1. Social and Political Change in the United States at the turn of the
Progressivism
Social and Political Change in the
United States at the turn of the
Century

2. Targets of Progressives
Trusts – Populists like Bryan said they were evil.
Corruption – Boss Tweed and other politicians were not out to “serve the public”
Vice – Anti-Vice groups emerge to root out evils of alcohol, drugs and pleasures of the flesh!
Slums – Authors highlight for American public conditions of slum life.
Govt. – Women especially target the social injustice they are treated with and press for “equal rights”.
Food Preparation – Novels that highlight conditions in slaughterhouses and canneries become popular.

3. Who were the Progressives?
New middle class composed of young professionals
Sought to apply principles of professions (medicine, law, business, teaching) to problems of society
Strong faith in progress and the ability of educated people to overcome problems
Rise in volunteer organizations organized to address issues
American Bar Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Municipal League
Mainly urban in residence and orientation

4. 6. Political reformers (many opposed to traditional party politics)
5. Muckraking journalists attacked corruption and scandal with a sense of moral outrage
6. Political reformers (many opposed to traditional party politics)
7. Socialists--frustrated workers who promised to destroy capitalism.
Led by Eugene Debs (who polled 900,000 votes for president in 1912), socialists were rejected by most Progressives as too extreme in their goals and methods

5. Major Beliefs of the time
Industrialization creates unsafe working environments for many Americans.
Unemployment, poor housing facilities and political corruption were just a few of the major issues of the day.
Many people have realized that private efforts to change these problems are not working.
Many groups step forward and ask the Government to help.
Many of the proponents of Progressivism say that Government involvement is really SOCIALISM!

6. Progressive Ideology Economic Welfare- Human Welfare -
Government must regulate economic activity in America to prevent depressions and recessions.
This also would prevent abuses of workers and abuses of smaller companies by larger ones.
They only want Government regulation and control in Water, Transportation and Electric Industries!
Human Welfare -
Workers need protection from abusive owners!
They need unemployment programs and welfare programs.
Social Security system should be created!

7. Progressive Ideology Women’s Suffrage -
Suffragists said that many women in cities could not care for their families without government help.
Therefore, they needed the right to vote to make their needs known!
Many suffragists focused their attention on eliminating alcohol, or reforming the workplace for women!
Most women were powerless in terms of political power in the 1900’s because they had no voting rights.

8. Muckrakers
People who exposed greed or corruption were often called this.
Term first coined by Teddy Roosevelt in 1901.
He condemned those who “earned their living by telling …. scandalous falsehoods about honest men.”

9. Muckrakers
Lincoln Steffens - book The Shame of the cities highlights deplorable conditions of US cities including details about children living in the streets
Upton Sinclair - his book The Jungle was supposed to bring to light horrible working conditions in slaughter houses but actually brings to light problems with food prep.
Ida Tarbell - She wrote History of the Standard Oil Company and detailed all the people Rockefeller had put out of business legally & illegally.

10. Other Muckrakers
Jacob Riis (1890) – How the other half lives. Book detailed life inside of a New York City slum.
John Spargo(1906) – The bitter cry of the children. The book highlighted the abuses of Child Labor.
Ray Stannard Baker (1908) – Following the Color Line. Book highlights the fact that 90% of blacks still live in the South with 1/3 illiterate.
Magazines often ran exposes attacking conditions in America:
McClures, Cosmopolitan, Collier’s, Everybody’s.

11. Progressive Era Reforms
City government system changed to prevent boss or "machine" rule
City commissions replaced mayors and city councils in some areas
City managers (nonpolitical professional managers) were hired to run small cities
State level reform efforts championed by Robert La Follette of Wisconsin
Direct primary to give voters control over candidates a. Competitive civil service and restrictions on lobbying b. Many states passed workmen's compensation laws c. Election reforms to bring direct democracy to voters
Initiative--allowed 5% of voters to "initiate" laws in state legislatures
Referendum--in some states voters could then pass initiatives into laws
Recall--by petition voters could force an official to stand for re-election at any time

12. Major Progressive Reforms
Education
Progressive education--John Dewey led movement
that focused on personal growth, not mastery of body
of knowledge and learning through experience.
Charles Eliot of Harvard pioneered elective courses and new teaching techniques (such as seminars) to make university learning more meaningful
Women began attending colleges in large numbers (by 1920, 47% of total enrollment was female)
Believing that more education would help bring an enlightened population, Progressives pushed enrollments to record levels (86% of children in schools by 1920) without seriously assessing how schools were doing.
Law
Judges opinions needed to be based on factual information, not just oral arguments and precedents
Muller V. Oregon (1908)--limited women's working hours
Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court overturned a New York law limiting bakers' working hours. Not an example of Progressive ideology!

