UNIT 3: A MODERN AMERICAThe Progressive Era

PROGRESSIVE?

Definition A group, person, or

idea, that favors social reform or implementing new ideas.

Change that happens over time, step by step.

Both of these definitions fit the Progressive Era.

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA BASIC FACTS

A reform movement in America from 1890-1920 that focused on removing the gild and correcting the wrongs that had developed.

The Progressive Presidents: Teddy Roosevelt, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson

Address issues in 3 main areas: Social Business Government

HOW IT GETS STARTED

Populist Movement Farmers who united together at the turn of

the century to fight Railroads Industrialization meant new farming methods Farmers went into debt to pay for new

machines Production increases, prices drop

Farmers can’t pay back loans or lose profit Combine that with RR charging high prices to

ship goods Farmers create an alliance that becomes

Progressivism at the national level

SOCIAL PROGRESSIVISM

The People: Jacob Riis, Jane Addams, WEB DuBois, Susan B.

Anthony The Problem:

Fix what industrialization messed up Immigration = discrimination Overcrowded cities = unsafe Little education

The Solution: Show people what it is really like in these cities

JACOB RIIS (REECE)

Emigrated from Denmark in 1870 (21)

Lived in poverty once in the US

Wanted to show how bad the situation had actually gotten Words were not

enough Decided to take

pictures to show instead of tell

JACOB RIIS

He published “How the Other Half Lives” to showcase how bad tenements were.

The Upper Class was appalled and housing reform was enacted.

Tenement meant to hold 12 families.

TENEMENT ABANDONED AFTER A FIRE

MAN LIVED IN CELLAR FOR 4 YEARS

DRAWING OF A CITY BLOCK

Above: Arabic Immigrants forced to live on the streets

Below: a woman lives on the roof to fight TB

LIVING UNDER THE GARBAGE HEAP

CHILD GANG MEMBERS

ORPHAN CHILDREN AT THE 5 POINTS

12 YEAR OLD FACTORY WORKER

SOCIAL REFORM

City and Urban Reform Address the issues of homelessness,

poverty, and disease in the country. Fought for better transport, building codes,

fire safety regulation, and police Tenement Act of 1901

Passed in NY, others will follow Population limits, building codes, bathroom and

plumbing requirements, safety precautions

JANE ADDAMS

Led the Progressive movement in terms of women and children

Founder of Hull House Settlement house in

Chicago, est. 1889 Provide social and

educational resources to the neighborhood buy offering classes

Literature, art history, domestic abilities, etc

THE CHARTER

"To provide a center for a higher civic and social life; to institute and maintain educational and philanthropic enterprises, and to investigate and improve the conditions in the industrial districts of Chicago.

WEB DUBOIS

Civil Rights Activist NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Formed by WEB Du Bois and Jane Addams

Fought for fair treatment and equality

Aimed at segregation in the government

ADL Anti-Defamation League

Fight the negative views on Jews

DISCRIMINATION Plessy V. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court case which declared that separate but equal WAS allowed

Louisiana man Homer Plessy sat in a whites only section of a train car and was arrested

He fought it using the 14th amendment as his justification

They said that it was within a states jurisdiction to control segregation

Immigration Quota System

We will only allow a certain number of immigrants from each country every year

Limits opportunity We can be selective

SOCIAL REFORM

Prohibition Protestant Reform to fight “the parent of

crimes and the mother of sins”… aka alcohol

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)

Pressured congress into passing the 18th amendment in 1919

Forbade the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcohol

Repealed in 1933 (14 years later) Started an entire subculture

PROHIBITION CONTINUED

Carry A. Nation Part of the

‘temperance’ movement

Lived in Kansas Known for her

vandalism and violence at bars and saloons

Used a hatchet Wanted to ‘carry the

nation’ to the light

SOCIAL REFORM

Women’s Suffrage Susan B. Anthony

Tried for voting as a demonstration Famous activist, “failure is impossible”

Slowly, state by state, women began winning the vote

Pickets, hunger strikes, speeches, demonstrations, jail time, and protests made headlines

Eventually, Congress passed the 19th amendment in 1920

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYQhRCs9IHM

SOCIAL REFORM

Susan B. Anthony was arrested for trying to vote in the 1872 presidential election

Fined $100 Never paid it ;)

BUSINESS REFORM

The People Teddy Roosevelt, Upton Sinclair, the PEOPLE

The Problem Big Business

Monopolies rule, capitalism is hindered Laissez-Faire

No regulation on goods or practices

The Solution Creating a fair deal for all

THE MAN BEHIND THE BEAR

Teddy Roosevelt Energetic military man ‘placed’ as VP

And then McKinley is assassinated… (sound familiar?)

