1. The Progressive Era

2. Do Now: Copy these notes into your notebook Progressivism
Industrial Revolution led to prolonged problems in the country which aroused a spirit of reform known as progressivism
Who were the Progressives?
People from all walks of life participated in the Progressive movement
Majority were native born, middle or upper class, and college educated
Progressive journalists helped spread reform message
Investigative journalists known as muckrakers were responsible for exposing society’s wrongs
Photographers and journalists who used vivid images and descriptions of society’s problems to shock society into action
Given their name based on speech by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906
A muckrake was instrument used to rake up muck, dirt, and filth

3. Successful Reforms

4. Do Now: Copy into the “Notes” section of your binder
Progressivism was NOT a unified movement with a single set of principles
Sometimes principles even contradicted one another
Ex: White Southern Progressives vs. African Americans
Three themes behind Progressivism
Anger over excess of industrial capitalism and urban growth
Emphasized community action, opposed social Darwinism
Believed in need for citizens to intervene politically and morally to improve social conditions
Sources of inspiration
Evangelical Protestantism/social gospel movement
Natural and social scientists who developed rational measures for improving human condition

5. Problems Progressives Had…
Alliance between big business and government
“Shame of the Cities” by Lincoln Steffens
Ida Tarbell published devastatingly factual expose of the Standard Oil Company
Her father had been ruined by the company
David G. Phillips wrote series in Cosmopolitan titled “The Treason of the Senate”
Charged that 75 of the 90 Senators did not represent the people at all but the railroads and trusts
Fearing legal reprisals from powerful companies, muckraking magazines went to great pain and expense to check and verify their material
Paid as much as $3,000 to verify a single Tarbell article
Malpractices of life-insurance companies and tariff lobbies
Roasted trusts and the corrupt massing of American fortunes
Social evils including “white slave” traffic in women, the slums, appalling number of industrial accidents, subjugation of 9 million Blacks, abuses of child labor, vendors of potent patent medicine (often heavily spiked with alcohol)

6. What are political machines and why are they bad?
Political machines are organizations that manage, sometimes illegally, the administration of local and state governments.
Favoritism, sketchy deals, and nepotism (giving positions to friends) are all features of the political machine
They often work together with municipal (local) governments and have often come to dominate the city in which they operate
Most machines are corrupt financially and politically
In return for performing favors for residents, especially new immigrants, the recipient was expected to be politically loyal to the machine
The most famous machine was “Boss Tweed’s Ring” which dominated NYC’s government during and after the Civil War
As boss of Tammany Hall, the nickname of New York’s political machine, the Tweed Ring essentially ran the city and stole millions of dollars from it in the process
The famous cartoonist Thomas Nast, who introduced the elephant and the donkey as symbols for the Republicans and the Democrats, exposed the corruption and abuses of the Tweed machine in a series of startling political cartoons
Tweed eventually went to prison
Progressives felt that political machines prevented changes from occurring in all areas of American society and so the first thing on their agenda was to curb the power of these machines

7. Progressivism in the Cities and States
Attempts were made to ban child labor
Minimum wage and maximum hour laws to protect women workers were established
Workers’ compensation was set up to protect workers against on-the-job accidents
Pensions were provided for widows and children when the husband/father was killed on the job
Building codes and state inspections acts were passed. Designed to protect workers against hazardous working conditions (catalyst for this was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire)
Businesses such as railroads and insurance companies and the food industry were regulated.

8. City Reforms
Progressive reform began at the local or city level because it was easier to implement than at the vast state or national level. Urban corruption from political machines was a major focus, resulting in the reorganization of local government using the commissioner-and city-manager-styles of management.
City
Commissioner Plan
Cities hired experts in different fields to run a single aspect of city government. For example, the sanitation commissioner would be in charge of garbage and sewage removal.
City Manager
Plan
A professional city manager is hired to run each department of the city and report directly to the city council.

9. State Reforms Secret Ballot Initiative Referendum Recall Direct
Reform governors such as Theodore Roosevelt of New York, Robert M. LaFollete of Wisconsin, and Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey, all helped get reforms passed in their respective states. In addition, reforms first proposed by the Populist Party were enacted in order to make state governments more responsive to the needs of the people.
Secret Ballot
Privacy at the ballot box ensures that citizens can cast votes without party bosses knowing how they voted
Initiative
Allows voters to petition state legislatures in order to consider a bill desired by citizens.
Referendum
Allows voters to decide if a bill or proposed amendment should be passed.
Recall
Allows voters to petition to have an elected representative removed from office.
Direct
Primary
Ensures that voters select candidates to run for office, rather than party bosses.

10. Federal Reforms Newlands Reclamation Act (1902) Elkins Act (1903)
During the Progressive Era, the Federal Government passed an enormous amount of legislation designed to conserve the environment, tighten past economic regulations, preserve the health and safety of American citizens, and generally provide needed capitalist reforms.
Newlands Reclamation Act
(1902)
Encouraged conservation by allowing the building of dams and irrigations systems using money from the sale of public lands.
Elkins Act
(1903)
Outlawed the use of rebates by railroad officials or shippers
Pure Food and Drug Act
(1906/1911)
Required that companies accurately label the ingredients contained in processed food items.
Meat Inspection Act
(1906)
In direct response to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, this law required that meat processing plants be inspected to ensure the use of good meat and health-minded procedures.

11. Federal Reforms Continued…
Hepburn Act
(1906)
Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission, allowing it to set maximum railroad rates.
Federal Reserve Act
(1913)
Created 12 district Federal Reserve Banks, each able to issue new currency and loan member banks funds at the prime interest rate, as established by the Federal Reserve Board.
Clayton Antitrust Act
(1914)
Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act by outlawing the creation of a monopoly through any means, and stated that unions were not subject to antitrust legislation.
Federal Trade Act
Established the Federal Trade Commission, charged with investigating unfair business practices including monopolistic activity and inaccurate product labeling.

12. New Amendments to the Constitution
To provide a stable base of income for the Federal Government while providing graduated taxation, the 16th Amendment was passed. Political machines were weakened by the passage of the 17th Amendment which allowed state citizens to directly elect representatives to the U.S. Senate, instead of allowing party- controlled state legislatures to do so. In addition, the Temperance Movement and the Women's Suffrage Movement finally paid off with the passage of the 17th Amendment and the 18th Amendment.
16th (1913)
Graduated income tax
17th (1913)
Provided for the direct election of U.S. Senators.
18th (1919)
Prohibited making, selling, or transporting alcohol.
19th (1920)
Provided women suffrage (voting).