Unit 4:
Imperialism
and
Progressivism
Chapter 13
The Progressive Movement
I. Intro to the Progressive Era
A. So recall the Populists……
1. Who were they?
a. mostly farmers, rural Americans
b. mostly poor, uneducated
2. What were their problems?
a. overproduction = falling crop prices
b. high tariffs = lack of export sales
c. tight money supply = high interest rates
= hard to pay their debts
d. victimized by banks, RRs, big biz =
farmers paid higher rates
3. Populist Demands and Reforms (how did they
think their problems could be solved?
a. more gov’t regulation of big biz
b. Gov’t ownership of RRs
c. lower tariffs
d. less immigration
e. silver standard = increased money
supply + lower interest rates
f. graduated income tax
4. Their legacy?
- fail to get their desired reforms or
improve the economic condition of
farmers, but..... others will take on their
cause and call for reform!
B. Enter the Progressives……
1. Progressivism: a political movement that
crossed party lines. Progressives believed
that rapid industrialization and urbanization
had created many social problems and that
gov’t should take a more active role in
dealing with these problems
Intro to
Progressivism
2. Who are the Progressives?
Who is pushing for reform?
a. Middle-class, well-educated Americans
b. Live in Cities
c. Both Political Parties call for reform (recall the
significance of Third Parties!)
3. Their ideas for reforms came from?
a. Liberal Republicans of 1870s
b. Mugwumps of 1880s
c. Populists of 1890s
d. Social Gospel Movement 1890s (Christians
should do what it takes to help their fellow
man)
II. The Rise of Progressivism
A. The Problems 1890 +
1. Industrialization, with all its increase in productivity
& the # of consumer goods created:
a. unemployment and labor unrest, poor
working conditions
b. wasteful use of natural resources
c. abuses of corporate power
2. Urbanization – rapid growth of cities magnified
problems of poverty, disease, squalid living
conditions, crime & corruption
3. Influx of immigrants & rise of new
managerial/middle class upset traditional class
alignments
4. Economic Depression (1893-1897) convinced
many that equal opportunity was out of reach for
many Americans
Tenement Slum Living
Poor working conditions, child labor
B. The solution? Solve social problems through
active Government leadership! (bye bye Laissez-Faire)
T. Roosevelt
W. H. Taft
W. Wilson
C. The Reformers
1. New Middle Class
a. young professionals - journalists, social
workers, educators, politicians, clergy
b. mainly urban
2. Muckrakers - journalists who attacked
corruption and scandal & investigated social
conditions (term muckraker: raked up the “muck” or
dirt of American life)
- published articles in popular magazines
- led to public debate over
social/economic problems & put
pressure on politicians to introduce
reforms
Muckraking
a. Exposing Corruption in Gov’t
1) Lincoln Steffens
Exposed city
political machines
in The Shame of
the Cities
2) David Graham Phillips
Criticized how $ influenced the
Senate in Treason of the Senate
b. Exposing Corruption in Big Biz
1) Ida Tarbell
Exposed
corruption in Big
Biz in The History
of Standard Oil
2) Frank Norris
Exposed the suffering
caused by corrupt and
greedy turn-of-the-century
RR monopolies in The
Octopus: A California
Story
c. Exposing Social Welfare problems
1) Jacob Riis
Exposed poverty,
crime, disease in
immigrant tenement
neighborhoods in
How the Other Half
Lives
2) John Spargo
Criticized child labor in
The Bitter Cry of the
Children
View of the Ewen Breaker of the Pa. Coal Co. The dust was so dense at times
as to obscure the view. This dust penetrated the utmost recesses of the boys'
lungs. A kind of slave-driver sometimes stands over the boys, prodding or
kicking them into obedience. S. Pittston, Pa.
3) Upton
Sinclair
Exposed health and
safety problems in
the meat-packing
industry in The
Jungle
3. Political Cartoonists – especially effective
since there was high illiteracy (couldn’t read the
newspaper, but could understand the cartoons)
a. Thomas Nast: favorite target? Boss Tweed
and Political Machines
b. Frederick Opper: favorite
target? Trusts and social ills
4. Political Reformers – those opposed to
traditional party politics
5. Socialists - frustrated workers who promised
to destroy capitalism. Led by
Eugene Debs (who polled 900,000 votes
for President in 1912).
