Progressivism: A reaction to the Industrial Age

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Progressivism A reaction to the Industrial Age
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Definition

• Reform efforts aimed to
• return control of govt to the people
• restore economic opportunity,
• and correct injustices in American life.
• Goals
• Protect social welfare
• Promote moral improvement
• Create economic reform
• Fostering efficiency

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Social Reform

• Settlement Houses
• Hull House- Jane Addams
• Prohibition
• Temperance movement
• Women
• Higher Education
• Suffrage Movement
• Workers
• Set minimum age
• Limited work hours
• Provide workers compensation

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Economic Reform

• Muckrakers
• Corruption and public life
• Interstate Commerce Act (ICA)
• Prohibited railroad owners from high prices
• Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
• Enforce the ICA
• Meat Inspection Act
• Strict cleanliness requirements for meatpackers
• Pure food and Drug Act
• Halted sale of contaminated foods and medicines
• Conservation
• Preservation of wilderness

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The Jungle (1906) by Upton Sinclair

• There would be meat that had tumbled out on the
  floor, in the dirt and sawdust, where the workers
  had tramped and spit uncounted billions of
  consumption tuberculosis germs. There would be
  meat stored in great piles in rooms and
  thousands of rats would race about on it A man
  could run his hand over these piles of meat and
  sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats.
  These rats were nuisances and the packers would
  put poisoned bread out for them they would die,
  and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the
  hoppers together.

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Economic Reform

• Clayton Anti-trust Act (1914)
• Sought to strengthen the Sherman Antitrust Act
  (1890) and prohibited corporations from buying
  the stock of another
• Legalized strikes, peaceful picketing, boycotts,
  and collection of strike benefits
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Investigates violations of regulatory statues
• Reports from corporations
• Stopped unfair business practices

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Economic Reform

• Federal Reserve System
• Divided the nation into 12 districts
• National Banking system

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Political Reform

• Democracy was expanded
• Aimed to stop Political machines and bosses
• 16th Amendment Federal income tax
• 17th Amendment Senators were directly elected
• 18th Amendment Prohibition
• 19th Amendment Womens Suffrage

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Political Reform

• Reform in government
• Secret Ballot
• Initiative- bill originated by people
• Referendum- voters accept or reject initiative
• Recall- enable voters to remove public officials