Strange Fruit Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. Pastoral scene of the gallant south, The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, The scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh, Then the sudden smell of burning flesh. Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck, For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop, Here is a strange and bitter crop.

Strange Fruit Written by Abel Meeropol – Lewis Allen Inspired by Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith Made famous by Billie Holiday What is this song about? – lynching in the south What makes this song effective? The contrast between the beauty of the south and the ugliness/horror or racism When do you think it was written? – written in the late 1930s Who is it meant for? For everyone Why do you think it was written? To raise awareness about the brutality of racism that still existed * Racism and its brutality existed during the period we will be discussing.

Gilded Age & Progressive Era

Understand the Progressive Response Lesson of Purpose Review problems of Gilded Age Understand the Progressive Response

Defining “Gilded Age Gilded Age:1865-1900 “gilded” – to cover with a thin layer of gold Time of corruption, greed, poverty, weak gov. overcrowded cities, etc. Industrialization, immigration & urbanization

Defining “Progressive Era” Gradual movement towards something better Response to the Gilded Age Political, Economic & Social reforms

Poor working conditions Consumer fraud Unfair business practices Main Issues Poor working conditions Consumer fraud Unfair business practices Political corruption Environmental degradation

The “Progressives” Reformers; people fighting for change Ordinary white middle class Accepted industrialism & urbanization Strong belief that reform NEEDED

The “Progressives” Roosevelt & Wilson - Provide leadership for Progressive cause Roosevelt’s Cause “The Square Deal” : 1. Regulate business 2. Consumer protection 3. Worker’s rights 4. Natural resources Wilson’s Cause Economic policy Clayton Antitrust Act

A. “Fighting Bob” Robert La Follette Progressive governor Wisconsin Later become Rep. Senator Fought for progressive reforms Nickname – “Fighting Bob” or “Battlin’ Bob” Causes Expand democracy Increase gov. efficiency Protect natural resources

B. Muckraker Ida Tarbell Influential journalist of Progressive Era Defining “muckraker” Expose problems to public Used words & images

B. Muckraker Ida Tarbell Muckraker figures: 1. Lincoln Steffens – city gov. corruption,“The Shame of the Cities” 2. Jacob Riis & Lewis Hine – took pics of lower class working & living conditions

B. Muckraker Ida Tarbell 3. Ida Tarbell – exposed Rockefeller business tactics, “History of the Standard Oil Company” 4. Upton Sinclair – exposes Chicago meat- packing practices, “The Jungle”

B. Muckraker Ida Tarbell “There would be meat stored in great piles in rooms; and the water from leaky roofs would drip over it, and thousands of rats would race about on it…a man could run his hand over these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats. These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put poisoned bread out for them; they would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together.”

YUMMY!!!

Textile workers (women & children): 60-84 hrs a week No minimum wage C. Young Coal Miner Working Conditions 12 hour days, 7 days a week Textile workers (women & children): 60-84 hrs a week No minimum wage No unemployment insurance No worker’s compensation

C. Young Coal Miner Triangle Shirt Waist Factory 1911 fire No fire escapes 100 workers dead, some leaped off burning building

C. Young Coal Miner Changing Working Conditions Roosevelt sided w/labor unions 1902 miner’s strike PA threatened to send troops if management didn’t negotiate 1st time gov. power benefit labor Dept. Commerce & Labor (1903) – activities of industry open to public

D. Food Inspection Goods Industrial age quantity up quality down Customer no direct connection to seller No protection from bad products Meat packing industry Roosevelt pressured Congress for law Soldiers in war died from tainted meat

D. Food Inspection Drugs Companies make unproven claims Pure Food & Drug Act 1906 Passed by Congress Barred use of harmful chemicals in food Prevented misleading statements on drug ads

E. President Roosevelt Monopolies Developed in industrial revolution Disliked by progressives – too much power Need gov. to regulate businesses Roosevelt – “trust buster” Hated business who abused power Believed gov. had right to stop illegal practices

E. President Roosevelt Wilson Hated monopolies Federal Trade Commission 1914 Kept large companies from destroying smaller one Encourage competition Clayton Antitrust Act Stopped pricing policies that would destroy competition

F. Roosevelt & John Muir Roosevelt & John Muir Muir is a conservationist CA’s Sierra Nevada Mt. Roosevelt championed conservation Preserved 5 national wilderness areas Known as the father of national park system

G. W.E.B. Du Bois Du Bois Leader of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Racial Issues Progressives sought social justice, plights of black not a main concern Progressives felt blacks inferior to whites Progressives in south strengthen segregation laws & north ignored issues

G. W.E.B. Du Bois NAACP Protect rights of blacks Defended unjust arrests of blacks Sought anti-lynching laws 1914 – membership at 6,000 in 50 cities Du Bois most prominent leader Historian Outspoken

H. Suffragists National Women’s Social & Political Union Progressive want gov. more responsive to people’s will expand democracy so more voters “Political Machines” Political power controlled by men – got bribes & favors little accountability for actions Progressives sought to stop this system

H. Suffragists 1913 Constitutional Amendment Direct election of U.S. Senators Stops “political machines” 19th Amendment ratified - 1920 Gave women right to vote

Class Activity Write acrostic “PROGRESSIVES” Preserved America’s national wild life Ratified 19th Amendment giving women right to vote O G R E