The Rise of Progressivism
1890-1914
Progressivism
 Problems for America:
 immigration
 industrialization
 urbanization
 Progressive Movement tried to
reform America socially,
economically, and politically
 Socially: Suffrage, Prohibition,
Poverty, Crime
 Economically: Big Business,
Laissez-faire
 Politically: corruption,
inefficiency, more responsive
to people’s needs
Muckrakers
 Labeled by Theodore Roosevelt
 Journalists who were aware
of the problems in America
 wrote articles exposing the
problems
 demanded the problems be
fixed
 Used investigative reporting
to uncover horrible
problems in America
 Jacob Riis: uncovered the
horrible conditions of the
slums in How the Other Half
Lives
Famous Muckrakers
Lincoln Steffens
 published The Shame of
the Cities
 Collection of articles
on political
corruption
 Showed that corrupt
politicians were
threatening voters and
taking advantage of
citizens
Ida Tarbell
 published The History of
Standard Oil
 she reported that
Rockefeller used ruthless
methods to ruin his
competitors and charge
high prices
Famous Muckrakers
Upton Sinclair
 Wrote The Jungle
 Wrote about the miseries of industrial work
experienced by immigrants
 Also uncovered the unsanitary practices used in the
meat packing industry
Social Gospel
 Blended Progressivism and
socialism
 Follow the Bible’s teachings on:
 charity
 justice
 America could be better
 Pushed for
 the end of child labor
 shorter work weeks
 government regulation of
monopolies
Child Labor
 Progressives try to ban
 Gains:
 Children’s Bureau:
investigate any issue
affecting the health and
welfare of children
 Keating-Owens Act:
banned child labor…ruled
unconstitutional but
later Congress banned
child labor for good
Hull House
 Set up by Jane Addams in
Chicago
 Settlement house set up to:
 improve the lives of the
urban poor
 give mothers classes on
child care and English
 Kindergarten and arts
programs
 targeted immigrants to
help them assimilate
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
 Fire killed 146 female workers because management had locked the
doors from the outside
 Progressives demand reform: NY passed laws to make work places
safer, worker compensation laws were passed
Reforming Government
 Progressives realize that government must be reformed
before society
 government could fix the economic and social problems when
it was running better
 Political reforms were trying to give people more of a voice
in government
Reforms
 17th Amendment: direct election of Senators
 Before the amendment state legislatures would choose the
Senator
 Initiative: citizens can put proposed laws on ballots if
enough people signed a petition
 Referendum: allows citizens to approve or reject laws
 Recall: citizens can remove politicians from office
 Commission form of government used in local
governments
 puts power in more hands, not just a mayor (that could be
corrupt)
Famous Progressives
 Theodore Roosevelt: New York governor, future
President
 Made corporations pay taxes
 Used the civil service system
 Woodrow Wilson: New Jersey governor, future
President
 Reduced the power of RR’s
 Direct election of representatives
 Robert La Follete: Wisconsin governor
 Regulated RRs: lowered rates and increased RR
taxes
 Improved education and working conditions