Unit 3: Modern America Emerges1890-1920

Chapter 9 p. 320The Progressive Era

Essential Question: How did the progressive movement try to bring about social change?

This unit describes how the modern US begins taking shape in the first 2 decades of the 20th c. Americans embrace the progressive movement,

which leads to greater government involvement in many aspects of life. Starting with the move to gain colonies overseas and ending with

participation in WWI, America also plays a greater role in world affairs than ever before.

Section 1 p. 322Origins of Progressivism

•Main Idea: Political, economic, and social change in late 19th century America led to broad progressive reforms.•Why it matters today: Progressive reforms in areas such as

labor and voting rights reinforced democratic principles that continue to exist today.

• OBJ: Explain progressive efforts to clean up government

At the dawn of the new century, middle-class reformers addressed many of the problems that had contributed to the social upheavals on the 1890s. Journalists and writers exposed the unsafe conditions of factory workers – including women and children. The role of large dominate corporations in American society was questioned. Political reformers struggled to make government more responsive to the people. Together, these reform efforts formed the progressive movement. One of the keys to the success of the reform movement was the growth of a national media.

1. Progressive Movement- It was an early 20th c. reform movement seeking to return control of the government to the people. Its aim was to restore economic opportunities and correct injustices in American life. There are 4 goals:

•Protecting social welfare•Promoting moral improvement•Creating economic reform• Fostering efficiency(How would prohibition fit into the reform movement?)

• Protecting social welfare: Many social welfare reformers worked to soften some of the harsh conditions of industrialization. Settlement houses aimed to help the poor through community centers, churches, and social services – this continues through the progressive era – and even more reform activities.• YMCA (young men’s Christian association) opened libraries,

sponsored classes, built pools, handball courts.• Salvation Army: fed poor in soup kitchens, cared for children in

nurseries, and sent :slum brigades: to instruct poor immigrants of middle class values of hard work and temperance.• Temperance – reframing from alcohol consumption• 2. Florence Kelley- an advocate for improving the lives of women and

children. Helped prohibit child labor and limited women’s working hours in Illinois – became model for other states.

• Promoting Moral improvement: Other reformers felt that morality, not the workplace, help the key to improving the lives of poor people. They wanted immigrants and poor city dwellers to uplift themselves by improving their “personal behavior.”

3. Prohibition: the banning of alcoholic beverages.Prohibitionists groups feared that alcohol was undermining American morals. WCTU (woman’s Christian temperance union) spearheaded the crusade for prohibition. These members (women) would enter saloons singing , praying and urging the owners to stop sell alcohol. Cary Nation would use her hatchet and destroy liquor bottles. They began opening kindergartens for immigrants, visited inmates, asylums and worked for suffrage.Some efforts for prohibition led to trouble with immigrant groups, They filled a number of roles within the immigrant community – cashing paychecks, serving inexpensive meals.

• Creating economic reform: As moral reformers sought to change individual behavior, a severe economic panic in 1893 prompted some Americans to question the capitalist economic system. Result: many workers embraced socialism.. Eugene V. Debs helped organize the American Socialist Party in 1901, commented on the uneven balance among big business, government, and ordinary people under the free-market system of capitalism. Progressive reformers distanced themselves from socialism.

4. muckrakers: are journalists who wrote about the corrupt side of business and public life in mass circulation magazines during the early 20th c. Ida M. Tarbell exposed Rockefeller’s business practices of cutthroat methods of eliminating competition. 10. What contribution did the muckrakers make to the reform movement? They exposed dangers and corruption of industrial life to the public.

• Fostering Efficiency: Many progressive leaders used experts and scientific principles to make society and the workplace more efficient. Factory workers and laundry workers laws limited the workday to 10 hours in Oregon. Scientific management measured how quickly each task could be performed. Assembly lines sped up production. Sometimes this caused fatigue and therefore injuries and a high turnover. • Scientific management reformers worked to improve

efficiency and productivity while other reformers aimed at improving behavior or addressing economic inequality.

