Progressivism

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Progressivism

• A change in Government

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• Falling on the heels of American Imperialism, the
  Progressive movement was to reform the American
  government to a more efficient, smoother
  operating machine.
• A complete departure from the corrupt Gilded
  Age. Improvements in the government, society,
  economy, etc.
• The rise of Theodore Roosevelt his policies,
  contributions lasting effects of the US.
• Many compared progressivism with a dressed up
  form of populism.

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• Populism definitely had an effect on
  progressivism. The Mugwumps pushed for the
  reform the concept of an honest government.
• The increase in socialism in the US its ideals
  for the working middle class also played into
  the progressive movement.
• Social reformers had a great deal of influence on
  the Progressive movement. They were bringing the
  plight of urban decay to the nations attention.
  Social critics advocated for this reform, in all
  aspects of society.

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• The media increased its role as the social
  watchdog. Reporting on everything that was
  wrong with society. Some of the key issues were
  child labor, working conditions, monopolies, etc.
• These writers earned the name Muckrakers by T.R.,
  because they stirred up trouble among the
  population.
• Henry Demarest Lloyd was called the 1st
  muckraker, Jacob Riis, Lincoln Steffens were
  some of the most prominent. Women were also in
  this category, since they were the most active in
  the issues of social change.

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Democracy

• The changes to our democratic process are
  important today
• Direct Primary nomination of candidates by the
  vote of party members.
• Initiative voters petition to have an issue
  placed on the ballot.
• Referendum the issue is presented to the voting
  public for their vote.
• Recall public referendum to remove an existing
  law, statute or elected official.

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Efficiency

• This was the gospel of the Progressive era.
• Scientific studies were done to improve time
  management, reduce waste increase production.
  This was in every aspect of American society.
  Frederick W. Taylor, the efficiency expert,
  whose book, The Principles of Scientific
  Management, highlighted his research. Scientific
  management would be called Taylorism due to his
  contributions to the movement.

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• The government started re-organizing its
  agencies to prevent the overlapping of services,
  established distinct lines authority who was in
  charge who was to blame.
• The formation of efficient, municipal government
  styles were being developed.
• Commission System authority placed on a board
  of elected officials of city departments.
• City-Manager System a professional
  administrator runs the city by the policies
  established by the city council mayor.

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Regulation

• Monopolies big business were also a major
  concern in the Progressive Era.
• Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was established
  to keep check on monopolies, but it never really
  worked. It had no real authority yet.
• Many city governments began using socialist
  ideas, i.e. public utilities gas, water,
  transportation.
• It would not be until later on that true
  regulation would take place. The monopolies were
  able to work their way out of most situations,
  with money, threats or out maneuver the
  government.

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Social Justice

• The growth of social workers, charities, reform
  campaigns were extremely abundant. This fell in
  line with the settlement house reformers of the
  late 1800s.
• The most important social reform of the period
  was labor legislation. Started at the state
  level slowly worked its way up.
• National Child Labor Committee 1904 pushed
  for the ban on the employment of young children.
  Which was a major problem of the time.

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• It would take 10 years before most states banned
  the use of under age children. The definition
  for under age varied from state to state 12
  to 16 yrs. old. Also, it limited the hours older
  children were eligible to work. This only
  applied to factories, mills, mines, etc. Farms
  were generally not effected by the new Child
  Labor Laws.
• The issue of women in the work place went side by
  side the child labor movement. Florence Kelley,
  head of the National Consumers League, pushed for
  better working hours for working mothers wives.
  Many states banned women from working at night
  or on dangerous jobs (this applied to children
  also).

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• The Supreme Court varied on its rulings
  concerning work hours. Hours ranged from 8-10-12
  hours a day, depending on the job what part of
  the country the worker is in.
• A major push to improve working conditions in
  factories, mills, mines (?). A contributing
  factor to this, was the fire at the Triangle
  Shirtwaist Co. in NY. In 1911 about 146 workers,
  mostly women, were killed. There were not enough
  exits, most of the doors windows were barred
  (so they would not try to sneak out when they
  should be working), no way to escape from the
  10 story building (most were on the top 3 floors).

