Transcript of THE PROGRESSIVE ERA 1890-1920. THE PROGRESSIVE ERA The American Progressive Era occurred in the...
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- THE PROGRESSIVE ERA 1890-1920
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- THE PROGRESSIVE ERA The American Progressive Era occurred in
the years before and after the turn of the 20 th century It lasted
approximately 25 years 1890 to 1916 Caused by industrialization,
urbanization, and immigration The time period was typified by many
reforms at the city, state, and federal levels
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- 3 PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENTS Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1908
Republican The Square Deal and New Nationalism William Howard Taft
1909-1912 Republican Dollar Diplomacy Woodrow Wilson 1913-1920
Democrat The New Freedom
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- PROGRESSIVISM MAIN IDEAS Goal: Improve American life by
expanding democracy and achieving social and economic justice
Political Reforms: Wipe out graft, political machines, business
domination of government Give people closer control over
government: i.e. More Democracy Social and Economic Reforms:
Eliminate business practices harming farmers, workers, tenement
dwellers, and consumers Expand government regulation over
economy
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- SOURCES OF PROGRESSIVE STRENGTH Farmers: Populist heritage
wanted more regulation of RRs, lower tariffs, easier credit Urban
Middle Class Professionals, shop owners, small businessmen Alarmed
at huge trusts and political machines Wanted lower tariffs, more
Gov. regulation, more democracy
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- SOURCES OF PROGRESSIVE STRENGTH Workers Wanted laws regulating
hours, protecting workers, safer conditions Writers (Muckrakers)
Critically analyzed American society (but more about them later.)
Political leaders Short lived Progressive Party Progressives in
both major parties
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- THE MUCKRAKERS Aided the trust-busting campaigns of Roosevelt
and Taft and the general reforms of the Progressives by exposing
the evils of big business: MuckrakerMajor WorkTheme Ida
TarbellHistory of the Stanford Oil Company Ruthless practices of a
giant monopoly Frank NorrisThe OctopusStruggle of wheat farmers
against the RRs Upton SinclairThe JungleRevolting Practices of the
Meat Packing industry Jacob RiisHow the Other Half LivesDeplorable
conditions in tenements
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- EFFECT OF THE MUCKRAKERS Term coined by Theodore Roosevelt
after a character in Pilgrims Progress who turned down a crown for
a muckrake used to shovel poo into a pile Mass circulation in
newspapers and magazines; the works had a major impact on American
society The Jungle in particular caused response (because it was
really gross) 1906 Congress passed two laws The Meat Inspection
Act: sanitary regulations for meat packers and federal inspection
of meat packing plants The Pure Food and Drug Act: prohibited sale
of impure and poisonous food and drugs
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- SOCIAL GOSPEL MOVEMENT Religious Crusade emphasized social
responsibility as a key to salvation Believed church-based
humanitarian work could transform society Salvation Army formed
from this movement Urged end of child labor and shorter work
week
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- SETTLEMENT HOUSE MOVEMENT Sought to improve the life of urban
workers living in slums by helping them to gain education, access
to art, better housing and better jobs Settlement Houses Located in
slum neighborhoods run by educated, middle class women Tried to
help immigrants adjust to American life Imparted middle class
values Became training ground for women leaders and launched the
social work profession Jane Addams: Hull House Most famous, became
politically involved in Chicago in order to clean up: her
neighborhood Became a model for more than 400 other settlement
houses in the US
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- PROTECTING CHILDREN AND IMPROVING EDUCATION Child Labor Reforms
Florence Kelley Helped create the U.S. Childrens Bureau to protect
health and welfare of children Child labor not ended for good until
1938 Education Reform Many states began to pass laws requiring
children to attend school. John Dewey wanted students to think
creatively and to teach new subjects like history and
geography
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- TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE March 1911, a fire at the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory in New York City shocked Americans and propelled
the push for better working conditions Started by a dropped match
on the 8 th floor of a ten story building Workers could not escape
because most exits were locked Many jumped to their deaths Killed
146 people, 123 of them were women, most new immigrants between the
ages of 16 and 23 Led to laws in New York and several states that
shortened working hours and to making workplaces safer
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- REFORMING GOVERNMENT Reform of city government Commission form
of government Progressives reform election rules direct primary:
citizens vote to select nominees initiative: people propose new law
directly referendum: citizens approve or reject laws that have been
passed recall: voters remove public servants from office before
terms expire
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- PROGRESSIVE GOVERNORS TAKE CHARGE Robert La Follette of
Wisconsin railroad reform, improved education, make factories
safer, adopted direct primary Hiram Johnson of California ended
Southern Pacific Railroads dominance of state government,
instituted direct primary, initiative, referendum, and recall,
protected natural resources