“Bully” Pulpit He now had a good platform to make his

changes from “Square” Deal

His plan for creating an agreement between businesses, workers, and consumers that was fair for all.

THE TWO SIDES OF TEDDY

ENERGETIC AND PERSONABLE ROUGH AND MILITARISTIC

TR’S BUSINESS REFORMS

Decides to attack the big businesses of America

Starts ‘trust-busting’ Literally breaking up

corporate trusts

“We demand that big business give the people a square deal!”

TR’S BUSINESS REFORMS

Trust-busting basics 1902: Sues the Northern Securities

Company, Supreme Court finds guilty of violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Regulates Railroads Treat small farms fairly and charge an

acceptable price Increases governments hand in business

Interstate commerce, government set rates, etc

TR’S BUSINESS REFORMS

Aimed at keeping people safe Problems of the time:

In order to keep profits high and costs low, businesses were flat out lying about their products.

Formaldehyde in eggs Mixtures and potions as ‘miracle’ cures

Heroin in teething cures

TR’S BUSINESS REFORMS

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle exposed problems in the meat packing industry.

Excerpts on pages 528 and 538

TR’S BUSINESS REFORMS

In reaction to The Jungle, TR orders an inspection of the industry The findings are (surprise!) disgusting Congress passes :

Meat Inspection Act Check out what’s shipped across state lines

Pure Food and Drug Act Labels and no falsifying items

THE CONSERVATION WARRIOR

Teddy also wanted to preserve the resources and natural places in the US. A lot of damage had been done during

expansion and industrialization Keep some areas wooded and natural Develop certain areas as recreational locations for

profit National Parks Irrigation in dry areas 18 national monuments US Forest Service

150 million acres

THE CONSERVATION WARRIOR

“We of an older generation can get along with what we have… but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied and man so thoughtlessly destroyed; and because of what you want you will reproach us, not for what we have used, but for what we have wasted.”

AND JUST BECAUSE THIS PICTURE EXISTS…

PASSING THE CROWN

Teddy decides not to run again in 1908 Instead, he supports

Taft, a fellow Republican Taft begins strong, but

quickly abandons conservation in pursuit of his own interests

Government Reforms After Taft’s 4 years,

Roosevelt decides to run again!

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

1912- Taft (R), Wilson (D), Roosevelt (BM/P)

Wilson wins because the R party was split

New Freedom Reform of banking, legislation, reduced

tariff Needed the income tax more

FRA Federal Reserve

Act Banking Security

GOVERNMENT REFORM

The People Teddy Roosevelt,

William Taft, Woodrow Wilson

The Problem Corruption in

government, lack of true democracy

The Solution New regulations and

laws

GOVERNMENT REFORMS

Elections Several close call elections, known voting

scandals, misplaced ballots, over-voting, etc Fix it so that it is fairer and more trustworthy

What we can thank the Progressives for:

Secret ballotkeeps your vote hidden 17th amendment voters elect their senators Direct electionvoters pick ‘primary’

candidates 3 new measuresinitiative, referendum, recall

GOVERNMENT REFORMS

Election Reforms Initiative:

Voters think of a law and have the public vote on it

Referendum: Citizens can vote on a passed law to keep or

get rid of it

Recall: Remove an elected official with a special

election

WHAT DID THE PRESIDENTS DO?

Roosevelt Focused on conservation of American lands

Taft Passed the 16th amendment

Established the Income Tax What type of progressive reform would this be?

Wilson Has to spend most of his time looking abroad due

to the Great War Women’s Suffrage is granted under his presidency

What kind of progressive reform is this?

SIGNIFICANCE

The Progressives focused on changing the bad things that had happened during the industrial revolution and immigration. They did this by changing the social, governmental, and workplace aspects of life. Many of the reforms of the time still have an impact on us today. These people wanted to change the home front, but what was going on elsewhere… :)