Progressivism(1890-1920)

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Progressivism(1890-1920)

• Topic for Today
• Who were the Progressives?
• How and why did the Progressive Movement seek to
  change America at the turn of the century?
• How did America respond to the cries of the
  progressives?

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Progressivism (1890-1920)

• Progress
• Advance to a better state an improvement
• Progressive Era
• Period after Gilded Age in which people tried to
  correct the problems of society

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Leaders of the Era
Rich
Social Darwinism
Monopolies
Politics Philosophy
Business Industry
Middle Class
Unions
Political Machines
Poor
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Muckrakers

• Investigative reporters who exposed the problems
  of American society
• They did not offer solutions

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Muckraker Contributions Body of Work




Exposing the problems of Standard Oil
McClures Magazine

• Ida Tarbell

McClures Book The Shame of the Cities
Lincoln Steffens
Exposed wrongs of Political Machines
Jacob Riis
Poor city life for immigrants
Book How the other half lives
Upton Sinclair
Exposed the Meat Packing Industry
Book The Jungle
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Homework

1. Imagine you are a muckraking journalist TODAY.  A
   magazine publisher has asked you to submit a list
   of story ideas for upcoming issues.  What
   wrongdoings would you like to probe?

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• Politicians take action once problems exposed
• 1st major politician to push for change
• Robert LaFollette
• Governor of Wisconsin
• Goal

Make changes at state level, then spread
throughout the country
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LaFollette Changes
Government Reform Old Way of Doing Things (Problem) New Way of Doing Things (change) How does it help?




Party Bosses picked candidates
Voters pick candidates for office
Increased Democracy
Direct Primary
Increased Democracy
Voters had no say in law-making
People can propose laws to assemblies
Initiative
Politicians could ignore voters
Voters must approve major bills
Increased Democracy
Referendum
Politicians could ignore voters
Remove rep from office
Increased Democracy
Recall
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Goal of Political Reform

• Improve democracy by creating MORE democracy
• Government officials must care about what the
  people want

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Progressive Presidents (1901-1920)

• Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow
  Wilson

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Teddy Roosevelt (T.R.) (1901-1908)

• Hero of the Spanish-American war Rough Riders
• President after the assassination of McKinley
• Noblesse Oblige The rich capable have a duty
  to help society and the less fortunate.

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TR

• We must treat each man on his worth and merits
  as a man. We must see that each is given a
  square deal, because he is entitled to no more
  and should receive no less. The welfare of each
  of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare
  of all of us.

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Square Deal T.R.s plan to make a better society
The Three Cs
Fair treatment for ALL people
Conservation
Corporations
Consumer Protection
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Corporations TR wanted to show the people that
government not Big Business ran the country
Elkins Act (1903) Hepburn Act (1906)
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Consumer Protection Goal Protect consumers from
big business and protect big business from itself
Pure Food and Drug Act - prohibition on
misleading labeling Meat Inspection Act (1906)
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Conservation
John Muir
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Election of 1912

• William Howard Taft Republican
• T.R. Bull Moose Party
• Political Party created by T.R.
• Woodrow Wilson Democrat
• Wilson WINS only 41 of vote

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Woodrow Wilson

• Winner of the 1912 presidential election.
• New Freedom Plan to continue progressive
  reforms
• Attacks the triple wall of privilege

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Triple Wall of Privilege

• Tariffs
• Underwood Tariff
• First lowering of tariffs since the Civil War

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Trusts

• Clayton Anti-Trust Act
• Declared monopolies illegal
• Unions, Strikes, boycotts, picketing all legal

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Banks

• Federal Reserve
• More available for the people if needed
• Stable banks

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PROGRESSIVISM CHANGES

• HOW DID THE PROGRESSIVES ENSURE THEIR CHANGES
  WOULD LAST?

By Changing the Constitution
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16th Amendment

• Created national income tax
• Tax on land and tariffs reduced

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17th Amendment

• Direct Election of Senators
• Expanded Democracy

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18th Amendment

• Prohibition Bans the production sale of
  Alcohol
• Success of the Temperance Movement

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19th Amendment

• Womans Suffrage The right to vote for women