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- WOMENS MOVEMENTS Working Conditions Muller v. Oregon (1903 )
limited working hours for women to 10 per day Florence Kelley
formed the National Consumers League (NCL) and Womens Trade Union
League (WTUL) to improve the lives of women as buyers of goods and
workers Temperance Led by the Womens Christian Temperance League
Promoted never drinking alcohol Felt alcohol led men to waste their
earnings, neglect their families, and abuse their wives Led to the
passage of the 18 th Amendment
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- WOMENS MOVEMENTS Birth Control Led by Margaret Sanger Believed
womens health would improve if they had fewer children 1916 opened
first birth control clinic in US Ida B. Wells African American
woman who helped form the National Association of Colored Women Set
up daycare centers to protect and educate black children while
their parents worked Wrote about horrors of lynching
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- WOMENS SUFFRAGE Goal of Movement To get Congress to pass a
Constitutional Amendment and get of the states to ratify it To get
individual states to permit women to vote Western states had given
women the right to vote before the amendment was passed Women
attended the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 and for the first time
formally demanded the right to vote Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth
Cady Stanton worked for womens political issues National American
Woman Suffrage (NAWSA) formed in 1890 with Anthony as president
Nineteenth Amendment - right to vote shall not be denied or
abridged on account of sex; August, 1920
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- ELIZABETH CADY STANTON AND SUSAN B ANTHONY
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- FIGHTING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Rights of African Americans
limited because many Progressives held prejudices 1896 Supreme
Court issues Plessy v. Ferguson verdict SC upheld a Louisiana law
separating blacks and whites in RR cars South pressed on with its
Jim Crow laws and its program of segregation Facilities for blacks
were almost always inferior to those of whites Education: black
schools poorly constructed and funded and black teachers poorly
paid By 1910, segregation was the norm in the nation
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- AFRICAN AMERICAN REFORMERS Booker T. Washington W. E. B. DuBois
Blacks should move slowly toward racial progress Work hard and wait
patiently Gradually win whites respect Should teach blacks trade
skills Educated at Harvard Believed that blacks should not have to
wait, should demand equality Called together the Niagara Movement
Talented blacks should be taught history, philosophy, literature so
they learn to think Would not compromise on rights
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- NAACP 1908 a riot broke out in Springfield when whites wanted
to lynch to black prisoners Some white reformers realized they
needed to help blacks Joined with leaders of the Niagara Movement
and formed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People Focused on battle for equal access to housing and
professional careers
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- ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PROGRESSIVES Political Reforms City and
State Action Direct Primaries: allowed voters rather than party
bosses to nominate candidates Corrupt Practices Laws regulated
contributions and campaign spending Australian ballot: secret
ballot Initiative and referendum gave voters a greater voice in
making laws Recall: enabled voters to oust unsatisfactory public
officials Municipal and state civil service exams reduced positions
able to be dominated by political machines Womens suffrage in some
states extended democracy Federal Action Direct Election of
Senators: 17 th Amendment National Womens Suffrage: 19 th
Amendment
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- MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PROGRESSIVES Social and Economic Reform
City and State State Regulation of intrastate RRs and public
utilities improved service and reduced rates Consumer protection
laws assured honest weights and unadulterated foods Fair Tax Laws
reduced burden on property owners by taxing income Child Labor Laws
set a minimum age for employment and prohibited children from
dangerous occupations Women Labor Laws set minimum wage and maximum
hours Welfare Benefits enacted for dependent children, widows, and
elderly Factory inspection laws improved sanitation, lighting, and
safety Workmens Compensation protected workers and the families in
case of on-the-job injury
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- EVEN MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PROGRESSIVES Social and Economic
Reform Federal Action Expanded federal regulation of RRs,
industries, and banks Conservation measures for USs natural
resources Consumer Protection Laws for pure food and drugs Income
Tax: 16 th amendment Legitimate Union Activities exempted from
antitrust prosecution Federal funds used for long-term,
low-interest loans to farmers
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- WEAKNESSES OF THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT Uneven Pattern of Reform
Some states very little accomplished Some states very progressive:
NY, NJ, CA, OR, MI, OH, WI Court Roadblocks Claimed that some
progressive legislation illegal or unconstitutional Survival of
Political Machines Failed to end power of Political Machines;
bosses learned to evade reform laws
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- RESULTS Disappearance of Progressive Movement Early 1920s Many
reforms passed and enthusiasm died out Attention shifted from
domestic to foreign affairs with WWI Heritage of Progressive
Movement Promoted belief that governments job is to care for
welfare of the people Transition from Laissez-faire to government
regulation of economy