Progressive Era Amendments 2014 – 2015 American Government Harrison Career Center: Mr. Leasure

I can identify the goals of the Progressive Movement. I CAN Statement #1

..goals of the Progressive Movement. A rapid growth of cities and industries in the U.S. at the turn of the century brought many problems. These problems included poverty, the spread of slums, and poor conditions in factories.

..goals of the Progressive Movement. 19th Century NYC: Tenements & George Waring (YouTube) Jacob Riis Pictures (YouTube)

..goals of the Progressive Movement.

A depression in the 1890s made problems worse. Corrupt political machines had won control over many city and state governments.

..goals of the Progressive Movement. Big corporations had gained power over the economy and government. To attack these problems, individuals organized a number of reform movements.

..goals of the Progressive Movement. These reformers believed in the basic goodness of people. They also believed in democracy.

..goals of the Progressive Movement. Their reform movements came to be grouped under the label progressivism. About 1900, a new group of writers began to expose corrupt in American society.

..goals of the Progressive Movement. The writers were called muckrakers. The muckrakers created a public demand for reform.

..goals of the Progressive Movement. The progressive reformers shared at least one of three goals: First to reform government and expand democracy.

..goals of the Progressive Movement. Second, to promote social welfare; Third, to create economic reform.

I can analyze Theodore Roosevelt’s “square deal”. I CAN Statement #2

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. In the 1870s and 1880s, elected officials often handed out government jobs and contracts. In return, the elected official won political support.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. This practice was called patronage. In response, the Congress passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. This law required people to take civil service exams for certain government jobs. It also prevented elected government officials from terminating civil service workers for political reasons.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. In the 1890s and 1900s, progressive leaders sought to expand democracy. They wanted to give voters more control over their government.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. Progressive leaders promoted four reforms to expand democracy and give more electoral power to the people of the U.S.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. In a direct primary, voters, rather than party conventions, chose candidates to run for public office. An initiative allowed voters to propose a law directly.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. In a referendum, a proposed law was submitted to the vote of the people. In a recall, the people were allowed to vote an elected official out of office.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. Another progressive goal was to create economic reform. This meant limiting the power of big business and regulating its activities.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 made it illegal for corporations to gain control of industries by forming trusts. A trust is a combination of businesses who work together to cut prices and remove competitors.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”. When the competition was removed from the market, the trust would raise prices and make larger profits.

..analyze Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”.

I can evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities as an activist president. I CAN Statement #3

..evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities.. At age 42, Theodore Roosevelt became the POTUS in Roosevelt is considered by many historians to be the first progressive POTUS.

..evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities..

Roosevelt started his presidency by implementing reforms to break up corporate trusts. He believed industries should be regulated for the public interest.

..evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities.. Roosevelt saw government as an umpire. Its purpose was to ensure fairness, or a “square deal”, for workers, consumers, and big business.

..evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities.. Roosevelt acted to regulated the meat-packing industry after reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. In the book, the author describes a pack play in which dead rats ended up in the sausage.

..evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities.. In 1906, he signed the Meat Inspection Act. This act created a government meat inspection program.

..evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities.. Roosevelt also signed the Pure Food and Drug Act. This law banned the sale of impure food and medicine.

..evaluate Roosevelt’s qualities.. While Roosevelt tried to win a square deal for most Americans, he did not push for civil rights for African-Americans. He believed that discrimination was morally wrong, however, he did not take the political risk of leading a fight for civil rights.