1. The Progressive Era

2. a period during the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. Progressives wanted to reform government and business.

3. Problems in Society Industrialization 1.unemployment and labor unrest 2.wasteful uses of natural resources 3.abuses of power

4. Problems in Society Growth of cities magnified problems of: 1.poverty 2.disease 3.crime 4.government corruption

5. Urban Growth: 1870 - 1900

6. Tenement Slum Living Jacob Riis was a photographer who captured the images of poverty in American cities in his book “How the Other Half Lives” (1890)

7. Men’s Lodgings

8. Tenement Life

9. ”Bandits’ Roost”

10. Mullen’s Alley ”Gang”

11. Problems in Society Influx of immigrants and rise of new middle class upset traditional social class structure

12. Problems in Society economic depression (period of low economic activity and high unemployment) from 1893-1897

13. Who were the Progressives? New middle class comprised of young professionals 1.Sought to apply principles of professions (medicine, law, business, teaching) to problems in society 2.strong belief that education could solve the problems of society; wanted to provide education to the all citizens 3.created volunteer organizations designed to solve problems (American Bar Association, NAACP, U.S. Chamber of Commerce)

14. Who were the Progressives? Muckrakers: –journalists who wrote articles exposing corruption in government and business 1.Lincoln Steffens: exposed government corruption in his book “The shame of the Cities 2.Ida Tarbell: exposed Standard Oil Trust abuses 3.Upton Sinclair: wrote “The Jungle” (1906) reveled horrible conditions in the handling of food in the meat packing industry

15. Who were the Progressives? Political reformers: wanted to limit the power of political party “bosses” and backroom deals

16. Who were the Progressives? Socialists: –Frustrated workers who wanted to change capitalism. 1.led by Eugene Debbs 2.rejected by many progressives as being too extreme in their goals