Unit 5 Reforms of the Progressive Movement

What was the Progressive Movement?  A period of time in the late 1800s where many Americans called for reform.  Reformers were called progressives and many believed that the efforts of individuals and government could make society better and more fair.  Progressive reformers focused on urban problems, government problems, and big business problems.  Many progressive laws were passed that formed the basis for modern ideas of the role of government.

The Underlying Causes of the Progressive Movement were….  Industrialization – unskilled workers, unsafe working conditions, unscrupulous business practices, low wages, long, hours, child labor  Immigration – crowded living conditions, prejudice, and discrimination  Urbanization-concentration of workers in low income housing near the factories  Political – spoils system, political corruption

The following individuals and group focused public attention on the social, economic, and political problems of the era. Thomas NastRobert LaFollette Ida Tarbelmuckrakers Upton Sinclair

Thomas Nast He was a political cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly magazine. He exposed the political corruption of Boss Tweed (head of NYC democratic political machine in the 1860s and 1870s) in his cartoons. As a result, Tweed went to prison in 1872.

Ida Tarbel She was an author and a journalist for McClure’s magazine. She exposed the unfair practices of the oil industry. Her articles led to public pressure for more government control over big business. In her 1904 book, The History of the Standard Oil Company, she warned of the giant corporation’s power.

Upton Sinclair  He wrote a novel called The Jungle in  In The Jungle, Sinclair describes the horrors of the meatpacking industry in Chicago.  Although his aim was to arouse sympathy for the workers, his vivid descriptions shocked Americans. The uproar caused by Sinclair’s book persuaded Congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act in  Also in 1906 Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, requiring accurate labeling of food and medicine and banning the sale of harmful food.

Robert LaFollette oHe served as Wisconsin’s governor and then senator in the early 1900s. oWas nicknamed “Fighting Bob”. oHis greatest achievement was reforming Wisconsin’s state electoral system. oHe introduced a direct primary election, allowing the state’s voters to choose their party’s candidates. This was known as the “Wisconsin Idea”.

Muckrakers Journalists who “raked” (brought to life) the “muck” (dirt and corruption) underlying society were known as muckrakers. Through their writings, these muckrakers exposed injustices, corruption, and political favors. Ida Tarbell and Upton Sinclair were famous muckrakers.

Women and their Influence on Reform  Jane Addams – established Hull House – a settlement house in Chicago  Susan B. Anthony – worked for women’s rights, temperance, equal pay for women, college training for women, and co-education  Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B.Anthony - founded the National Women’s Suffrage Association which called for a constitutional amendment allowing women to vote in national elections  Carry Nation – was colorful crusader for temperance

Problems faced by African Americans during the Progressive Era  Segregation  Discrimination  Literacy tests  Poll tax  Jim Crow Laws  Plessy v. Ferguson

What is Plessy v. Ferguson?  It was a Supreme Court case in 1896 concerning a Louisiana law that required separate sections on trains for African Americans.  The court ruled that segregation was legal as long as African Americans had access to public facilities equal to those of whites.  PROBLEM – facilities were separate but in no way equal.

Leaders that brought about social, economic, and political change for African Americans.  W.E.B. DuBois – he fought for FULL political, civil, and social rights.  Booker T. Washington – believed in equality through education. He founded the Tuskegee Institute.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - NAACP Formed in 1909, this interracial group has remained at the forefront of efforts to gain legal and economic equality for African Americans.

Theodore Roosevelt was a symbol of the Progressive Era because the following was accomplished during his Presidency:  He was a trust-busting president breaking up trusts in the beef, tobacco, and oil industries.  He supported the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Acts that gave the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration the power to visit businesses and inspect their products.  He pressured Congress to set aside millions of acres of national forests and created the nation’s first national parks.

Four Constitutional Amendments were instituted that addressed Progressive concerns. oSixteenth Amendment – ratified in 1913, gave Congress the power to tax people’s incomes to generate revenue for the federal government. oSeventeenth Amendment – provided for the direct election of senators. Ratified in 1913, this amendment gave the people a voice in selecting their representatives. oEighteenth Amendment – also known as the Prohibition Amendment, made it illegal to make, transport, or sell alcohol in the United States. It was ratified in oNineteenth Amendment – ratified in 1920, allowed women suffrage (the right to vote). For the first time women were allowed to vote for their national leaders