Progressive Era

1890-1920 People who

believed American society needed to be fixed◦ Govt./politics◦ Social issues◦ Business practices

Belonged to both political parties

Usually urban dwellers

Educated, middle class Americans

Have a faith in science and technology

Industrialization and Urbanization caused problems

Laissez-faire economics

Unregulated markets Poverty of working

class Filthy living and

working conditions Corruption in

government

Government should fix these problems

To achieve reform, govt. itself had to be reformed.

What was the progressive’s goal? Did the progressives reach their goal? Define terms and give specific examples,

include names, etc…. Name any specific legislation that was

passed dealing with the issue. Does the issue still have relevance today?

Do we still have laws dealing with these problems? Or are they no longer relevant?

1. Muckrakers2. Government

Efficiency3. Political reform-

make government more democratic (pg 549)

4. Suffrage movement

5. Social Welfare:child labor, health and safety

6. Prohibition7. Regulating Big

Business

Muckrakers-define what the term means◦ Provide names and examples of the things they

uncovered

Explain the efficiency movement. How did they solve govt. inefficiency? Provide examples.

Explain how progressives planned to make govt. more democratic. Be sure to define and explain the significance of direct primary initiative, referendum, recall, Robert La Follette

feeding machine

Discuss the suffrage movement. What was their goal, what activities did they engage in in order to reach their goal? Provide names of leaders and examples of what they did? Did they achieve their goal? Name the legislation that was passed.

Describe the campaign against child labor.What was wrong with giving jobs to children? Provide specific examples of legislation that was passed and was it effective.

Treatment: The treatment of children in factories was often cruel and unusual, and the children's safety was generally neglected. The youngest children, who were not old enough to work the machines, were commonly sent to be assistants to textile workers. The people who the children served would beat them, verbally abuse them, and take no consideration for their safety. Both boys and girls who worked in factories were subject to beatings and other harsh forms of pain infliction. One common punishment for being late or not working up to quota would be to be "weighted." An overseer would tie a heavy weight to worker's neck, and have them walk up and down the factory aisles so the other children could see them and "take example." This could last up to an hour. Weighting could lead to serious injuries in the back and/or neck. Punishments such as this would often be dispensed under stringent rules. Boys were sometimes dragged naked from their beds and sent to the factories only holding their clothes, to be put on there. This was to make sure the boys would not be late, even by a few minutes.

By 1900, there were 1.7 million child laborers reported in American industry under the age of fifteen. The number of children under the age of 15 who worked in industrial jobs for wages climbed to 2 million in 1910.

The History Place - Child Labor in America: Investigative Photos of Lewis Hine

1. Name three areas where the progressives concentrated their efforts. What were the problems they wanted to solve?

2. Name two reformers and the reforms they worked on during the Progressive Era.

Roosevelt’s Reforms

Focus:Business: Trust Busting

Social Welfare: regulating foods and drugs

Conservation: regulating timber industry

Three big railroad owners arguing over stocks which could have led to recession, compromised by creating a trust (Northern Securities)

◦ TR said the new company violated the Sherman Anti trust Act (lawsuit was filed) Supreme court ruled

Northern Securities had violated the Sherman Anti-trust Act

Miners wanted: pay increase, reduced work hours, recognition of union

strike continued for months threatening a coal shortage

TR suggested arbitration- owners said no-

◦ Owners finally agreed after TR threatened to have the army run the mines.

Congress creates the Dept. of Commerce and Labor (1903): Bureau of Corporations set up to investigate and issue reports on business activities

Hepburn Act(1906) intended to strengthen the Interstate Commerce Commission- giving it power to set railroad rates. over time RR manipulated the regulations to limit

competition

1905- Consumer Protection becomes a big issue- Patent Medicines and food consumption become serious threats to Americans, forcing new legislation

Patent medicines- only had to be original- not necessarily effective

Advertised that it calmed crying, fussy infants that were teething

Contained morphine-

“baby killers”

Ayer’s Sasparilla

The Jungle-Upton Sinclair – YouTube-movie trailer

Upton Sinclair (Muckraker): The Jungle

Meatpacking Jungle - YouTube

YouTube - Meat Packing: A Cornerstone of Chicago's History- gross video

The Jungle (by Upton Sinclair) – YouTube-

Meat Inspection Act- required federal inspection of meat sold and set standards of cleanliness in meat packing plants.

