The Progressive Era: 1890-1920 8.1= Drive for Reform

Progressivism Political movement; Believed new ideas & an honest gov. could bring social justice Urbanization & Industrialization Social/Political Problems 1) Political Reform= Women suffrage & ending political machines 2) Living conditions were terrible in cities 3) Big Business practices= Eliminate large trusts that limited competition & raised prices “Bust the trusts”; Create opportunities for smaller businesses 4) Close the gap between the wealthy & poor

Political Machines Corrupt political organizations led by political leaders called bosses Bosses helped supporters with personal problems; Kept voters loyal to them Relied on loyalty of supporters to ignore their corrupt practices; Use of public money to benefit themselves Used bribery & violence to influence voters & win elections Famous example: William “Boss” Tweed & Tammany Hall; Democratic Party political machine of NYC Journalist Thomas Nast Drawing

Muckrakers Reveal Need for Reform Investigative journalists; Highlighted ugly aspects of the nation Lincoln Steffens= The Shame of the Cities; Exposed how political corruption impacts major American cities Jacob Riis= How the Other Half Lives New genre of literature= Naturalist Novels Portrayed how the poor & minorities lived; Showed their misery & daily struggles

Progressives Reform Society The Social Gospel; Idea that Christian values (charity/justice) should be the basis for making reforms in society Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianity & the Social Crisis

Progressives Reform Society; Settlement Houses Settlement Houses= Community centers, provided local services to the urban poor Child care; Held English classes; Nursery schools/kindergartens Jane Addams; Leading figure in Settlement House movement Created Hull House in Chicago

Progressives Reform Society; Child Labor & Education U.S. Children’s Bureau (1912) Keating-Owens Act (1916) 1938= Congress officially outlaws child labor Progressives wanted to improve education for children States passed laws that required schooling to a certain age But there was great debate over what children should be learning John Dewey; Educator who pushed for education reforms

Progressives Reform Society; Industrial Workers March 1911, New York City; The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Election Reforms Robert La Follette, Wisconsin governor, established a direct primary Citizens vote to select nominees for upcoming state/local elections Wisconsin= “Laboratory of Democracy” Three main reforms: 1) The Initiative= Use of petitions for citizens to propose a new law to vote on 2) The Referendum= Allows citizens to approve or reject laws passed 3) The Recall= Gave voters the power to remove public servants from office before their terms ended 1913, 17th Amendment= Direct election of state senators by voters

Progressive Governors

Women Make Progress 8.2

Working Women’s Rights Laws limited work hours for women Justified paying women less for same work men did Florence Kelley; National Consumers League (NCL) & Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) 1903= Muller V. Oregon Limited work hours for women

Family Life Temperance movement; Led by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) Work eventually led to the 18th Amendment; Outlawed production/sale of alcohol (Prohibition) Margaret Sanger; 1916= Opened first birth-control clinic Jailed several times 1921= Founded American Birth Control League Ida B. Wells= National Association of Colored Women (NACW)

Suffrage Carrie Chapman Catt; 1900= President of National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) Lobbied Congress to pass constitutional amendment Used new referendum process to pass state suffrage laws “Society plan”= Recruit wealthy, educated women; “Suffragettes”

Suffrage Social activists became more daring to win the vote; Alice Paul Formed the National Woman’s Party (NWP); Used public protest marches 1st group to protest with picket signs outside the White House; Led to arrests NAWSA’s support of the war effort (World War I) led to the 19th Amendment Right to vote “shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex” Officially enacted in 1920

Struggle Against Discrimination 8.3

African-Americans Demand Reform National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Aimed to help African-Americans be politically free Included white & black Progressives Urban League Group that focused on poorer workers Helped family buy clothes, books, & send children to school

Native-Americans & Japanese Americans 1887 Dawes Act= Divided Indian reservations into smaller plots for individuals to farm 1913= California law stated that only American citizens could own land Japanese immigrants could not become immigrants; Law forced them to sell their own lands

Roosevelt’s Square Deal 8.4

Theodore Roosevelt 26th President of the United States Served as President from September 14th, 1901-March 4th, 1909

Square Deal Goals= Keep the wealthy & powerful from taking advantage of small business owners & the poor 1902= Roosevelt supported Pennsylvania coal miners who went on strike; Threatened to send in federal troops to take control of the mines Roosevelt’s threated forced mine owners to give workers a raise and shorter work hours Did not want to bring down all large companies But wanted them to operate fairly; Not exploit small business owners or poor workers

The National Reclamation Act Natural resource issue in SW U.S.A= Water Mining industry needed lots of water to operate Created issues between mining companies & farmers; All needed water to thrive National Reclamation Act (1902) Federal government had power to decide where & how water would be distributed Gov. would build & manage dams that would create reservoirs, generate power, & direct water flow

Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom 8.5

Woodrow Wilson 28th President from March 4th, 1913- March 4th, 1921

New Freedom Program Plan to place strict government controls on corporations (Big Business) Provide more opportunities & freedom for small businesses Once elected, Wilson attacked the “triple wall of privilege” Tariffs, banks, & trusts These 3 establishments blocked businesses from being free

Wilson Regulates the Economy Underwood Tariff Act (1913)= Lowered tariffs on imported goods from foreign nations Included a provision to created a graduated income tax Revenue from income tax made up for the money that the government lost by lowering tariffs on imports Federal Reserve Act (1913) Federal banks under control of a Federal Reserve Board; Set up regional banks to hold reserve funds from commercial banks

Wilson Regulates the Economy Federal Trade Commission (1914) Monitored business practices that could lead to a monopoly; Watched for false advertising or dishonest labeling Adamson Act (1916); Used to prevent a nationwide railroad strike Limited railroad employees’ work day to 8 hours Ludlow Coal Strike (1914) 26 coal men, women, kids killed during the strike