13. Progressive Social Reforms
Settlement houses--Jane Addams and others established group homes in city slums to aid poor urban residents.
Promoted public health reform in cities, chlorinating water and tightening sanitary regulations
Developed education and craft programs for residents
Created neighborhood health clinics and dispensaries
Racial anti-discrimination efforts
Booker T. Washington (Atlanta Compromise) argued for self-help and accommodation on the part of blacks to white society
W.E.B. DuBois (Niagara Movement--1905) urged blacks to assert themselves and agitate for political and economic rights. Formed NAACP to use legal means to end racial discrimination

14. Women’s Movements
Number of Women employed stayed constant (20%)
The type of work switched from domestic labor (servants, cooks, laundresses) to clerical work (clerks, typists, bookkeepers), factory work, and professionals.
Most women still held the lowest paying and least opportune jobs.
Significant Progressive feminists called for greater reform
Charlotte Perkins Gilman attacked the male monopoly on opportunity and declared that domesticity was an obsolete value for American women
Margaret Sanger led the movement to provide birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancies among poor women
Suffragists urged that women be given the franchise, which came on the national level with the 19th Amendment (1919).

15. 19th Amendment Introduced in Congress in 1878!
9 western states already had state suffrage laws.
President Wilson changed his position and supported the Amendment in 1918.
It was ratified on August 18, 1920!

16. Suffrage in the United States

17. Anti Trust Movement Sherman Anti Trust Act 1890
The act declared illegal "every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations."
Criminal penalties were provided for violators of the law, and aggrieved persons were entitled to recover three times the amount of losses suffered as a result of the violation.

18. Anti Trust Movement Clayton Anti Trust Act (1914)
An Amendment to the Sherman Act.
Outlawed local price fixing to freeze out competition.
Forbid inter-corporate stock holdings (one company holds stock of another)
Allowed lawsuits to be filed to recoup losses and held CEO’s of companies directly responsible for the actions of their company.
Also said that unions could organize strikes if needed!

19. Progressive Era Reforms
Direct Primaries - voters actually pick the delegates for state and national election conventions instead of political bosses!
Worker’s Insurance policies - States allowed for unemployment insurance, accident insurance and compensation for injuries to be created.
Laws - 30 states outlawed
Child Labor Laws - by 1917 and eight adopted a minimum wage law after MA passed one in 1912

20. Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”
Hepburn Act (1906) - allowed ICC to become involved in disputes over shipping costs.
Northern Securities Case (1904) - TR had attorney General sue a Holding Company under the Sherman Anti trust Act. They held stocks and bonds of other companies and that was against the law. Government won the case!
Meat Inspection Act (1906) – requires inspection/grading of meat produced in the USA
Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) - requires labeling of all ingredients, a strict inspection system and ratings scale for all meat in USA.
He had proposed arbitration in Mine workers strike of 1902.
Workers got 10 cent raise and 9 hour day, owners did not legally recognize unions.
Roosevelt said both sides got a square deal!
He easily won reelection in 1904 and set about to reorganize American business practices.
By forty two anti trust cases went to court!

21. Environmental legislation
As country expanded, more and more people called for the protection of natural resources and areas of the West.
35 million acres of land preserved in the USA.
Yellowstone created in 1872
Yosemite created in 1890.

23. Environmental Legislation
US Forest Service-created to preserve and monitor the US forest lands set aside by Presidents Cleveland, Harrison and Roosevelt. Consists at the time of about 200 million acres of land.
National Reclamation Act - It was supposed to plan and develop irrigation projects to save land from deforestation, erosion and weathering. Controversy still exists today.