too
a. socialism is rejected by most Progressives as
extreme in their goals and methods
b. Progressives want some gov’t regulation of biz
and industry. Socialists want gov’t ownership of
some biz and industry
Socialism c. Progressives (& most Americans) believed in
the superiority of the US system of free
enterprise
The Socialist Ticket 1912
D. 4 Groups of Progressives
1. Efficiency Progressives – goal to make
city gov’t more efficient
a. Scientific management applied to gov’t
- run gov’t more like a business
b. City gov’t required EXPERTS, not
POLITICIANS (to head essential city
services)
- change system to prevent boss or
“machine” rule
- support commission plan or
council /mgr plan (pg 421)
- specialists should run city depts
- prompted by Galveston, TX
hurricane of 1900
Replacing the City Machines
2. Democracy Progressives - goal to make
US more democratic – make elected officials
more responsive to voters
a. State level reform efforts championed
by Robert La Follette of Wisconsin
(Lab. Of Democracy)
1) Problem: party bosses indirectly
controlled which candidates were
chosen to run for office
Solution: Direct Primary – voters
given control over candidates
(voters decide who becomes the
candidate in presidential election)
2) Problem: state legislatures
unresponsive to voters
Solution: Election reforms to
bring direct democracy to voters
“Fighting Bob”
La Follette
Initiative – allowed voters to
“initiate” laws in state leg.
Referendum – in some states,
let voters accept or reject measures
proposed by state leg.
Recall – enabled voters to remove
unsatisfactory elected officials from
office
Recall in Action:
CA 2003 – Davis OUT, Arnold IN!
3) Problem: open ballots allow
everyone to see your vote –
voters subject to pressure and
intimidation
Solution: Secret Ballot
b. Federal level reform efforts
1) Problem: US Constitution stipulates
that each state leg. elect 2 senators
to DC – but machines or trusts
influenced election of those Senators
– repaid their supporters with
fed. contracts & jobs
- Solution: 17th Amendment to
the Constitution = direct
election of Senators by all
state voters
2) Women’s suffrage. Problem: 50% of US
population disenfranchised
Solution: 19th Amendment to the
Constitution = women’s suffrage
Women’s Suffrage
c. Women
1) The status of women: considered inferior.
Couldn’t vote, serve on juries, or hold public
office – their place was in the home. In most
states, once married, woman lost control of her
property and wages to her husband
2) The Road to Women’s Suffrage
a) Seneca Falls Convention (1848) –1st
women’s rights convention – Lucretia
Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton
b) 15th Amendment (1870) – black men
vote: expanded calls for women’s vote
c) National Women’s Suffrage Assoc
(NWSA) – pushed for constitutional
amendment allowing women’s suffrage –
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady
Stanton (Susan B arrested for voting in
1872 presidential election)
Opposition to
Women’s
Suffrage
• Suffragists considered
unfeminine/immoral
• Some attacked
Propaganda against
women’s suffrage
d) American Woman Suffage Assoc(AWSA) - gain women’s suffrage by
convincing state gov’ts to give women’s
suffrage before trying to amend
constitution – Lucy Stone, Julia W. Howe
e) By 1900, only WY, ID, UT and CO had
granted women full voting rights
f) National American Woman Suffrage
Assoc (1890) – a combo of the NWSA &
AWSA . Middle-class women demand
voting rights to promote social reforms &
labor class women demand voting rights
to ensure passage of labor laws to
protect women
Women’s Suffrage Movement
Alice Paul
g) Washington March - March 3, 1913 –
(day before W. Wilson’s inauguration)
organized by Alice Paul who believed
that protests were necessary to force
Pres. Wilson to act on women’s suffrage
h) 1915 “Winning Plan” – organized as the
final push to gain voting rights. NAWSA
supports Wilson in 1916, Wilson calls for
all states to give women suffrage
i) 1918-19 WWI: men went to fight, women
went to factories, mills and mines in
support of the war effort– support for
women’s suffrage grew
j) 19th Amendment – June 1919 passed by
Senate – Aug 1920 - ratified
The Washington March: March 13, 1913
3. Social Welfare Progressives - goal to
address social problems such as: illiteracy,
alcohol abuse, child labor, safety
a. Created charities
ex. Jane Addams – settlement houses
provided various services to the
immigrants and the poor (Hull House)
b. Pushed for new laws to fix social probs
1) Problem: In 1900 ~ 2m kids under
16 worked outside the home.
Solution: National Child Labor
Committee - goal to end child labor
- some states establish minimum
work age/ max work hrs
- compulsory education Laws
Labor conditions
2) Problem: Many adult workers
labored in difficult and dangerous
conditions.
- Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Solution: creation of health &
safety codes: building codes,
workers’ compensation laws,
zoning laws - made work
environment safer for workers
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
zoning laws and building codes
regulate how land and buildings
can be used - separate biz from
residential
Triangle Shirtwaist Company
3) Problem: alcohol responsible for
many problems: loss of productivity
in the workplace, industrial
accidents, spousal & child abuse
Solution: temperance movement moderation or elimination of
alcohol.
- Women’s ChristianTemperance
Union (WCTU) led by Frances
Willard;+ Anti-Saloon League
pushed for prohibition–
laws banning the
manufacture, sale, &
consumption of alcohol
(18th amendment)
WCTU
4. Big Biz Progressives- goal to regulate/reform
Big Biz
a. Pushed for new laws to regulate biz
b. Problem: wealth in the hands of too few –
monopolies/trusts/holding companies too
powerful – too much political pwr
Solution:
1) Interstate Commerce Commission
(ICC) strengthened
2) Consumer laws passed
3) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) set
up to regulate biz
4) Sherman & Clayton Anti-trust Acts
5) biz licensing
6) regulate public utilities (so they set fair
rates)
II. Theodore Roosevelt (R)
(1901-1908) #26
A. Introduction
Teddy Roosevelt
1. age 42 – Youngest US President
2. Social Darwinist = int’l affairs; Progressive in
domestic affairs – believed gov’t should
balance needs of competing grps
a. Square Deal = promise of fair & equal
treatment for all
b. Adopt reforms to maintain an efficient
society that could compete successfully
against other nations
The Square Deal
B. Roosevelt’s Reforms
1. Trusts – Necessary & Efficient, but some
hurting public interest – should be
supervised, not destroyed
ex. Northern Securities Case: TR used Sherman
Anti-trust Act to attack a RR monopoly.
Supreme Ct orders company dissolved
TR earns reputation as a trustbuster!
2. Establishes Gov’t as broker btwn grps in
society
ex. Coal Strike of 1902 – prices climbing, impending
shortage. TR believes this an ex. of pursuit of
pvt interest at expense of nation. Orders
arbitration. Owners refuse. TR threatens to
send in army to run mines – mine owners accept
arbitration
TR the Trustbuster
3. Bureau of Corporations – new fed. Agency to
investigate corps & publicize results
a. goal to keep big biz from abusing pwr thru
knowledge & facts
b. TR exercised ability to regulate big biz w/o
sacrificing the efficiency of trusts
- B of C investigation of US Steel: possible
anti-trust law suit. USS offered to open acct
books – in exchange, gov’t would allow USS to
correct probs privately w/o going to court
4. Acts of Congress
a. Expedition Act – anti-trust suits given
precedent in court dockets
b. Hepburn Act – gave ICC pwr to set RR
rates, inspect books
C. Social Welfare Action
1. Issues?
a. Patent Medicine Biz
- variety of potions passed off as curealls etc.
- many = just household mixtures.
others = dangerous compounds
b. Food/Meat
- Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle –
exposed appalling conditions in
meatpacking industry
The Jungle
Magic Potions!
2. Solutions?
a. Pure Food & Drug Act (1906) –
prohibited manuf./sale/ship. Of impure or
falsely labeled food, drugs, liquors,
medicines – required contents on labels
b. Meat Inspection Act (1906) – gave gov’t
pwr to inspect meat packing plants:
checked meat & set standards for
cleanliness etc.
Meat Reform
D. Conservation (TRs most enduring
legacy)
1. Issues?
a. US resources being used up at alarming
rate
- lumber co.s cutting, not replanting
- oil co. let oil/nat. gas gush out unused
b. Mismanagement of resources
- ranchers overgrazing
- mining co.s gouging huge holes in
earth
2. TR supports conservation
a. Land development in West
- Newlands Reclamations Act: sale of
western lands used for irrigation
projects – build dams
b. Gifford Pinchot
1) US Forest Service (Pinchot in
charge)
2) believed trained experts in forestry &
resource mgmt should apply
scientific mgmt to conserve forests
3) rejected laissez-faire philosophy of
leaving preservation up to lumber
cos. (lumber cos would conserve to
ensure future profits)
E. TR’s Legacy
1. Americans look to the fed. Gov’t to solve
nation’s economic & social problems
2. Executive Branch grew in power
- ICC sets rates
- Ag Dept inspects food
- Bureau of Corps monitors biz
- antitrust suits etc
III. William Howard Taft (R)
(1909-1913) #27
A. Introduction
1. picked by TR as his successor (was TRs
Sec. of War) – defeats William Jennings Bryan
(D) in 1908 election (WJB lost for 3rd time  )
2. Taft hated politics – wanted law career
a. Very diff from TR: agreed to become Pres
b/c his wife and TR wanted him to.
b. Had many progressive ideas, but conflict w/
progressives over his personality &
approach to politics
B. Taft lost credibility w/ progressives
over 3 issues:
1. Tariffs
a. Taft believed tariffs should be reduced as
US biz no longer needed special
protection; believed lower tariffs would
bring lower prices to consumers; drop in
revenue from tariffs could be made up w/
taxes
b. Bill to lower introduced – but in Senate,
head of Senate committee, supporter of
high tariffs, rewrote it (The Payne-Aldrich
Tariff)
- didn’t reduce tariffs much & raised
tariffs on some goods!
