The Legacy of The Legacy of ProgressivismProgressivism

A Helping Hand to Those in A Helping Hand to Those in Need, or Just Enough to Keep Need, or Just Enough to Keep

the Rebellion at Bay?the Rebellion at Bay?

Supporters of the Progressive Supporters of the Progressive MovementMovement

• The middle classesThe middle classes• WomenWomen• Former PopulistsFormer Populists• Muckraking journalistsMuckraking journalists• Politicians from both major partiesPoliticians from both major parties

Causes of ProgressivismCauses of Progressivism

Growth of Industry + Growth of Cities

Political Reforms Social Reforms Economic Reforms

Accomplishments on the State Accomplishments on the State and Local Levelsand Local Levels

• Settlement House Movement (Jane Settlement House Movement (Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr)Addams and Ellen Gates Starr)

• Birth Control (Margaret Sanger and Birth Control (Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood)Planned Parenthood)

• Regulation of public utilitiesRegulation of public utilities• Pragmatic education (John Dewey)Pragmatic education (John Dewey)• City commissions and city managersCity commissions and city managers

Hull HouseHull House

Women’s Rights Seeks a New Women’s Rights Seeks a New GoalGoal

Progressivism, but not for Progressivism, but not for African-Americans?African-Americans?• Black Rights actually diminish during the Black Rights actually diminish during the

so-called Progressive Eraso-called Progressive Era• SlaughterhouseSlaughterhouse cases cases• Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. Ferguson (1896) (1896)• Disenfranchisement in the SouthDisenfranchisement in the South

– Poll taxesPoll taxes– Literacy testsLiteracy tests– Jim Crow lawsJim Crow laws– White PrimariesWhite Primaries

Yet the Fight ContinuesYet the Fight Continues• Booker T. Booker T.

WashingtonWashington– Born in slaveryBorn in slavery– Tuskegee InstituteTuskegee Institute– Pushes for economic Pushes for economic

advancementadvancement– Atlanta Atlanta

“Compromise” “Compromise” speechspeech

• W.E.B. DuBoisW.E.B. DuBois– Born free and Harvard Born free and Harvard

educatededucated– Pushes for complete, Pushes for complete,

immediate equalityimmediate equality– ““Talented Tenth”Talented Tenth”– Niagara MovementNiagara Movement– NAACPNAACP– Support for Ida B. Support for Ida B.

Wells’ anti-lynching Wells’ anti-lynching crusadecrusade

Accomplishments on the Accomplishments on the National LevelNational Level

• The Progressive Amendments:The Progressive Amendments:– 1616thth=progressive income taxes=progressive income taxes– 1717thth=direct election of Senators=direct election of Senators– 1818thth=national prohibition of alcohol=national prohibition of alcohol– 1919thth=woman suffrage=woman suffrage

The Roosevelt PresidencyThe Roosevelt PresidencyThe 3 C’s of the Square DealThe 3 C’s of the Square Deal

Control of CorporationsControl of CorporationsConsumer ProtectionsConsumer ProtectionsConservationConservation

Teddy the TrustbusterTeddy the Trustbuster• 44 anti-trust lawsuits brought by the 44 anti-trust lawsuits brought by the

Justice Department beginning in 1904 Justice Department beginning in 1904 with the Northern Securities casewith the Northern Securities case

• 1903 Elkins Act 1903 Elkins Act • 1906 Hepburn Act1906 Hepburn Act• Creation of the Department of Labor Creation of the Department of Labor

and Commerceand Commerce

Are You a Good Trust or a Bad Are You a Good Trust or a Bad Trust?Trust?

What Happens When What Happens When The The Jungle Jungle Makes You Puke into the Makes You Puke into the

Rose Garden?Rose Garden?

T.R. and ConservationT.R. and Conservation• 125 million acres of 125 million acres of

timberland timberland preservedpreserved

• 1902 Newlands Act1902 Newlands Act• Yosemite National Yosemite National

Park (and other Park (and other parks and parks and monuments)monuments)

Taft’s ProgressivismTaft’s Progressivism

• Institutes 90 anti-trust lawsuits, Institutes 90 anti-trust lawsuits, including the case that broke up including the case that broke up Standard OilStandard Oil

•1910 Mann-Elkins Act includes 1910 Mann-Elkins Act includes telephones under the supervision telephones under the supervision of the ICCof the ICC

Taft’s Conservative Taft’s Conservative “Betrayals”“Betrayals”

• 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff (leaves tariffs 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff (leaves tariffs at nearly 41%)at nearly 41%)

• 1909 Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy 1909 Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy over the perceived misuse of federal over the perceived misuse of federal landslands

• 1910 Angers progressives by 1910 Angers progressives by supporting conservative Speaker of the supporting conservative Speaker of the House “Uncle Joe” Cannon when the House “Uncle Joe” Cannon when the House revolts against himHouse revolts against him

The Election of 1912The Election of 1912

Wilson’s “New Freedom”Wilson’s “New Freedom”• GoalsGoals

– Banking and currency reformBanking and currency reform– Lower tariffLower tariff– Labor reformsLabor reforms– Anti-trustAnti-trust– Agriculture reformsAgriculture reforms– ConservationConservation– Health and sanitationHealth and sanitation

What’s Actually What’s Actually Accomplished?Accomplished?

• Attacking the “Triple Wall of Attacking the “Triple Wall of Privilege”Privilege”– 1913 Federal Reserve Act1913 Federal Reserve Act– 1913 Underwood Tariff (27%), included 1913 Underwood Tariff (27%), included

an income taxan income tax– 1914 Clayton Anti-trust Act1914 Clayton Anti-trust Act

A Little Help from Bob A Little Help from Bob LaFolletteLaFollette

• 1915 LaFollette 1915 LaFollette Seaman’s ActSeaman’s Act

• 1916 Federal Farm 1916 Federal Farm ActAct

• 1916 Warehouse 1916 Warehouse ActAct

• 1916 Workingman’s 1916 Workingman’s Compensation ActCompensation Act

The Demise of The Demise of ProgressivismProgressivism

• So, what kills off the reform impulse?So, what kills off the reform impulse?– WWI takes precedence for a whileWWI takes precedence for a while– Then, major constitutional reforms just Then, major constitutional reforms just

after the war ends (thank the women after the war ends (thank the women and protect the young soldiers)and protect the young soldiers)

– Primarily, though, it’s the 1920’s Primarily, though, it’s the 1920’s prosperity that makes progressivism prosperity that makes progressivism seem unnecessaryseem unnecessary