The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

The Gilded Age & Progressive Reform

Chapter 19, Section 1

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Americans were worried, and becoming angry.

Reformers try to end government corruption and limit the influence of big business.

For many Americans, the growing cities with electricity and skyscrapers began to seem hollow. Slums, diseases, and poverty also were growing.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

The years following the Civil War were marked by excitement and change as amazing new inventions transformed daily life.

Beneath the glittering surface of American society, however, were serious problems.

The Gilded Age1870–1890

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Americans were outraged and demanded changes to limit the power of monopolies and corruption in the government.

Some of the business leaders who built giant corporations abused their power.

Politicians accepted bribes and did not appoint the most capable people to positions.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

The press played a key role in exposing corruption.

What the reporters revealed shocked Americans and stirred public opinion.

Muckrakers launched investigations into dishonest business dealings and corrupt government officials.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Jacob Riis revealed shocking images of dangerous conditions in slums and tenements.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, described, in grisly detail, the workings of the meatpacking industry.

Public outcry over the book led to passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Ida Tarbell targeted the unfair practices of big business, focusing on the oil industry and John D. Rockefeller.

Tarbell’s writing led to new demands to limit the power of the trusts.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

In 1890, Congress passed a law to regulate the ruthless business tactics of the trusts.

ShermanAntitrust

Act

• Prohibited businesses from trying to limit or destroy competition

While the act was meant to limit the power of big businesses, it was actually used against labor unions.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

InterstateCommerce

Act

In 1887, another law was aimed at ending the unfair practices of the railroads.

• Prohibited practices such as rebates

• Set up the Interstate Commerce Commission to oversee railroads

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Government corruption was especially hard to control in the nation’s cities.

Powerful city bosses like New York’s William Tweed grew rich accepting bribes and other payoffs.

Americans also demanded action be taken against dishonest government officials.

Cartoon of Boss Tweed as greedy giant

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Despite bosses’ corruption, they were loved by the poor.

Bosses would hand out turkeys for

Thanksgiving and coal during the

winter.

In exchange, the poor would vote

for the boss or the boss’s candidate.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Corruption was also a problem at the national level.

Much of the government corruption of the time stemmed from the spoils system.

• Presidents gave jobs to people as a reward for political support.

• Some were qualified; many

Spoils system

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

The spoils system was out of control.

Vice President Chester A. Arthur had benefitted from the spoils system. But when he became president, he worked to reform the system.

President James Garfield was killed by a disappointed office seeker.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

In 1883, President Arthur signed a law requiring that government jobs be filled on the basis of merit.

PendletonAct

• Created the Civil Service Commission

• Jobs would go to those scoring the highest on civil service exams

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Widespread corruption led to a surge in support for the Progressive movement.

Many other states followed Wisconsin’s lead, passing new laws to protect the public interest.

• Supported primary elections of candidates

• Commissioned experts to solve problems

Governor Robert La Follette introduced a series of Progressive reforms known as the Wisconsin Idea.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Progressive reforms also resulted in two new amendments to the Constitution, both ratified in 1913.

SixteenthAmendment

• Gave Congress the power to pass an income tax

• Resulted in the graduated income tax

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

SeventeenthAmendment

• Required that senators be elected directly by the people, rather than by state legislatures

Progressives wanted to end the bribery of state legislatures.

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The Gilded Age and Progressive Reform

Many Progressive reforms put more power in the hands of voters.

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