The Progressive Era1890-1920

The Progressive Era

• The problems and successes of the Gilded Age motivated some Americans to push for reform in America.– The problems made them question our priorities

as a nation. – The successes made them feel confident in our

ability to overcome problems.

• Many reformers (Progressives) felt it was possible to achieve perfection as a nation.– “City upon a hill”

“Liberal” & “Conservative” What do these terms mean?

Liberals • believe that governments

exist to serve the people and have an obligation to use their powers to help address social problems.

Conservatives • believe that government’s

powers should be limited. That government cannot solve social problems and too much government interferes with people’s lives.

The Progressive Era

• The Progressive Agenda– Progressives had a ‘liberal’ view of government.

• Government has an obligation to use it’s power to solve problems.

Social Problems Economic ProblemsPolitical Problemscrime poverty corruptionovercrowded cities monopolieslack of voter inputlack of services for people low wages for workerswomen couldn’t voteimmigrants weren’t socialized unsafe working conditions political machineschild labor gap between rich and poor lack of regulationdiscrimination long working hours Jim Crow lawshomelessness environmental damage

The Progressive Era• Who were the Progressives?

– Mostly Northerners.– Most lived in cities and suburbs.– Most were professionals and educated.– Both men and women.– Most were white, some were African American.– Many were journalists, authors and photographers.

• Why were these people Progressives?

• Progressives started out as a ‘grass-roots’ movement and eventually convinced millions of Americans to join them.– Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson are called

the Progressive Presidents

The Progressive Era

Progressive Methods• How would Progressives solve these

problems?• What methods would they use?

• What methods do we have today to solve problems in society?

The Progressive Era

Progressive Methods:• Local organizations – motivate people–Marches– Protests– Strikes

• Using the media - expose the problem–Muckrakers

• Running for office – change the system– Starts at the local level but grows

The Progressive Era

Goals of Progressives:• Political Progressivism-–Make government more responsive– End corruption– Give voters more power– Increase government’s regulatory

powers

The Progressive Era

Political Progressivism• Successes

– Presidents – Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson– Primary elections– Direct election of Senators– Initiative, recall and referendum– Women’s suffrage– Anti-trust laws– Government regulation of railroads– Some worker safety laws – FDA– Increased government involvement (environment, banking)

The Progressive Era

Failures of the Progressive Era• Political:–Most states did not have primary

elections– Political machines lived on– No protection for minorities (African-

Americans, Chinese)

The Progressive Era

Goals of Progressives• Economic Progressivism– Improve the lives of workers (pay, hours,

conditions)– Stop monopolies– Close the gap between rich and poor– Protect our resources– End child labor– Increase government regulation of businesses– End poverty

The Progressive Era

Economic Progressivism• Successes– 16th Amendment – Income Tax– Anti-Trust laws– Some child labor laws– Some labor unions succeed– Some working conditions improve– Some states adopt 8 hour work days– Increased government regulation of businesses– Protection of the environment begins– Federal Reserve system

The Progressive Era

Failures of the Progressive Era• Economic:– Child labor continued– Long hours for workers–Working conditions still poor for many– Unions saw little success– Gap between rich and poor continued

The Progressive Era

Goals of Progressives• Social Progressivism –– Improve services for the poor– Fix social problems–Make a unified “American” society– Get government more involved in social

issues

The Progressive Era

Social Progressivism• Successes– Increased number of charities– Better education system (kindergarten)– Settlement Houses– Civil Rights groups form (Washington vs. DuBois)– Some child labor laws– Women get some more respect

• 19th Amendment

– Professional police forces in cities– Improved health care in cities

The Progressive Era

Failures of the Progressive Era• Social:– Discrimination continued (Jim Crow lives)–Women still unequal– Poverty still existed– Progressives went too far – pressured

people to live their lives a certain way. • How would this make people feel about

Progressives?

The Progressive Era

The Biggest Failure

Prohibition• The 18th Amendment (1919) made the

“manufacture, sale or transportation” of alcohol illegal.

Why did Progressives push for this law?

The Progressive Era

• What’s the final verdict?

• How successful were they in accomplishing their goals?

• What effect did they have on our lives today?

The Progressive Era

The End of the Era• Why does Progressivism end?–World War One (1914-1918) preoccupied

people– Prohibition – gave Progressives a bad

name– Fatigue – people got tired of

Progressives trying to save the world and make everyone behave a certain way.

The Progressive Era

Prohibition• Progressives combined with rural, religious Americans

to pass Prohibition.• Alcohol was seen as the root of many evils

– Child and spousal abuse– Poverty– Homelessness– Crime

• Many claimed that the grains used for alcohol could be used to feed the hungry and American soldiers during World War One.

• Most people in cities opposed this law and ignored it.

The Progressive Era

Prohibition• What did Prohibition do?– Crime increased• Ordinary Americans break the law.• Organized crime is born

– Turned people against Progressives–Widened the gap between rural and

urban Americans