Chapter 21The Age of Reform

1880-1920

Section 1: Early Reforms in TexasSection 2: James Hogg & the Populists

Section 3: Progressivism & James FergusonPages 436-451

Section 1Early Reforms in Texas

With the development of industry and transportation, life in Texas was changing dramatically. As a result, Texas laws and

politics needed to change as well.

Reforms • Many people moving to cities….much new

industry

• Texas government had to change to keep up with the times…needed reform

– Reform: changes made to improve something

• Reforms included1. limits placed on power of governor

2. State officials had to be elected, not appointed

3. Reduced taxes…but cuts had to be made

Improving EducationEducation

• Constitution of 1876 –set aside money for schools from land sales

–Set aside money for school taxes, like Poll Tax and school tax

–Poll Tax: a tax that each person must pay in order to vote

• In 1884, counties could create own school districts, school population grew rapidly

• Emphasis placed on job training in schools

• Colleges were created in 1870s-1880s–Texas A & M–University of Texas at Austin

Prohibition•Prohibition Movement

• Started in1866 …closed saloons on Sundays• Thought drinking led to poverty, crime, and family violence

• Temperance Movement• Supported total ban on alcohol• Texas women started the Women’s Christian Temperance Union• Keep alcohol out of Texas, dry counties/wet counties

• Prohibition: a national movement to ban manufacture, sale, transportation, or use of alcoholic beverages

• Temperance: avoidance of alcohol

Prohibition, con’t

• World War I started…worried about effects on soldiers away from home– In 1918, Texas closed all saloons and ratified

18th amendment to US Constitution

• 18th Amendment– Prohibited manufacture, sale, and

transportation of alcoholic beverages

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/media_content/m-5252.jpghttp://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/prohibition1.htm

http://www.emsah.uq.edu.au/awsr/Act_Centenary/whoiswho.htm

Prohibition and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union

Women’s Suffrage• Women were becoming very active in Texas politics but still

denied suffrage– Suffrage: the right to vote

• In 1903, Texas Equal Right’s Suffrage Association started– Result: in 1918,women could vote in Primaries

• Primary: an election held to determine who will serve as a political party’s candidate in a major election

• In 1919, US voted on 19th Amendment:– 19th Amendment gave women right to vote

Section 2James Hogg & the Populists

After enduring the unfair practices of railroads and other corporations, citizens rose up and demanded

that the rights of the average Texas citizen be protected.

Railroad Abuses• Railroads helped farmers but railroad companies

took advantage of farmers by charging high prices and giving favors to politicians, etc

• People wanted that stopped– Members of The Grange wanted to stop the abuse

• An organized group of farmers• Made of farmers to talk about crops, livestock, etc.• Also, could purchase farm products in bulk for cheaper• Started putting pressure on railroad leaders to stop unfair

practices

Hogg’s Fight for Freedom• James S. Hogg

– From Rusk, TX; was district attorney and then became attorney general

– Fought for reform of large corporations• Insurance industry: lawsuits if didn’t follow law

• Railroad industry: wanted to break up the railroad trust that controlled high prices for customers

– Trust: a group of companies in the same industry that set prices and reduce competition

• Hogg thought the railroad trust was a monopoly– Monopoly: one company’s complete control over a type of

product or service in a market

• He fought for a state antitrust law to make monopolies illegal– Antitrust: opposed to large corporations that control or limit

business activities

The Railroad Commission

• Hogg was elected governor in 1890

• Also created reforms (Hogg Laws)– Forcing large corporations to sell land– Limited amount of debt a city could have– Increased school year from 4 to 6 months– Increased funding for schools/colleges– Changed way decisions were made about pardons for prisoners

• Established the Texas Railroad Commission– To oversee all railroad activity in state…helped to lower prices,

shipping costs, etc. The Railroad Commission also regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas.

Hogg and the Populists• Hogg was successful because of people’s belief in Populism

– Populism: a political party for the common people that resulted in the formation of the People’s Party or Populists (1892)

• This party helped mainly farmers and ranchers

• The Populist Party:– Called for regulation of business– Public ownership of railroads, telephone/telegraph – Elimination of national banking system– Wanted public warehouses for crop storage till prices increased– Wanted labor reform– Wanted direct election of Senators

– Wanted a Graduated Income Tax• Graduated Income Tax: a tax set according to how much a

person earns

Hogg and the Populists, con’t• Populist Party never controlled Texas state

government– But did have Populist senators, House of

Representative members– National Democratic Party started adopting

Populist Ideas

• State economy did improve after Populist pressure

• Read about “Miss Ima Hogg” on page 446

The Hogg Family

Ima Hogg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg

Governor James Hogg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Jim_hogg.jpg/220px-Jim_hogg.jpg

Section 3Progressivism and James Ferguson

During the early 1900s, populism expanded into the Progressive movement.

Progressives wanted the government to operate more like a business. A number of

politicians joined this effort, including controversial governor James E. Ferguson.

• During 1900s, Populist ideas changed into Progressive movement

• Progressives wanted government more like a business

• Governor James Ferguson supported this idea

• Reform began to spread to cities– Between 1890-1930s…cities grew rapidly…businesses

grew and generated more taxes for Texas government

• Beliefs about social, economic, and political reforms were known as Progressivism– Progressivism: social reform movement based on

improving society through power of the government

Disaster Leads to Change• Hurricane at Galveston in 1900…wiped out most

of city (see page 448)

• People knew old style of government could not handle rebuilding of Galveston

• Started a new style called a city commission– Commission: a group of government officials

elected to perform specific duties

• City commissioners made decisions about how to run the city– Very successful and adopted by other cities

Hurricanes and Humans Video

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Twisted_house,_Galveston_hurricane,_1900.jpg

http://www.ritainfo.com/1900-galveston-hurricane.html

The Galveston Hurricane

1900

Progressives Push for Change

• Created state banking system

• Better conditions in Texas prisons

• Better (more fair) way to tax property

• Passed laws to have food/drugs inspected for safety before they could be sold

• Texas labor laws changed– Number of hours a person could work in a day– Child Labor Laws

• Kids under 12 could not work in industrial plants• Kids under 16 could not work in mines, distilleries, or breweries

• Could not use blacklists to discriminate against labor unions– Blacklist: a list of persons who are to be punished or

boycotted

“Farmer Jim” Takes Office

• 1915…Jim Ferguson elected as governor– Lawyer and banker; no political experience

– Campaign for governor focused on helping poor tenant farmers…where nickname came from

– Did good things as governor• Limited amount of rent landowner could charge • Create State Dept of Forestry• Improved rural schools and increased funding

for Texas colleges• Expanded labor laws and education reforms

– But he made powerful enemies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E._Ferguson

Ferguson is Impeached• 2nd term as governor, got into verbal fight with

University of Texas Board of Regents– They wouldn’t fire some professors who had opposed

him in election– Ferguson vetoed university’s funding from state

• So, impeachment process started– Charges were mainly over misuse of money

• Impeach: to bring formal charges of misconduct against a public official to remove him from office

– He resigned before he could be impeached but he was impeached anyway

African Americans Seek Reform

• Things still weren’t good for many African Americans – Economic conditions were bad for them

– Democrats did things to keep them from voting• Poll Tax hurt them because they couldn’t pay tax to vote

– New laws were passed in 1910-11 that were unfair

• Laws segregated waiting rooms, railroad cars, water fountains, restrooms, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, etc

• These laws were known as the Jim Crow Laws

– To fight back, African Americans joined labor unions and formed the NAACP

Jim Crow Video

Hispanic Texans

• Many Hispanics were victims of Jim Crow Laws

• They faced discrimination just like African Americans