fighting for change the progressive movement. basic problems of the gilded age: poor working...
TRANSCRIPT
Fighting for
ChangeThe Progressive
Movement
Basic Problems of the Gilded Age:• poor working conditions
• unfair labor practices
• political corruption
• environmental destruction
• monopolies
• discrimination and legal segregation for women, African Americans, and immigrants
• unstable economy
• social divide between rich and poor
Causes of Problems:• Industrialization
• Immigration
• Urbanization
• Bank Instability
• Lack of Government Regulation
The Progressive Movement
• Why this name? – The Progressives want change– To some, change is bad
• For example, the factory owners may see new regulations (lots of fire exits, for example) as a drain on their profitability
– The Progressives are making the point that change is… you guessed it… • Progress!
Origins of Progressives:• Farmers
-railroads had monopolies could charge farmers high prices to ship crops
- Result farmers work harder each year and make less money
-Farmers form Grangers a sort of farmer’s union that fought to regulate railroads
-succeeded with the Interstate Commerce Act
• Labor Unions
Origins of Progressives: (cont.)
• Populists- Labor Unions and Grangers formed a new political party (the Populists) to challenge a gov which seemed to only care about the rich and powerful
• Populists never won the presidency, but did cause other parties to adopt some popular ideas
Other Reformers• Social Gospel Movement
– Salvation through charity – Help the poor and the weak – Settlement Houses
• Set up in slums to take care of those in need and new immigrants
• Run mostly by educated women
• Muckrackers
TheMuckrakersOriginally considered a negative term, but eventually these journalists helped
inspire others to fight for progressive change – including
President Teddy Roosevelt
Who and What are the Muckrakers?
• investigative reporters attempting to uncover corruption in American society
• primarily wrote articles for newspapers, magazines, and journals
• some published entire books
Focused on raking the muck of society and
making it public knowledge.
Famous Muckrakers:Ida Tarbell
(focused on monopolies like Rockefeller’s Oil Monopoly)
Lincoln Steffens(focused on government
corruption like political machines)
Upton Sinclair(focused on immigrant’s experience)
The Jungle