1. America Comes of Age (1890-1920)
Lesson 1 Progressives Drive Reform

2. What should we do?
“The coal is hard, and accidents to the hands, such as cut, broken, or crushed fingers, are common among the boys. Sometimes there is a worse accident: a terrified shriek is heard, and a boy is mangled and torn in the machinery Clouds of dust are inhaled by the boys, laying the foundation for asthma and miners’ consumption.”
—John Spargo, The Bitter Cry of the Children, 1906

3. America Comes of Age (1890-1920) Lesson 1 Progressives Drive Reform
Learning Objectives
Identify the causes of Progressivism and compare it to Populism.
Analyze the role that journalists and novelists played in the Progressive Movement.
Evaluate some of the social reforms that Progressives tackled.
Explain what Progressives hoped to achieve through political reforms.

4. America Comes of Age (1890-1920) Lesson 1 Progressives Drive Reform
Key Terms
Progressivism
muckrakers
Lincoln Steffens
Jacob Riis
Upton Sinclair
Social Gospel
settlement house
Jane Addams
direct primary,
initiative
referendum
recall
Seventeenth Amendment

5. The Progressive Era Begins
Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration brought many benefits to America, but they also produced challenging social problems. In response, a movement called Progressivism emerged in the 1890s. Progressives believed that new ideas and honest, efficient government could bring about social justice. Progressive ideas brought lasting reforms that still affect society today.

6. The Progressive Era Begins
Progressive Beliefs and Influences
Progressive Goals

7. The Progressive Era Begins
During the Progressive Era, volunteers like this one from the Salvation Army helped those less fortunate in many ways.

8. The Progressive Era Begins
Populists of late 1800’s more poor, rural and farmers
Progressive more middle class – use science and common sense to solve problems
Goals of the Progressive
Women suffrage, honest government, end political machines, paved streets, safe drinking water, decent housing, bust trusts to help small business, reduce income gap, harsh working conditions of miners, factory workers, and children, and social welfare.
Wage war on “evils”

9. The Progressive Era Begins
Compare and Contrast How did the goals of Progressives and Populists differ? How were they similar?

10. The Impact of Muckrakers
Socially conscious journalists and other writers dramatized the need for reform. Their sensational investigative reports uncovered a wide range of ills afflicting America in the early 1900s. Even though Theodore Roosevelt agreed with much of what they said, he called these writers muckrakers because he thought them too fascinated with the ugliest side of things. (A muckrake is a tool used to clean manure and hay out of animals’ stables.) The writers were angry at first but in time took up Roosevelt’s taunting name as a badge of honor.

11. The Impact of Muckrakers
Journalists Uncover Injustices
Novelists Highlight Social Issues

12. The Impact of Muckrakers
Muckrakers – investigative journalists who exposed corruption in government and big business
TR called them this because he was worried that they would ruin good peoples names as well.
Lincoln Steffens – editor of McClure who exposed the corruption of the nations cities (Philadelphia)
Jacob Riis – wrote How the Other Half Lives, about the poor in the rat invested tenement buildings
Ida Tarbell – published report (McClure) on the bad business practices of John Rockefeller and Standard Oil.
Upton Sinclair – wrote The Jungle, he was a socialist and wanted to show how bad meat packers were treated, instead showed how gross the meat we ate was.
Accidental Muckraker
“Mary had a little lamb, and when she saw it sicken, she shipped it off to Packingtown, and now its labeled chicken”

13. The Impact of Muckrakers
Muckrakers such as Nelly Bly wrote news articles that stirred public opinion in favor of Progressive causes.

14. Reformers Impact Society
The work of the muckrakers increased popular support for Progressivism. Progressive activists promoted laws to improve living conditions, public health, and schools. They urged government to regulate businesses. They worked as volunteers living among the people they sought to help. They believed that careful social planning would make American life better.

15. Reformers Impact Society
Issues Affecting the Social Gospel
Jane Addams Contributes to the Settlement House Movement
Progressive-Era Issues Affecting Children
Reforms in the Workplace

16. Reformers Impact Society
Walter Rauschenbusch became the leading proponent of the Social Gospel movement with the publication of his 1907 work Christianity and the Social Crisis.

17. Reformers Impact Society
Walter Rauschenbusch preached the Social Gospel
Social Gospel – urged people follow the teachings of the bible on charity and justice to make Earth more like the kingdom of God.
Help others and make the world more just
End child labor and long work hours
Settlement houses – private run charity for women and children that taught child care, English, theater, art, and dance.
Jane Addams – built Hull House in Chicago
Supported TR, cofounder of the ACLU, working conditions, womens’ suffrage, and world peace
Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931
Florence Kelley tried to end child labor
John Dewey wanted education reform – stop memorizing and teach kids to be creative
History, geography, cooking and carpentry
Triangle Shirtwaste Fire – sweat shop that caught on fire with no safety devices or procedures/equipment – 146 people burned or jumped to death – mostly women and children. Doors were locket.

18. Reformers Impact Society
Analyze Information How did child labor laws affect children's employment levels during the Progressive Era?

19. Progressive Reforms Impact Government
Progressive reformers sought to reform the political process in order to reform society. They wanted to free government from the control of political bosses and powerful business interests. They wanted to give people more control over their government and make government more effective and efficient in serving the public.

20. Progressive Reforms Impact Government
Reformers Change City Government
Progressive Reforms Impact Political Process
States Lead the Progressive Movement

21. Progressive Reforms Impact Government
The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 destroyed countless structures, such as this public school.

22. Progressive Reforms Impact Government
Galveston plan – replace mayor/council with commission form
Hire professional city manager
Purchased utilities to keep prices low
Wisconsin and Governor Robert LaFollette bypassed political bosses and established a direct primary
Direct primary – people vote to select nominees for general elections
Initiative – people can put new laws directly on the ballot by petition
Referendum – vote by the people – approve or reject laws by a legislature
Recall – remove elected officials before their term ended
17th Amendment – people directly vote for Senators instead of state legislatures
LaFollette improved education, safe factories and the direct primary
Hiram Johnson (CA) – Conservation
Teddy Roosevelt (NY) – corporate income tax and fair hiring practices for state government
Woodrow Wilson – direct primary (NJ)
Laboratories of Democracy

23. Progressive Reforms Impact Government
Analyze Information What was the most significant Progressive election reform? Cite two pieces of information to support your answer.

24. Quiz: The Progressive Era Begins
What common belief did all Progressives share?
A. They wanted to improve labor conditions for factory workers.
B. They wanted to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.
C. They wanted to create more opportunities for small businesses.
D. They wanted to correct the injustices of urban industrial society.

25. Quiz: The Impact of Muckrakers
Why did Theodore Roosevelt call socially conscious writers “muckrakers”?
A. He considered their literature to be poorly written.
B. He thought that their investigations were unpatriotic.
C. He acknowledged their focus on the difficulties of urban life.
D. He disagreed with their criticisms of social and political conditions.

26. Quiz: Reformers Impact Society
What was the purpose of settlement houses?
A. to provide health services for minorities
B. to provide social services to the urban poor
C. to provide resources for mistreated women
D. to provide charitable housing to the homeless

27. Quiz: Progressive Reforms Impact Government
What was the impact of the Galveston Plan?
A. It decreased the size and efficiency of local governments.
B. It gave utility companies the power to charge higher rates.
C. It limited the power of bosses and corrupt political systems.
D. It developed new infrastructure to survive natural disasters.