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• Accident compensation that happened while at work
  was also a target for reform.
• Before, there really was no compensation.
  Working conditions were very hazardous, exposed
  machinery, belts, pulleys, furnaces, etc. It was
  not uncommon for most of the workers to be
  missing body parts from the machinery they worked
  around.
• Legislation changed so that the worker would
  receive compensation if injured at work.
• Women were the main contributing force behind
  most of these changes.

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Prohibition

• The push for the banning of alcohol has a long
  history in the US. Since the early 1800s, it
  had been growing steadily. Several groups were
  formed for the sole issue of prohibition.
• The Womens Christian Temperance Union The
  Anti-Saloon League were 2 of the most prominent.
  They began to get politically active amass a
  large following. These were single-issue groups,
  there were many other prohibitionist groups, but
  they also had other issues they worked for.

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Roosevelt Progressivism

• He became President in 1901, promised to keep
  some of McKinleys polices in tact.
• T.R. wanted a Square Deal for all. He was
  going to enforce the existing Anti-Trust Big
  Business laws, instead of developing new ones.
• He tried to re-establish small businesses, to
  little success.
• Started to give laws like the Sherman Anti-trust
  act more teeth to work with.
• 1902 he ordered the Supreme Court to break-up
  the RR monopoly of the Northern Securities Co.
  J.P. Morgan owned part of this.

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• T.R. increased the enforcement of the Sherman
  Anti-trust act, but did not introduce new
  legislation. But, during his term, he brought up
  over 25 anti-trust lawsuits, increased federal
  regulation over interstate commerce.
• 1903 Elkins Act made it illegal for the RR to
  give or receive secret rebates to favored
  customers, everyone had to be charged the same
  price. T.R.s square deal policy. He gave
  trusts a chance to cooperate, and many did. But
  those that didnt were broken up by the
  government.

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• T.R. elected President again in 1904, voters
  approved of his Progressive Conservative
  issues.
• Once again, he focused on regulation control
  over businesses.
• The Hepburn Act of 1906 gave the Interstate
  Commerce Commission more authority, allowed it to
  control freight rates of the RR set the maximum
  rate they could charge.
• The meat packing industry, food processing, drug
  patent medicine makers all fell under Federal
  regulation. This would set the ground work for
  the Pure Food Drug Act, an earlier version of
  the Food Drug Administration.

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• Conservation was one of T.R. lasting legacies.
  Protecting the environment, wilderness areas,
  woodlands, etc., were very important to
  Roosevelt.
• The National Park Service was established in
  1916, after several areas were set aside as
  public reserves. Yellowstone Park was
  established in 1872, many were added on to the
  public reserves status thus forming the NPS.
• The Department of Agriculture was given the
  authority to govern forested areas. 1881,
  Congress created the Division of Forestry within
  the Dept. of Ag. Roosevelt appointed Gifford
  Pinchot as Chief Forester. He was very
  scientific a very good administrator.

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• Forest Reserve Act of 1891 set aside about 172
  million acres of timberland forests from
  settlement, logging, creating wildlife refuges,
  parks recreation sites, naturalist areas,
  national parks landmark areas.
• States soon followed suit established their own
  conservation departments commissions.

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William Howard Taft

• Elected President in 1908, he was hand-picked
  by Roosevelt to be his successor carry on his
  plans.
• The other candidates were William Jennings Bryan
  (Dem) Eugene V. Debs (Socialist)
• Taft won easily Roosevelt celebrated by going
  on an African Safari.
• Taft served as the Sec. Of War under T.R. and had
  a pretty distinguished political career. (Even
  though he did not like politics)
• Had the distinction of being the heaviest Pres.
  (over 300lbs.)

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• Once in office, he went against the Rep. Party
  tradition he lowered tariffs on coal, iron ore,
  oil, cotton, etc., he increased duty-free
  items.
• Dollar Diplomacy the use of diplomacy to secure
  promote US economic/financial interests in the
  Orient. It began with China followed the Open
  Door Policy, and would spread throughout US
  politics of the period.
• Taft caused many of the Rep. to jump ship
  join the Dem.

