Essential Question:

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• Essential Question
• How did progressives bring reform to urban
  state governments?

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Government Reform

• City, state, national governments were in need
  of reform
• Corrupt political machines controlled city
  governments
• Monopolists used their wealth to influence
  politicians, encourage monopolies, fight labor
  laws
• Political positions were gained based on
  patronage not merit
• Corruption scandals plagued the national
  government

Quick Class DiscussionWhat problems existed
within the city, state, national governments?
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(No Transcript)
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Urban Government Reform

• In the 1880s, reformers began to demand change in
  city govts
• Reformers tried to end patronage (appointment
  based on loyalty) by passing the Pendleton Act
  which required merit-based exams
• Reformers tried to make govt more efficient
  break the power of machines by shifting power to
  city commissions managers

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After a hurricane destroyed the city of
Galveston, Texas
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Rather than 1 mayor making all decisions, a
committee oversaw different aspects of local
government
politicians created the 1st city commission govt
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Other cities adopted this model, but added a
trained city manager to carry out the day-to-day
operation of government
Some cities created their own government-run
water, gas, electricity utility companies
These changes were much more efficient less
corrupt than traditional city govts
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Progressive Reform in the States

• Progressive reformers impacted state governments
  too
• Most states created commissions to oversee state
  spending
• States began regulating railroads other big
  businesses to help workers promote competition
• States passed laws limiting work hours for
  children women

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Progressive Reform in the States

• The most significant state reform was governor
  Robert La Follettes Wisconsin Idea
• Used academic experts from the University of
  Wisconsin to help create state laws
• Wisconsin was the 1st state to create an income
  tax, form industrial commissions, regulate
  railroads

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Progressives helped make state governments more
democratic
State of Texas
Recall Citizens can vote to remove an elected
official
Initiative Citizens can put an issue on a state
ballot vote to make it a law
Referendum Citizens vote to increase taxes for
new programs
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Progressive Reform in the States

• Progressives helped make state governments more
  democratic
• Most states had direct primary elections to allow
  voters to choose candidates, not parties
• In 1912, the 17th Amendment was ratified which
  allowed for the direct election of Senators by
  the people

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Direct Primary Elections
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National Progressive Reform Presidents Theodore
Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson
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President Theodore Roosevelt

• VP Theodore Roosevelt became president after the
  assassination of William McKinley in 1901
• TR was a different kind of president
• He thought the govt ought to take responsibility
  for the welfare of the American people
• His agenda of progressive reform was called the
  Square Deal

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Theodore Roosevelt A Modern President

• TR was committed to a series of reforms
• Breaking up harmful monopolies (called
  trustbusting)
• Regulating businesses such as railroads the
  meat industry
• Conservation of natural resources

It is the duty of the president to act upon the
theory that he is the steward of the people,
andto assume that he has the legal right to do
whatever the needs of the people demand, unless
the Constitution or the laws explicitly forbid
him to do it
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Trustbusting

• During the Gilded Age, Congress passed a series
  of laws designed to keep big business in check
• The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was
  formed in 1886 to regulate railroads
• The Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1890 made it
  illegal for companies to restrict trade
• But neither of these laws were strict enough to
  control monopolies

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Trustbusting

• Roosevelt saw the benefit of efficient
  monopolies, but wanted to control bad trusts
• In 1902, the govt ordered the Northern
  Securities Company (a giant railroad monopoly)
  broken up because it violated the Sherman
  Anti-Trust Act
• The Roosevelt administration busted 25 trusts
  in 7 years

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Theodore Roosevelt, the Trustbuster
RESTRAINT
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Supporting Workers

• In 1902, the United Mine Workers went on strike
  to demand higher pay an eight-hour work day
• The anthracite coal
  strike lasted 11 months
  threatened the
  nation as winter
  approached

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Supporting Workers

• Unlike the Gilded Age presidents, TR did not side
  with the owners break up the strike
• TR forced both sides to
  arbitrate or face govt
  seizure of the coal mine
• The result was a square deal for both sides

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Regulating Business

• When muckraker Upton Sinclairs The Jungle was
  published, Roosevelt pushed for regulation of
  the meat packing industry
• Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act in 1906
• To ban harmful products end false medicine
  claims, the Pure Food Drug Act passed in 1906

Quick Class Discussion Why did The Jungle
generate so much outrage from Americans
politicians? Read excerpts from The Jungle
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Unregulated Food MedicinesThe Need for the
Pure Food Drug Act
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Conservation of the Environment

• During the Gilded Age, corporations clear-cut
  forests viewed Americas natural resources as
  endless
• Roosevelt began the 1st national environmental
  conservation program
• The govt protected 195 million acres as off
  limits to businesses
• The Reclamation Service to place natural
  resources (oil, trees, coal) under federal
  protection

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National Parks and Forests
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The Legacy of Theodore Roosevelt

• In 1908, Roosevelt decided not to run for
  re-election as president
• TRs presidency was important because for the
  first time, the national government
• Regulated big business
• Protected the environment
• Assumed responsibility for the welfare of workers
  consumers

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William Howard Taft

• When Roosevelt decided not to run for re-election
  in 1908, his successor to the presidency was
  Republican William Howard Taft

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The Presidency of Taft

• Like TR, Taft believed that the U.S. needed
  progressive reform
• In his 4 years as president, Taft helped break
  up twice as many monopolies as Roosevelt
• Created the Childrens Bureau pushed for child
  labor laws
• Helped create safety codes for coal miners
  railroad workers

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The Presidency of Taft

• But, Taft did not always trust the govt to solve
  problems often sided with conservative
  Republicans
• He angered progressives when he supported a high
  tariff which helped monopolies
• He allowed a cabinet secretary to sell 1 million
  acres of conservation land to businesses
• Progressive politicians hoped that TR would run
  for president again

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Progressives ( Roosevelt) began to view Taft as
having made a mess of TRs reforms
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The Election of 1912

• TR decided to run for president in 1912 but the
  Republican Party picked Taft as their candidate
• TR created the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party
• Taft was the Republican nominee the Democrats
  ran a reform governor, Woodrow Wilson
• Republican voters were divided in whom to
  support Roosevelt or Taft

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The Election of 1912 the Progressive Party
(Bull Moose Party)
Im feeling as fit as a bull moose
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The Election of 1912

• With the Republicans divided, Democrat Woodrow
  Wilson won the election of 1912

Republicans divided by a Bull moose equals a
Democratic victory!
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President Woodrow Wilson

• President Wilson oversaw a great wave of
  progressive reforms
• 16th Amendment created the 1st income tax in
  U.S. history
• 17th Amendment allowed for the direct-election of
  U.S. Senators
• 18th Amendment outlawed alcohol (prohibition)
• 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote
  (suffrage)

Progressive Amendments
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President Woodrow Wilson

• President Wilson oversaw a great wave of
  progressive reforms
• Created the Federal Reserve to regulate the
  economy by adjusting the money supply interest
  rates
• The Clayton Anti-Trust Act limited the ability of
  companies to form monopolies protected workers
  right to strike
• The Federal Trade Commission monitored unfair
  business practices

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The Federal Reserve System
The Fed regulates the amount of money in
circulation to help keep the economy strong
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The End of Progressive Reform

• The Progressive Era (1890-1920) brought major
  changes
• Govt regulation of big business
• Improvements in U.S. cities
• More democracy for the people
• But, the outbreak of World War I in Europe
  distracted Americans brought an end to the
  Progressive Era