Pivotal Election of 1896

1
Pivotal Election of 1896

• William Jennings Bryan, Cross of Gold Speech
• Fusion Ticket with Demos, Populists

2
Pivotal Election of 1896

• William Jennings Bryan, Cross of Gold Speech
• Fusion Ticket with Demos, Populists
• William McKinley, Republicans

3
Why Bryan Lost in 1896

• Little Appeal to Many Industrial Workers
• Little Appeal to Middle Class

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Era of Progressive Reform

• American Politics and Reform, 1900-1920

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Middle-Class in 1890sSense of Chaos

• Big Business and Labor Locked in Violent Conflict

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Middle-Class in 1890sSense of Chaos

• Big Business and Labor Locked in Violent Conflict
• Populists Revolting in the Countryside Radical
  Ideas Gaining Ground?

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Middle-Class in 1890sSense of Chaos

• Big Business and Labor Locked in Violent
  Conflict.
• Populists Revolting in the Countryside.
• Trusts Corrupting Politics

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Middle-Class in 1890sSense of Chaos

• Big Business and Labor Locked in Violent
  Conflict.
• Populists Revolting in the Countryside.
• Trusts Corrupting Politics
• Immigration Transforming Cities

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One Response ProgressivismA Search For Order

• Broad Reform Movement with Many Strands
• Urban, Middle Class
• Government Can Solve Problems
• Believers in Science, Mass Organization (Big
  Business Here to Stay???).
• Social Justice (Minimum Wage, Shorter Working
  Hours)
• Reforming Democracy

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Jon Stewart and Glen Beck on Progressivism
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Whats the Point of the Clip?

1. Progressivism is still important more than a
   century later!
2. Progressivism has roots in even earlier notions
   of the Public Good.
3. Conservatives are distrustful of many types of
   collectivism

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Progressive Response to Immigration Scope of
Immigration

• 1890-1920 18 million immigrants (1910 13
  percent of population foreign born).

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Scope of Immigration

• 1890-1920 18 million immigrants (1910 13
  percent of population foreign born.
• Shift to Southern, Eastern Europe

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Scope of Immigration

• 1890-1920 18 million immigrants (1910 13
  foreign born).
• Shift to Southern, Eastern Europe
• Role of Big Business

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Why was immigration viewed as a problem?

• Religious intolerance and racism

The Last Yankee (1880)
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Why was immigration viewed as a problem?

• Religious intolerance and racism
• Fears of job competition

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Why was immigration viewed as a problem?

• Religious intolerance and racism
• Fears of job competition
• Fears of political radicalism

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Why was immigration viewed as a problem?

• Religious intolerance and racism
• Fears of job competition
• Fears of political radicalism
• Political machines (Film Clip)

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Was Boss Tweed a Hero or a Villain?

1. Hero (Yea!)
2. Villain (Boo!)

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Jane Addams and Social Justice Progressives

• Addams college-educated, upper-middle-class
  background
• Frustrated ambitions and strong sense of social
  obligation
• Ellen Gates Starr Social Gospel
• Settlement Home Movement Hull House (1889)

Jane Addams
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Activities of Settlement Homes

• Housing and classes for immigrants

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Activities of Settlement Homes

• Housing and classes for immigrants
• Legislative reforms child labor, public
  playgrounds, protection for women factory workers

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Middle-class reformers and working-class
immigrants sometimes clashed

• Prohibition antagonizes immigrants

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Middle-class reformers and working-class
immigrants sometimes clashed

• Prohibition antagonizes immigrants
• Movie Censorship

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Middle-class reformers and working-class
immigrants sometimes clashed

• Prohibition antagonizes immigrants
• Movie Censorship
• Child Labor Laws and Protective Legislation