24. Progressive Era Legislation
16th Amendment (Feb. 1913)- Allowed the Govt. to raise more tax money from wealthy people’s incomes rather than poor people’s incomes.
17th Amendment (May 1913) - Provides for direct election of Senators to US Senate. Previously had been done by State Legislatures.
18th Amendment (Jan 1919) -Outlawed the sale, consumption and transportation of alcohol anywhere in the United States of America.
19th Amendment (Aug 1920) - Gave women the right to vote in the USA.

25. Presidency of William Howard Taft
Ballinger - Pinchot Affair -Secretary of the Interior (Ballinger) allowed a private group to get several million acres of public owned land in Alaska. Head of forestry service (Pinchot) publicly objects. President Taft fires Pinchot!
Mann - Elkins Act (1910) - Put responsibility for regulation of telephone and telegraph rates under control of ICC instead of big business.
Parcel Post Service created to deliver large packages anywhere in the USA.
Supported the 16th and 17th Amendments as well as Child Labor laws and laws against discrimination of women!

26. Two Giants Clash!
Roosevelt declared his desire to run for the Presidency in 1912 after returning from an African Safari. He publicly challenged Taft for the Republican nomination!

27. Bull Moose Party
It was created by Roosevelt to challenge Taft in the election of 1912.
It was one of the first successful Third Party organizations.
They campaigned for 8 hour workdays for everyone, more restrictions on business, and end to child labor, a federal worker’s compensation system and popular election of US Senators.
Many women ran campaigns and got elected for office in their home state on the BULL MOOSE ticket!

28. Who wins election?

29. Election of 1912 Election results: Wilson - 41.8 % 435 electoral
Roosevelt % 88 electoral
Taft % 8 electoral
Debs - 6% 0 electoral
Two others account for remaining 2%

30. Results of Progressive Era
Political Change -Direct election of US Senators (17th Amendment). Protective Legislation for workers, women, children and the poor. Public welfare programs and proposals for Social Security and public assistance programs.
Social Change- Women earn the right to vote (19th Amendment) Prohibition enacted (18th Amendment). Nationalist and Single Tax Clubs spring up everywhere. Muckrakers are born and prosper in the American Media.
Economic Change- US Companies sell products all over the world. Restrictions placed on meat packers, factory owners, USDA created along with ICC and FTC.

31. Life in 1903

32. Life in 1903 Average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47. Today 76-77
Only 14% of the homes had a bathtub. Today 90%
Only 8% of the homes had a telephone. Today 91%
Three minute call from Denver to NY city cost eleven dollars. Today: $3
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. and only 144 miles of paved road. Today: 235 million (estimate)
Maximum speed limit in most cities was 10mph. Today: 35 city/65 highway

33. Life in 1903
Average U.S. worker made between $300 and $500 per year. Today: $45,760
More than 95% of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
Today: 91% in a hospital.
Sugar cost .12 cents a pound. Eggs were .14 cents a dozen. Coffee cost .15 cents a pound.
Most women washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

34. Life in 1903 There were 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
Today: 16, 530 (2003)
Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.
American flag had 45 stars. Today: 50! DUH!
Canned beer and iced tea hadn’t been invented.
No Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

35. Life in 1903
One in ten U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Today: 1 in 4
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at drugstores.
“Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health”
Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Today: 71%-84% (estimates) (54% Latinos, 56% Blacks, 78% whites)
Georgia: 54% lowest graduation rate Iowa: 93% highest graduation rate
Virginia: 79-84% (2003)
The leading causes of death were:
Pneumonia and Influenza
Tuberculosis
Diarrhea
Heart Disease
Stroke

36. National Progressivism Urban, Middle Class Protestants
Roosevelt
Taft
Wilson
Advocated more state and national government involvement and protection
Special Interests
Special Interests
Urban, Middle Class Protestants
Labor
Populists
Women
Social Reformers
African-Americans

37. Characteristics of Progressivism
1. Concern about the effects of industrialization and the conditions of industrial life. Humanize and regulate big business, not destroy it.
2. Fundamental optimism about human nature, the possibilities of progress and for individuals to “investigate, educate, and legislate.”
3. Willing to intervene in people’s lives, confident that it was their right to do so.
4. Reliance of the authority of the state and government at all levels in order to put into effect the reforms they wanted.
5. Combined evangelical Protestantism and the natural and social sciences. Saw the environment as a key to reform.