1) Taft trapped! If he vetoed it,
he would upset
conservative Republicans,
if he signed it, he would
anger progressives
2) Signed it & said it was the
best tariff bill ever!
2. The House Revolt
a. Joseph Cannon was Speaker of
the House
- anti-progressive
- controlled committee
assignments, order of biz, etc
b. Progressives in Congress decided he
must be removed, from rules committee
at least
- Progs asked for Taft’s support in this
issue – he refused
3. Conservation
a. Taft gets caught up in spat btwn Sec of
Interior Richard Ballinger & Chief
Forester Pinchot over leasing public
land in Alaska to pvt developers
b. Taft supports Ballinger. Pinchot goes to
Europe to tell TR that his buddy was
selling progressivism down the river
C. Taft’s Progressive Reforms
– Taft WAS a Progressive!!
1. Children’s Bureau – investigated/publicized
child labor problems
2. Mann-Elkins Act (1910) – gave ICC power
over telegraph, telephone, (wireless)
3. Conservation
a. Bureau of Mines – oversees mining
activity
b. Forest Reserve Act – expanded Nat’l
Forests
c. Protected waterpower sites from pvt
development
4. 90 Anti-trust suits (2x as many as TR)
a. TR critical: said breaking up trusts was
destroying his system of cooperation &
regulation btwn gov’t/biz
b. TR advocated allowing trusts to exist,
while increasing govts ability to regulate
them
c. TR breaks w/ Taft – decides to reenter
politics, run for Pres in 1912 election
IV. Woodrow Wilson (D)
(1913-1921) #28
A. Election of 1912
1. Taft/TR competing for Repub candicacy
a. Conservatives = Taft
b. Progressive = TR
2. Taft has more support (TR scares them when he
declares fed gov’t to be steward over public’s
welfare)
3. TR leave Rep Party” forms “Progressive Party”
aka “The Bull Moose Party”
- “New Nationalism” – more powerful nat’l
gov’t & strong exec branch to regulate
biz/trusts
4. Woodrow Wilson = Democrat, “New Freedom”
a. Progressive Dem from NJ
1) revamped election laws
2) utility regulation
3) cities changed to commissioner
form in NJ
b. Monopolies should be destroyed, not
regulated
- freedom more important than
efficiency
5. Woodrow Wilson elected
a. TR & Taft split Republican Vote, so…
Democrat wins easily!
b. example of a Third Party as an election
“spoiler”
B. Wilson on the Economy
1. Tariffs
a. Wilson personally appeared before
Congress to address need to reduce
tariffs
b. Believed pressure of foreign competition
would lead US manufacturers to improve
their products & lower prices
- “constant necessity to be efficient,
economic & enterprising”
b. Federal Reserve System/Act (1913)
1) 12 Regional “bankers banks”
- bankers kept portion of their
deposits in these to cushion
against unanticipated losses
2) Board of Govs appointed by Pres.
- had pwr to raise/lower interest
rates – thus had abililty to fight
inflation by raising interest
rates & stimulate economy
during recession by lowering
interest rates
3. Anti-trust Action
a. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- investigates unfair biz practices (that
hurt competition), cease & desist
orders
b. Clayton Anti-Trust Act
- banned tying agreements, price
discrimination, volume discounts
- exempted labor from anti-trust laws
C. Federal Aid & Social Welfare
1. Child Labor
- Keating-Owen Act: prohibited
employment of children under 14 in
factories producing goods for interstate
commerce (court ruled against this)
2. Adamson Act
- 8 hr workday for RR workers
3. Federal Farm Loan Act
- 12 member banks provide farmers w/
long-term, low-interest loans
D. Legacy of Progressives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
more efficient city gov’t
more democratic state gov’t
increased biz regulation
improved working conditions
new amendments to constitution
role of gov’t to fix social & economic problems
increased
E. Limits to Progressivism: US still very
racist
1. Niagara Mvmt (1905)
2. NAACP (1910)
3. WEB DuBois – vote essential to bring about
an end to racial discrimination