ProgressivismProgressivismChapter 11Chapter 11

The Origins ofThe Origins of

What is theWhat is the Progressive Era? Progressive Era?• The period from about

1890 to 1920, during which a variety of reforms were enacted at the local, state, and federal levels.

• Reform movements focused on the cities of the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast

• Middle class embraced it

Basic BeliefsBasic BeliefsGovernment should:

• Be more accountable to citizens

• Curb power & influence of wealthy

• Expand powers to become more active in improving the lives

• Be more efficient & less corrupt so that they could competently handle an expanded role

The Progressives: Their Goals & Beliefs

• Areas of needed improvement–Social – child labor laws–Moral - prohibition–Economic - tariffs–Political – spoils system

Two Early ReformersTwo Early Reformers• Henry George

– Progress and Poverty

– Why there is poverty

– Land speculation drove up prices

– Solution= Single Tax

• Edward Bellamy– Looking Backward

(novel) Man wakes up in yr 2000

– Glorious socialism! – Plot- big business

taken over by govt. Companies now meet human needs instead of making profits

MuckrakersMuckrakers• Journalist who uncovers

wrongdoing in politics or business– TR liked genuine journalism– Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle exposed the

unsanitary conditions in a meatpacking plant• Work of fiction• Socialism

– Ida Tarbell’s The History of the Standard Oil Company revealed the abuses committed by the Standard Oil Trust

Reform GroupsReform Groups• Inspired by Muckrakers• Organized labor fought for better

working conditions– Businesses would file injunctions

(to stop strikes)

• Socialism (Eugene V. Debs)– Favored gov’t control of

industry and property

• Progressives– Didn’t like socialism

(didn’t want loss of freedoms)– Wanted rid gov’t of corruption

and help workers and the poor

Women’s Groups• Major issues

– Alcohol/Prohibition, Improving Working Conditions, Child Labor, Quality of Consumer Goods

– MOST IMPORTANTLY: Women’s Suffrage• Why? Because without the vote women are

powerless in politics (they have no voice)

• Resistance: Child Labor laws were essential to social progress, however, poor families could not survive without the wages of their working children (as a result Progressives were seen as insensitive to the poor)

Women Reformers

• Florence Kelley– Worked at Hull House 1891– Issue: Local labor conditions– Because of her efforts,

Illinois passed laws prohibiting child labor, improved sweatshop conditions and limited work hours for women

– Law enforcer, earned law degree when she thought DA was doing too little

Picture at right: Veteran labor organizer “Mother” Mary Jones, age 88, urges steel workers to vote “Yes” for a strike against the steel

corporations.

•Mother Jones: Union organizer and fiery speaker

–Lost family & business–Organized miners and steel workers to strike for better working conditions–Fought against child labor–Knights of Labor/ IWW

Progressive LegislationProgressive Legislation

Chapter 11, Section 2Chapter 11, Section 2

Triangle Shirtwaist Co. Fire• 10-story Asch building (10-story Asch building (NYCNYC))• Sweat shop - made women’s clothingSweat shop - made women’s clothing

– 600 workers600 workers

• 88thth floor fire floor fire• 146 people die146 people die

– Doors lockedDoors locked– One stair wayOne stair way– Only fire escape collapsedOnly fire escape collapsed

• Frances Perkins watched from the streetFrances Perkins watched from the street– Later became 1Later became 1stst woman cabinet member (Secretary of woman cabinet member (Secretary of

Labor) under FDRLabor) under FDR

NYU Brown BuildingNYU Brown Buildingtodaytoday

An Expanded Role for GovernmentAn Expanded Role for Government

• Progressives sought more social welfare programs to help ensure a minimum standard of living. (welfare=well being)– Unemployment, accident/health insurance, social

security for disabled/elderly

• Many of the earliest Progressive reforms were made at the municipal (city) level.

• Some municipal reformers worked for home rule, system that gives cities a limited self-rule. – allowed cities to escape domination by state

governments controlled by political machines

Municipal Reforms• Municipal reformers opposed the influence of

political bosses (emphasized merit instead of favors)

• Commission Form of Government (group led)– Created a 5-member board of city administrators to

replace mayor & aldermen (Ex. Galveston after hurricane of 1900)

• Regulation of Utilities: used to take power away from monopolies

• Providing Welfare Services– public baths, parks, work-relief programs,

playgrounds, kindergartens, and lodging houses for the homeless.