• Cleaning Up Local Government: obvious social problems of new industrial age: political bosses rewarded supporters with jobs and kickbacks – openly bought votes with favors and bribes. Reform stemmed from a desire to make government more efficient and responsive to its constituents. But those efforts also grew from distrust of immigrants’ participation in politics.• Reforming local government: natural disasters played a role in

prompting reform of city government. 1900 Galveston (TX) Hurricane – tidal surge demolished the city. City council botched relief and rebuilding – TX had to appoint commission of experts to take over rebuilding Galveston. This success prompted the city to adopt the commission idea of government. By 1917 500 cities followed this example of government

• Reform mayors: How did city government change during the Progressive Era? The commission system and council-manager system were introduced; some reform mayors made citizens more active in managing cities.• Reform at the State Level: Progressive governors in many states

passed laws to regulate railroads, mines, mills, telephone co. And other large businesses.

5. Robert M. La Follette: Progressive Republican Wisconsin governor – “fighting Bob” led the way in regulating big business. He wanted to drive corporations out of politics and treat them the same as everyone else. RR Industry: taxed at the same rate as other businesses, regulated rates.

• Why did reformers seek to end child labor? Businesses exploited children, paying them low wages and forcing them to work long hours in dangerous conditions. Children were viewed as part of the family economy. However, children were more prone to accidents caused by fatigue and developed health problems and stunted growth. • 1904 National Child Labor Committee gathered the harsh evidence of

working conditions. Labor unions felt that child labor lowered wages for all. These groups pressure national politicians to pass the Keating-Owen Act in 1916 – it prohibits the transportation across state lines of goods produced with child labor – later declared unconstitutional. It set in motion legislature banning child labor and setting maximum hours.

• Reforming elections: What was the impact of the direct election of senators? Members of the Senate were no longer appointed by state legislatures, over whom special interests had influence. Instead senators were elected by popular vote.

6. initiative: citizens could petition to place an “initiative” – a bill originated by the people rather than lawmakers – on a ballot. Then voters, instead of the legislature, accepted or rejected the initiative by 7. Referendum – a vote on the initiative. The 8. recall enabled voters to remove public officials from elected positions by forcing them to face another election before the end of their term if enough voters asked for it. 9. 17th Amendment: 1912 – ratified in 1913. made direct election of senators the law.

Section 2 p. 329Women in Public Life

• Main idea: as a result of social and economic change, many women entered public life as workers and reformers• Why it matters now: Women won new opportunities in labor and

education that are enjoyed today.

• OBJ: How was women’s suffrage achieved?

11. suffrage: right to vote.12. Susan B. Anthony: leader of the woman’s suffrage movement. She and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Women Suffrage Association. • 3 part strategy:• Convince state legislature to grant women the right to vote• Women pursued court cases to test the 14th amendment. 1875 the

Supreme Court said women were citizens but still denied them the right to vote. • They pushed for a national constitutional amendment -

Section 3 p. 333Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal

• Main idea: As president, Theodore Roosevelt worked to give citizens a Square Deal through progressive reforms.• Why it matters now: As part of his Square Deal, Roosevelt’s

conservation efforts made a permanent impact on environmental resources.

• OBJ: How did Roosevelt use his power to regulate business and protect the public and environment?

13. Upton Sinclair: a muckraking journalist. His research novel exposed the sickening conditions of the meatpacking industry. 14. The Jungle: a novel written in 1906 by Upton Sinclair exposing the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry.

15. Theodore Roosevelt: became president in 1901. He modernized the presidency through his leadership and public campaigns. . He was an avid outsdoorsman. Lead the “Rough Riders” up San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He say the presidency as a “bully pulpit” from which he could influence the news media and shape legislation. He was a Trust Buster. He expanded the responsibilities of the presidency. If Big Business victimized workers, he would see to it that the common people received what he called a -

16. Square Deal:This term was used to describe the various progressive reforms sponsored by the Roosevelt administration.What actions and characteristics of Teddy Roosevelt contributed to his reputation as the first modern president? Roosevelt was an active, forceful, and energetic executive; he used his position to shape legislation and influence the media.

