The Progressive Era
Political, social, and economic reform
create an “Age of Optimism”.
Causes of Social Ills
•
•
•
•
Immigration
Urbanization
Industrialization
Laissez-faire
economics
• Unregulated market
• Political machines
Roots of Progressivism
• Muckrakers: journalists who exposed waste, corruption,
and scandal in the highly influential new medium of
national magazines, such as McClure's.
• Progressives believed in science, technology, expertise
and education as grand solutions to society's ills.
• Characteristics of progressivism included a favorable
attitude toward urban-industrial society, belief in
mankind's ability to improve the environment and
conditions of life, belief in obligation to intervene in
economic and social affairs, and a belief in the ability of
experts and in efficiency of government intervention.
Progressive Ideals
• Improving working
conditions, improving the
way of life, exposing
corruption, expanding
democracy and making
reforms were the main
idea.
• Marked with the arrival of
three great presidents:
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Working Towards Progressive
Goals
• Protecting Social Welfare
• Promoting Moral Improvement
• Creating Economic Reform
• Fostering Efficiency
Protecting Social Welfare
•
•
•
•
•
•
Social Gospel Movement hoped public
health measures and enforced schooling to
develop skills, the quality of their moral
lives would improve.
Concerns: labor reforms, such as
abolishing child labor, 12-hour day for
workers at U.S. Steel, and regulating the
hours of work by mothers.
Reformers opened settlement houses like the
Hull House in Chicago by Jane Addams.
Helped the poor/immigrants by offering
services such as daycare, education, and
health care
The YMCA was created to help rural youth
adjust to the city without losing their
religion
Salvation Army’s mission: to perform
social/charitable work, bringing the
Christian message to the poor, destitute and
hungry by meeting their physical and
spiritual needs.
Promoting Moral Improvement
• Women’s Christian
Temperance
Movement – led
crusade for Prohibition
• Improve morals to
help the poor
• Started in Cleveland in
1874
Temperance Video
Creating Economic Reform
• Economic panic led to
questions on capitalism
• American Socialist Part –
formed in opposition to the
capitalist system (Eugene
Debs)
• Claimed uneven balance of
Business/Gov’t vs. people
• Questioned Differences,
Machines and Corruption
Fostering Efficiency
• Scientific management
techniques applied
• Make workers more
productive and efficient
• Studies create assembly
line/shorter shifts
• Improved production
Assembly Line