Modern America EmergesModern America EmergesModern America EmergesModern America Emerges

Unit 7Unit 7Unit 7Unit 7

At the turn of the century At the turn of the century there were a lot of people there were a lot of people that wanted to make things that wanted to make things

better in Americabetter in America These people were part These people were part of an idea called of an idea called progressivismprogressivism

(They wanted people to have (They wanted people to have better opportunities and fix better opportunities and fix injustices)injustices)

YouYou’’ve heard of these movements ve heard of these movements before – suffrage, civil rights, before – suffrage, civil rights, temperance, prison reform, temperance, prison reform, education movements…..education movements…..

At this time the At this time the president was…president was…

Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt (Teddy Roosevelt)(Teddy Roosevelt) He became president He became president when William when William McKinley (was McKinley (was assassinated after assassinated after just 6 months in just 6 months in office.office.

He was our youngest He was our youngest president ever president ever (Kennedy was (Kennedy was youngest ever youngest ever ““electedelected””).).

RooseveltRoosevelt

Saw government as an Saw government as an ““umpireumpire”” that made sure that made sure everyone got a everyone got a ““square deasquare deall ”” – workers, consumers, – workers, consumers, and big business.and big business.

Passed the Passed the Sherman Anti-Sherman Anti-Trust ActTrust Act (Which did a lot (Which did a lot of things to get rid of of things to get rid of things that things that ““just werenjust weren’’t t right.)right.)””

Broke up the railroads, Broke up the railroads, oil companies, tobacco oil companies, tobacco companies – whose power companies – whose power and wealth was in the and wealth was in the hands of just a fewhands of just a few

All together dealt with 44 All together dealt with 44 corporations while corporations while president.president.

Another business that needed Another business that needed regulating was the meat packing regulating was the meat packing

industryindustry Upton Sinclair wrote a Upton Sinclair wrote a

book called: The book called: The Jungle about the meat Jungle about the meat packing industry in packing industry in Chicago.Chicago.

He described horrible He described horrible things – unsanitary and things – unsanitary and unsafe conditions for unsafe conditions for workers, even dead rats workers, even dead rats mixed into the sausage.mixed into the sausage.

Roosevelt passed the:Roosevelt passed the: Meat Inspection Act Meat Inspection Act Pure Food and Drug Act Pure Food and Drug Act

to make food and to make food and medicines safe (like medicines safe (like the FDA today)the FDA today)

The Chicago Stockyards

(closed in 1971)

Source:  "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, 1906Source:  "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, 1906

There were cattle which had been fed on "whiskey malt" There were cattle which had been fed on "whiskey malt" the refuse of the breweries and they had become what the refuse of the breweries and they had become what the men called "steerly" which means covered with the men called "steerly" which means covered with boils. It was a nasty job killing these, for when you boils. It was a nasty job killing these, for when you plunged your knife into them they would burst and plunged your knife into them they would burst and splash foul smelling stuff into your face; and when a splash foul smelling stuff into your face; and when a manman’’s sleeves were smeared with blood, and his hands s sleeves were smeared with blood, and his hands steeped in it, how was he ever to wipe his face, or to steeped in it, how was he ever to wipe his face, or to clear his eyes so that he could see? It was stuff such clear his eyes so that he could see? It was stuff such as this that made the "embalmed beef" that had killed as this that made the "embalmed beef" that had killed several times as many United States soldiers as the several times as many United States soldiers as the bullets of the Spaniards; only the army beef, besides, bullets of the Spaniards; only the army beef, besides, was not fresh canned, it was old stuff that had been was not fresh canned, it was old stuff that had been lying for years in the cellars.lying for years in the cellars.

These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put poison bread out for them; they would die, and then poison bread out for them; they would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together. This is no fairy story and no joke; the meat together. This is no fairy story and no joke; the meat would be shoveled into carts, and the man who did the would be shoveled into carts, and the man who did the shoveling would not trouble to lift out a rat even shoveling would not trouble to lift out a rat even when he saw one-there were things that went into the when he saw one-there were things that went into the sausage in comparison in which a poison rat was a sausage in comparison in which a poison rat was a tidbit.tidbit.

Roosevelt also loved the Roosevelt also loved the outdoorsoutdoors

He loved to hunt, He loved to hunt, fish, ride horses, and fish, ride horses, and just be an active just be an active energetic outdoorsman.energetic outdoorsman.

Roosevelt preserved Roosevelt preserved more than 200 million more than 200 million acres of national acres of national parks.parks.

When they wouldnWhen they wouldn’’t let t let him have any more him have any more national parks he came national parks he came up with the idea of up with the idea of national national ““monuments.monuments.””

John Muir John Muir was an was an important man in important man in telling/showing telling/showing everyone what these everyone what these parks were like.parks were like.

John MuirJohn Muir was a Scottish-born was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States wilderness in the United States

The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a presumption not supported by all the facts. A numerous class of men are painfully astonished whenever they find anything, living or dead, in all God’s universe, which they cannot eat or render in some way what they call useful to themselves. They have precise dogmatic insight into the intentions of the Creator, and it is hardly possible to be guilty of irreverence in speaking of their God any more than of heathen idols. He is regarded as a civilized, law-abiding gentlemen in favor either of a republican form of government or of a limited monarchy; believes in the literature and language of England; is a warm supporter of the English constitution and Sunday schools and missionary societies; and is as purely a manufactured article as any puppet at a half- penny theater. ( “Man’s Place in the Universe”)

National Park System

National Park System from Infoplease.com

This was also a time in U.S. History This was also a time in U.S. History when some new Amendments were added when some new Amendments were added

to the Constitution:to the Constitution:

16th Amendment:16th Amendment: Congress created an income Congress created an income

tax: you pay a percentage tax: you pay a percentage of what who earn at work – of what who earn at work – or from investments.or from investments.

Some other taxes:Some other taxes: Property taxes: on Property taxes: on

property you own – pays for property you own – pays for schools, libraries, fire schools, libraries, fire departments, etc…departments, etc…

Sales Taxes: On the price Sales Taxes: On the price of products people buy.of products people buy.

Estate Taxes: on the value Estate Taxes: on the value of property of a person who of property of a person who has died. has died.

The 18The 18thth Amendment: Amendment: ProhibitionProhibition

Illegal to make. Illegal to make. Sell, or Sell, or transport transport alcoholalcohol

WomenWomen

All the new inventions All the new inventions changed their lives at changed their lives at home (running water / home (running water / electricity).electricity).

Families were becoming Families were becoming smaller.smaller.

Some women started getting Some women started getting jobs (factories, offices, jobs (factories, offices, stores, telephone stores, telephone operators, clerks, operators, clerks, typists).typists).

Some women got college Some women got college degrees.degrees.

But women were expected to But women were expected to quit if they got married.quit if they got married.

And weAnd we’’ve read about ve read about Jane Jane Adams Adams and Hull House in and Hull House in

ChicagoChicago Many other women did Many other women did the same kinds of the same kinds of things.things.

Helped new Helped new immigrants.immigrants.

Helped the unemployed Helped the unemployed find jobs.find jobs.

Set up youth clubs, Set up youth clubs, kindergartens, kindergartens, nurseries.nurseries.

Pressured politicians Pressured politicians for help.for help.

And… finally… the 19And… finally… the 19thth AmendmentAmendmentSusan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady StantonCarrie Chapman CattCarrie Chapman Catt

Women won the right to vote

(suffrage)