State Reforms

California Recall 2003California Recall 2003

State Reforms• States establish Labor Departments

– Provide information/dispute-resolution• Refomers tried to use courts to institute

change. – Business owner argued the gov’t. had no ground to

tell them how to use their property• Court Decisions

– Lochner vs. New York (1905)• Tried to set max hours for bakers• Lost- Sup. Court said it didn’t show how it protected

workers health (if it had, Lochner would have won)– Muller vs. Oregon (1908)

• Tried to set max hours for women• Won- Showed working over 10hrs hurt women’s health

Robert M. La Follette

• Wisconsin’s Reform Governor– “Fighting Bob”– Vowed to clean up

government and produce social welfare programs• Ousted party bosses• Started a direct

primary in Wisconsin

Federal Reforms• Theodore Roosevelt

– “bully pulpit” – platform to guide or rally public support

– Square deal- attacking unfair business practices while still protecting business from the extreme demands of labor • Ex- coal miners strike 1903

– Successes• anti-trust and railroad regulation• Pure Food and Drug Act, Meat inspection act• Women’s Bureau, Children’s Bureau• US Forest Service and Reclamation Act 1902

Progressivism Under President Taft 1908 victory (hand picked by TR)1908 victory (hand picked by TR)

Didn’t appoint any Progressives to his Cabinet Payne-Aldrich Tariff backfires

Taft reduces them, Senate added more tariffs to the act (cancel each other out)

Ballinger-Pinchot Affair: Richard Ballinger appointed to manage public lands (angered conservationists) Ballinger allows private businesses to obtain several

million acres of Alaska public land (Coal deposits) Gifford Pinchot (Head of U.S. Forest Service) accuses

Ballinger of showing special preference (spoils system)

Taft fires Pinchot; Ballinger later resigns Taft’s popularity…steady slump!

Republican split (progressives and old guard)Republican split (progressives and old guard)

“politics make me sick”

TR Tries to Make a Comeback Mid-Term Election- TR still very popularMid-Term Election- TR still very popular

Criticized Taft & campaigned for Progressive candidatesCriticized Taft & campaigned for Progressive candidates ““New Nationalism”- business regulation, welfare laws, New Nationalism”- business regulation, welfare laws,

workplace protection for women/children, new taxes, workplace protection for women/children, new taxes, voting reform.voting reform.

Election of 1912 Reps. nominate Taft instead of TR (Taft controlled Rep.

Convention, though TR had voter support) TR starts the Progressive Party (a.k.a. The Bull Moose

Party) “I feel fit as a bull moose!” Platform: Progressive- tariff reduction, women’s

suffrage, business regulation, banning child labor, 8hr work day, etc.

Tough Dude- shot during speech- cont. for 1.5 hrs!Tough Dude- shot during speech- cont. for 1.5 hrs! Democrats WinDemocrats Win

Four-Way Election

CandidatesWoodrow Wilson (Democrat)Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive)William Taft (Republican)Eugene V. Debs (Socialist)Eugene Chafin (Prohibition)

Third Parties – Friend or Foe?B/c of the split between the

Republicans the Democrats will win by an overwhelming amount

Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson• “New Freedom” Policy- criticized big business and big gov.• Underwood Tariff Act- first major victory• 16th Amendment: Income Tax (made up for lost revenue)• Clayton Anti-Trust Act 1914

– Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.– Gave specific activities businesses could not do (ex. No rebates)– Legalized unions (inc. strikes, peaceful picketing and boycotts)– Wilson and Congress created the Federal Trade Commission

• Federal Reserve System 1913– Created 12 districts, each with a Federal Reserve Bank – served as

“bankers’ banks,” giving them a flexible money supply– New national currency “federal reserve notes”

• Federal Farm Loan Board 1916 – Farmers could borrow $ at low rates

• Nominated Progressive Louis D. Brandeis for Supreme Court

Limits of ProgressivismLimits of Progressivism• Progressives championed municipal

reforms, but took little action to pursue social justice reforms – Did little for tenant or migrant farmers.– Wilson allowed his Cabinet to extend the

practice of Jim Crow laws in separating races in federal offices

– At the 1912 Progressive Party convention, Roosevelt declined to seat black delegates from the South for fear of alienating white Southern Progressives.

– Many African Americans felt ignored by Progressives

– Some Southern Progressives backed women’s suffrage b/c it would double the white vote.

• End of Progressivism– World War I – calls for U.S. involvement

drowned out calls for reform

NAME AREA NAME RESULTING OF REFORM OF PUBLICATION

REFORM

Ida Tarbell Monopolies The History of Clayton Anti-Trust

Standard Oil Act Company

Upton Sinclair Meat Packing The Jungle Meat Inspection ActIndustry

Jacob Riis Urban Living How the Other Half NY passed the (p.308) Conditions Lives

nation’s first laws toimprove tenements

Name of Explanation of Importance Legislation Law/Amendment

16th Amendment – 1913 Gave Congress the power to Government needed a

levy an income tax way to raise revenue

17th Amendment – 1913 Provided for the direct Gave more power toelection of senators voters

18th Amendment – 1919 Prohibited the sale and protect society frommanufacture of alcohol poverty & violence

19th Amendment – 1920 Granted women full Everyone has equalsuffrage voting rights

Meat Inspection Required fed. Inspection of Safer meat productionAct – 1906 meat processing

Pure Food & Drug Banned interstate shipping Full awareness of what Act – 1906 of impure food and goes in your food and

deliberate mislabeling of drugsfood & drugs

Name of Explanation of Importance Legislation Law/Amendment

Underwood Tariff Reduced tariffs by 15% Ended up created a federal (p.399) – 1913 income tax (16thAmend.)