Pure Food and Drug Act- prohibited the manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure or falsely labeled food and drugs

◦ TR urges conservation of natural resources Newlands Reclamation Act- federal funds to

from land sales to pay for irrigation and land development projects

United States Forest Service- manage timber resources in the West

Gifford Pinchot

TR greatly increased the Executive branches power—people begin to look to the federal govt. to solve the nation’s economic and social problems.

Imagine you are drawing a political cartoon about TR. What fictional character would you use to portray TR ?What qualities did he possess as a President.

◦ Taft ( Rep) supported by TR- beats William Jennings Bryan (D) 1908

◦ Slow approach to problem solving, wanted to avoid the spotlight and conflict- this angered the Progressives

◦ Taft wanted to get rid of high tariffs- felt they hurt consumers and limited competition and protected trusts-

Tried to get lower tariffs- made a deal with Speaker of the House- to get bill through- Senate changed it because they wanted to keep tariffs- Taft gets blamed for Payne Aldrich Tariff by progressives

Taft becomes unpopular with his supporters

Strong supporter of competition- Takes Antitrust cases to court- to try to end the monopolies- twice as many as TR

Children’s Bureau- federal agency that investigated and publicized child labor problems

Mann- Elkins Act- increased regulatory powers of ICC

Conservationist- Bureau of Mines- monitor

activities of the mining companies

Expanded the national forests

Protected waterpower sites from private development

Break with TR felt Taft had betrayed

the progressives Anti trust lawsuit

against U.S. Steel final straw for TR

felt Taft trying to destroy all of his hard work in regulating business while still allowing competition

TR publically criticizes Taft-

TR convinced to enter the Presidential race of 1912

(Rep.) Taft vs. (Rep. progressive) TR vs. (Dem.) Woodrow Wilson

◦ Roosevelt could not get the rep. nomination so ran on the Bull Moose Party ticket (progressive)

◦ TR and Taft split the republican vote so WW won. Popular vote total was less than Taft and TR combined

- New Freedom plan- free enterprise, keeping govt out of the economy, restoring competition

Wilson’s focus was tariffs, the banking system, trusts and workers’ rights

◦ Underwood Tariff- 1913- reduced the average tariff on imported goods to about half of what it had been in the 1880’s.

Income tax- direct tax on earnings of citizens and corporations

◦ Federal Reserve system: making banks keep some of their deposits in reserve to protect customers money

◦ Federal Trade Commission (FTC): investigated companies and issued ‘cease and desist” orders to companies involved in unfair trade practices

◦ Clayton Antitrust Act: Congress passes ban on tying agreements and price discrimination

◦ Keating-Owen Child Labor Act: prohibited the children under the age of 14 from working in factories.

◦ Adamson Act: established an 8 hour workday for RR workers

◦ Federal Farm Loan Act: gave farmers long term loans at low interest rates

People looked to the govt. to play an active role in regulating the economy and solving social problems

Progressives overall expanded democracy and improved the quality of life for women, children and men.

Progressives did many things but they did not adequately address segregation

1905- gather to demand full political rights and to try to end discrimination◦ 1909 National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Founders: W.E.B. DuBois,

Ida Wells-Barnett, Henry Moscowitz, Oswald Garrison Villiard, Mary White Ovington, and William English Walling

How did progressivism change American beliefs about the federal government?

Legislation/agency president What did it do?

Bureau of companies

Bureau of mines

Federal reserve act

Meat inspection act

Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

Federal Trade Commission

Pure Food & Drug Act

Underwood Tariff Act

US Forest Service

President Social Govt./Poli. Business

Roosevelt

Taft

Wilson