Progressivism Chapter 6 Section 1

A. What Was Progressivism? Jacob Riis migrated to the U.S. from Denmark in the 1870s In 1877, he became a police reporter for the New York Tribune He went to places where most Americans tried to stay away from (the Slums)‏ He reported on the horrible living conditions Then, with the invention of the flash, he photographed these slums His book How the Other Half Lives opened American’s eyes to poverty and led to reform

In the late 1800s, a movement known as progressivism arose to address many of the social problems industrialization had created 3 Goals of Progressives  1) wanted to improve conditions in the cities  2) curb the power of big business  3) called for the government to be more responsive to people’s needs Undercover writers at the time exposed many of the social ills that progressives targeted These journalists were known as “muckrakers”, because they raked up or exposed the filth of society

Ida Tarbell  wrote several articles that revealed how John D. Rockefeller crushed his competition Lincoln Steffens  wrote The Shame of the Cities and exposed the corruption of city governments The muckrakers paved the way for many government reforms

B. Reforming Society 1. Housing Reforms  -the Tenement Act of 1901  -forced landlords to install lighting in public hallways  -also forced landlords to provide at least one toilet for every 2 families  Within 15 years, the death rate of NY decreased dramatically

2. Fighting for Civil Rights  Many groups formed during this time period to fight racism  The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) -Protested segregation -Protested racist film Birth of a Nation  Anti-Defamation League  -tried to eliminate negative Jewish stereotypes

C. Reforming the Workplace Labor unions want to create a better working environment for women Also trying to eliminate child labor In 1904, a law was passed that banned child labor, but was not enforced Progressives also fought to shorten the workday to 10 hours and for better wages In 1912, Mass. Became the first state to pass a minimum wage

1. Courts and Labor Laws  Businesses tried to fight the laws Muller v. Oregon -Supreme Court Decision -established a 10 hour workday for women in laundries and factories -later, the law included men

2. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire  Progressives also fought for safety in the workplace  About 500 women worked for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in NY  In 1911, a fire broke out in the factory  Escape was nearly impossible -all the doors were locked to prevent theft -the fire escape broke, sending victims to their death -doors opened inward instead of outward -women began jumping out of windows 140 died

The fire convinced the government that something needed to be done Laws were passed to make the workplace safer

D. Reforming City Governments 1. City Government Reforms Robert M. Lafollette  Progressive Mayor of Wisconsin  came up with the idea of forming commissions to oversee transportation, civil service, and taxation  also set up a commission to regulate RR’s

2. Election Reforms Progressives want to make elections fair and make elected officials accountable to the people  a) Direct Primaries -allows voters to select a party’s candidates for public office  b) 17 th Amendment -allowed normal voters to elect senators -this would undermine the power of party Bosses  c) Secret ballot

d) Initiative  -allows voters to propose laws e) Referendum  -Allows voters to be the final word in accepting or rejecting laws f) Recall  -allows citizens to remove an elected official from office