Federal Reserve Created Federal Reserve System; Gave banks a flexible Act – 1913 System supervised private banks money supply

Clayton Prohibited companies from Stopped unfair business Anti-Trust Act – 1914 engaging in illegal/unfair practices practices and broke-up

monopolies

Federal Trade Created to enforce the Clayton Stopped unfair business Commission (p.400) – 1914 Anti-Trust Actpractices and broke-up

monopolies

National Park Created to administer the nation’s Protected naturalService Act – 1916 parks resources

Outlawed monopolies and practices that restrained trade, such as price fixing.

Sherman Antitrust Act, 1890

Created to plan and develop irrigation projects.National Reclamation Act, 1902

Created to manage the nation’s water and timber resources.

United States Forest Service, 1905

Authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad rates.

Hepburn Act, 1906

Banned interstate shipping of impure food and deliberate mislabeling of food and drugs.

Pure Food and Drug Act, 1906

Cabinet department created to promote the welfare and employment of working people.

Department of Labor, 1913

Created within the Department of Labor to improve the status of working women.

Women’s Bureau, 1920

Woman SuffrageWoman Suffrage

11-411-4

Preparing the Way• 1848: Seneca Falls Convention• National Women’s Suffrage

Association – Leaders: Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton

• 1872: Susan B. Anthony is arrested for acts of civil disobedience (nonviolent refusal to obey a law in an effort to change it)–she and a group of women tried to vote

• 1890: Wyoming becomes the 1st state to grant women full suffrage

• Two Paths to Suffrage– Amending the Constitution– Get individual states to let women

vote (successful at first, esp. in west) • Anthony & Stanton die without

seeing full suffrage pass

Elizabeth Stanton Susan B. Anthony

Amendment TriesAmendment Tries•Attempt 1:Attempt 1: Stalled in Congress in Stalled in Congress in 18681868•Attempt 2:Attempt 2: Stalled in Stalled in 18781878 until until 18871887, , defeateddefeated•Attempt 3:Attempt 3: Stalled in Stalled in 18881888•Attempt 4:Attempt 4: Stalled in Stalled in 18891889•Attempt 5:Attempt 5: Stalled in Stalled in 18901890•Attempt 6:Attempt 6: Stalled in Stalled in 18911891•Attempt 7:Attempt 7: Stalled in Stalled in 18921892•Attempt 8:Attempt 8: Stalled in Stalled in 1893 1893 •Attempt 9:Attempt 9: Stalled in Stalled in 18941894•Attempt 10:Attempt 10: Stalled in Stalled in 18951895•Attempt 11:Attempt 11: Stalled in Stalled in 18961896•Attempt 12:Attempt 12: Reappears in Reappears in 19131913

DefeatedDefeated

A New Generation• 1890: National American Women’s

Suffrage Association (NAWSA) is formed by veteran and young leaders of the movement– Leader: Carrie Chapman Catt– Kept with the path of individual state suffrage

• Congressional Union (CU) – Leader: Alice Paul– Kept with the path of an aggressive, militant

campaign for a constitutional amendment

• NAWSA feared that the CU would alienate moderate supporters

A New Generation

Radicals (CU)Radicals (CU)•Demonstrated in Demonstrated in front of White Housefront of White House•Burned Wilson effigyBurned Wilson effigy•Burned speechesBurned speeches•Arrested, imprisonedArrested, imprisoned•Hunger strikes to Hunger strikes to protest bad prison protest bad prison conditionsconditions

Moderates Moderates (NAWSA)(NAWSA)

• State by stateState by state• ““Winning Plan”Winning Plan”

– Full time leaders Full time leaders to work in “red to work in “red hot” campaigns hot” campaigns (major victory (major victory NY, 1917)NY, 1917)

– Reintroduce Reintroduce suffrage amend.suffrage amend.

Victory•By 1918, 15 states already allowed women to vote

•President is embarrassed by the treatment of Alice Paul in jail

• WWI – women do their partWWI – women do their part• 1919 – 181919 – 18thth Amendment Amendment

(Prohibition)(Prohibition)• 1920 – 191920 – 19thth Amendment (Suffrage) Amendment (Suffrage)

– Last of Progressive reformsLast of Progressive reforms