1. The Progressive Era: Fighting the Problems of American Society

2. The Progressive Era: My Q’s
Why were the Populists important to the Progressive Movement?
What was a Muckraker?
How did Progressives help workers?
Name three ways Progressives improved cities.

3. Problems of American Society in the early 20th Century
Many of the major problems of the 20th Century was caused by Industrial capitalism, which basically meant huge profits for wealthy owners and bosses while immigrant and black workers were taken advantage of.
Also, political corruption was a major issue throughout America. Political machines were known to give tax breaks and illegal contracts to wealthy businessmen in return for cash. They also were known to rig elections in favor of themselves.
Rapid urbanization left many cities overcrowded with people and pollution.
The Progressives attempted to reform these issues.

4. A Predecessor to the Progressives
The Populist Movement was the primary predecessor to the Progressive Movement that would follow.
Made up of indebted farmers from the West and South, the Populist Movement were extremely upset with large corporations (known as trusts back then) and the railroad system because they both took advantage of farmers.
The Populist farmers called for a percentage based income tax, public ownership of the railroads, and the reduction of tariffs to help trade their crops overseas.
The Progressives often looked to the reform-minded Populists for inspiration.

5. The Muckrakers: The First Progressives
Journalists who exposed the problems of American society in the newspapers and other printed materials were known as Muckrakers.
Advances in printing and photo reproduction allowed these nosy journalists to reach a much larger audience than ever before.
One Muckraker named Frank Norris wrote the wildly popular book called the Octopus, which portrayed the way railroad owners cheated their customers and accepted illegal bribes.
Another female Muckraker named Maria Van Vorst decided to become a worker in a Massachussetts shoe factory to experience the problems there. She discovered that women’s finger nails were rotting away in this particular factory since they kept on dipping their nails into shoe dye.

6. Regulating Business, Protecting Workers
While the growth of huge businesses and profits continued, workers continued to struggle to meet ends meet.
Most families had to send their mothers and children to work. In fact, in 1910, 1.6 million children between worked full-time.
The average worker spent 10 hours a day at work in hazardous conditions.
Therefore, progressives successfully worked to increase corporate taxes and limit business contributions to political campaigns.
Progressives were also successful in setting mandatory work hour limits, getting factory safety laws, and bans on child labor.

7. Reforming Politics
Political machines and big business corrupted politics throughout America. The best example occurred in New York where Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall Machine cost taxpayers some $70 million dollars in illegal dealings.
To stop these injustices, progressive-minded voters elected honest mayors like Detroit’s Hazen Pingree and Toledo’s Samuel Jones who provided city residents cheaper public transportation and utilities like electric and water.
Progressives were also able to establish secret balloting and electoral reforms like initiative, referendum, and recall.

8. Improving the Cities
Because of overcrowding and corrupt politicians in the cities, urban areas literally became dumps and breeding grounds for disease.
Progressives began to beautify cities with more parks and playgrounds, better roads, and improved government buildings.
Progressive government officials improved garbage collection, street cleaning, sewage treatment, and required higher standards from food and milk producers.
Such reforms directly resulted in less infant mortality and tuberculosis deaths.

9. Preserving Nature
Perhaps the most important action a president had taken during the 20th century was Teddy Roosevelt’s decision to wholeheartedly support environmental conservation.
Years of pollution and exploitation of resources had damaged America’s natural beauty and environment.
Big business owners, who wanted to continue to abuse the land, fought progressives for control of the West.
Roosevelt decided to join the progressives against big business and set aside 200 million acres of forest and other mineral-rich land for recreational and government use rather than selling it.
Largely because of Roosevelt’s efforts, we now have the National Parks Service.