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• Ballinger Pinchot Controversy of 1910
• Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot discovered corrupt
  dealings by the Sec. Of the Interior Richard
  Ballinger. He had supposedly sold land that was
  set aside as part of the Forest Reserve Act for
  commercial use.
• Pinchot informed Taft of the situation, but Taft
  did nothing. Pinchot went public with the
  information Taft fired him for insubordination.
  Also, Ballinger was cleared of all charges.
• When T.R. returned heard of Tafts betrayal of
  his policies, he set out to get even. This
  situation increased the growing rift between
  T.R., Taft the Republicans.

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• By the time of the Pres. Election of 1912, Taft
  (Rep), Roosevelt (Bull Moose Party or
  Progressive), Debs (Socialist), Wilson (Dem)
• Taft took advantage of his last year in office
  had a flurry of activity. He established the
  Appalachian Forest Reserve Act (1911), gave the
  ICC more power, Fed. Childrens Bureau (1912),
  16th Amendment federal income tax, 17th
  Amendment popular election of senators.
• T.R. was still very formidable spiteful, he
  called Taft a traitor hopeless Fathead.
  While campaigning he was shot, but still gave his
  speech, refusing to let the Dr. operate until he
  was through.

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Woodrow Wilson

• The division with the Rep. Party, plus all the
  scandals associated with Republican rule, caused
  the Democrats to win the election.
• Wilson would be the high point for Progressivism.
  His New Nationalism focused on social reform,
  social justice, taxes, workers compensation,
  labor regulation for women children.
• He also brought the South into National politics
  and international affairs. Many Southerners were
  part of Wilsons Cabinet William Jennings Bryan
  was appointed as Sec. Of State.

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Wilson Progressivism

• Wilson relied more on Party loyalty politics
  than he did popular support. Inter-party
  rivalries were settled, and everyone focused on
  what would be good for the nation.
• Underwood-Simmons Tariff 1913 lowered the
  average import duty by 1/5 over 300 items were
  exempted from tariff duties. Lost revenue was
  made up by the 1st use of the 16th Amendment, 1
  on incomes of 3,000 (4,000 for couples).

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• Federal Reserve Act1913also called the
  Glass-Owens Act, created a new banking system
  with regional reserve banks that were supervised
  by a central Board of Directors. Made money
  bank credit apply to more areas, lessened the
  concentration of banks reserves in NYC.
• Federal Trade Commission1914-created as a
  watchdog of trade commerce. They would define
  unfair trade practices issue orders to stop the
  practice. This was the cornerstone of Wilsons
  anti-trust program.

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• Clayton Anti-trust Act-1914- outlawed price
  discrimination, tying agreements (dealers could
  not have products of competing manufacturers),
  interlocking directorates connecting businesses
  with more than 1million, limited corporations
  from buying up stock of other companies to gain
  control of the market.
• Wilson did little to address the racial problems
  of the day. Jim Crow Laws were rampant, the
  disenfranchisement of the blacks, the growth of
  the KKK. He basically considered this, as well
  as child labor, a state issue.

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• Federal Farm Loan Act-1916-it worked along side
  the Federal Reserve Banks, gave farmers low
  interest, long term loans.
• Smith-Lever Act 1914 the Smith-Hughes Act 1917
  both addressed education for rural farming
  areas by establishing grant-in-aid schools, land
  grant colleges, AM, Vo-Tech, etc.
• Federal Highways Act-1916- Federal government
  would match dollar for dollar to any state that
  had highway departments that met federal
  standards. Thus, increasing the highway
  infrastructure laid the ground work for an
  interstate highway system in the 1950s.

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• Keating-Owen Act 1916, called the Child Labor
  Act, basically excluded any consumer goods that
  were made by children under the age of 14 from
  interstate commerce.
• Adamson Act 1916 established an 8 hour work
  day for RR workers. This would later spread into
  other areas of labor.
• Under Wilsonian Progressivism, the US government
  became seen in a positive light. As was most of
  the first 20 years of the 20th century.
• Patriotism, Isolationism Anti-Immigration were
  the main feelings of the period.