul • TR forms "Progressive Party" ("Bull Moose" 1912); amateur hour • GOP split 1912-14 elects Democratic Wilson & Dem Congress

  40. Wilson the Priest • Scholar, speaker, superb writer • conservative states righter, moves left 1913 • 1913: tariff lowered (little effect) • 1913: Federal Reserve System created; break the Money Power? efficient management of money? or disaster waiting to happen? • Antitrust laws strengthened • Pro-Labor; 1916 Railroad laws

  41. Banking Panic 1907

  42. Fear of Wall Street: super powerful

  43. Private solution fails • The Problem: inadequate financial system • Panic of 1907 solved by one old man, Morgan • need for liquidity • need for international banking • Aldrich Solution: banks form system • Bryan demands more democracy

  44. Wilson & AldrichFederal Reserve System 1913 • Final Plan: 12 regions, Federal oversight

  45. 1920s: Efficiency Decade • Democracy Distrusted • propaganda too powerful; H L Mencken • Corruption Issue continues • Teapot Dome; Bootleg Liquor; Cities • Efficiency Stronger than Ever • Business: Age of Henry Ford • Gov't: Age of Hoover • cooperation with Business • End poverty through modernization

  46. Democracy Vs Efficiency • When they work together, irresistible. • Major legislation passed near unanimous • ICC, Antitrust, Income Tax, RR regulation • When they are opposed, deep problems • African American status • Labor unions, violence, anti-trust • Imperialism in Philippines • Woman Suffrage

  47. African Americans • Blacks excluded from power & prestige • Segregation: De Facto & De Jure • Supreme Court approves: Plessy v Ferguson, 1896 • schools, churches, jobs & gov’t service= separate & unequal • geographical separation: “BLACK BELT” in South • Politics: Age of White Supremacy • Disfranchisement, 1890-1915 • Lynchings during transition • Economic Status: very poor • White Racism Vs white paternalism

  48. Segregation continues;ends in 1965 • Supporters • purify politics. Reduce corruption • reduce violence, lynchings • keep White supremacy • Opponents • violation of Constitution • degrades Blacks • degrades Whites

  49. Booker T. Washington, political leader Atlanta speech, 1896 = accept segregation Tuskegee = industrial education W.E.B. DuBois--intellectual leader political rights liberal arts for “talented tenth” NAACP for middle class “Colored People” Marcus Garvey: separate out Black Nationalism; “Back to Africa”; deported Leadership Disputes

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