17. Meat Inspection: After Roosevelt read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, he responded to the public’s clamor for action. He appointed a commission of experts to investigate the meatpacking industry. The commission’ report was scathing. In 1906 he pushed for passage of the Meat Inspection Act – which dictated strict cleanliness requirements for meatpackers and created the program of federal meat inspection that was in use until it was replaced by more sophisticated techniques in the 1990s.18. Pure Food and Drug Act: 1906 congress pass this act which halted

the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for TRUTH in LABELING. It didn’t necessarily ban harmful products BUT required truthful labeling. The progressive’s believed that given accurate information, people would act wisely.

19. Conservation: the planned management of natural resources, involving the protection of some wilderness areas and the development of others for the common good.

20. NAACP: 1909 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. A civil rights organization who’s aim was for nothing less than full equality among races. It found little support in the progressive movement – which was focused on the needs of middle-class whites. Carter Woodson encouraged Afr/Am to take pride in their history and founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and later established Negro History Week – celebrated today as Black History Month.

21. Collude: to act together secretly to achieve an illegal or deceitful purpose.Accommodation: adapting or making adjustments in order to satisfy someone else.

Section 4 p. 344Progressivism Under Taft

• Main Idea: Taft’s ambivalent approach to progressive reform led to a split in the Republican Party and the loss of the presidency to the Democrats. • Why it matters today: Third-party candidates continue to wrestle with

how to become viable candidates.

• OBJ: Describe events of the Taft presidency

22. William Howard Taft: hand picked by Roosevelt to run against William Jennings Bryan for the presidency in 1908. He cautiously pursued progressive reforms. Served only 1 term as president. Didn’t like it – in 1921 became chief justice of the Supreme Court considering it his highest achievement. 23. Bull Moose Party: when Teddy Roosevelt decided to run for president again, he lost the Republican nomination – he formed a 3rd party – the Bull Moose Party – a Progressive party. It split the Republican party and gave the Democrats the presidential election – New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson becomes president in 1912.24. Woodrow Wilson: this reform Democrat governor of New Jersey became the president in 1912 with the split in the Republican Party. Was president for 2 terms.

Section 5Wilson’s New Freedom

• Main idea: Woodrow Wilson established a strong reform agenda as a progressive leader• Why it matters now: The passage of the 19th Amendment during

Wilson’s administration granted women the right to vote.

• OBJ: Summarize Wilson’s presidency and women’s suffrage

25. Injunction: a court order prohibiting a party from a specific course of action.26. Carrie Chapman Catt: the president of the NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association) who saw the victory for women’s right to vote. The passage of the suffrage amendment became the capstone of the progressive movement. 27. Clayton Antitrust Act: law, enacted in 1914, that made certain monopolistic business practices illegal and protected the rights of labor unions and farm organizations. It prohibited corporations from acquiring the stock of another if doing so would create a monopoly. Unions and farm organizations had the right to exist and were no longer subject to antitrust laws. Strikes, picketing, boycotts were legal. Samuel Gompers called it a Magna Carta for labor.

28. Federal Trade Commission (FTC): the second major antitrust measure. This act was set up in 1914. It is a “watchdog” agency that was given the power to investigate possible violations of regulatory statutes, to require periodic reports from corporations, and to put an end to a number of unfair business practices. Under Wilson almost 400 cease-and-desist orders were issued to companies engaged in illegal activities. 29. Federal Reserve System: by 1923 about 70% of the nation’s banking resources were part of the federal reserve system. It still serves as the basis of the nation’s banking system. 30. 19th Amendment: in 1919 Congress passed the 19th amendment to the constitution – ratified in 1920 giving women the right to vote – 72 years after women had first convened and demanded the vote at Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.

31. Appease: pacify by granting concession. Why does the progressive movement come to and end? WWI. America becomes involved in the War in Europe.

WOODROW WILSON:

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