DO NOW
Using a T-chart, work together with a
partner to brainstorm different issues or
concerns people in rural areas might have
and issues facing people in urban areas
today (21st century).
Put a star by any issues you wrote down
that you feel would have also been an issue
for that community in the late 1800s.
The Progressive Era
US Unit 1 Part 1 Presentation
New Political Parties and Groups:
Populists and Progressives
The populists were a rural party that
rose out of the economic recessions
of the late 1800s and the decline in
farm profits. Low farm prices following
the Civil War and high industrial
prices paid by farmers led the
Populist movement to demand
reforms to assist farmers.
The Progressives were an urban party
that rose out of the desire to see
change and to make government
more responsive to the people.
Populist: Rural Reformers
Pushed for the passing of the
Interstate Commerce Act of 1887.
Established Cooperative
Organizations of Farmer that provided
insurance to farmers, pushed for the
income tax (redistribute wealth), but
in the end remained racially divided.
Created the political Populist Party
that although never won office, still
had a great influence on politic at the
time.
Progressives Urban Reformers
Fought for the rights of
workers, specifically workers
pay and working conditions.
Created a political party that
lasted for sometime and
competed in most elections.
Overall was concerned with
the widening gap between
rich and poor created during
the Gilded Age.
Reform Leaders: Susan B. Anthony
leading force in the
women’s suffrage
movement for fifty years
(from the 1850’s)
founder of the National
Women’s Suffrage
Association, led to the
19th Amendment (1919)
guaranteeing women’s
suffrage.
Reform Leaders: W.E.B. DuBois
African-American civil
rights leader from the
1890’s to the 1940’s
called for immediate
extension of civil rights to
African-Americans and
helped found the NAACP
(National Association for
the Advancement of
Colored People).
Reform Leaders: Robert LaFollette
Leader of the
Progressive Party in
the 1920’s
favored the breakup
of corporate
monopolies, farm
relief, and reduced
income taxes.
Reform Leaders: Frances Willard
a leader in reforms for
women she headed the
National Council of Women
in 1888, the Women’s
Christian Temperance
Union, and worked
tirelessly for women’s
suffrage.
Also became a leader in
the prohibition movement
to ban alcohol.
Reform Leaders: Jane Addams
Pioneer social worker and
winner of the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1931
Addams was most
remembered for her work at
Hull House in Chicago and
her work for women’s
suffrage.
Hull house became a model
shelter and assistance center
for new immigrants and
impoverished Americans.
Reform Leaders: Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells-Barnett
was a fearless antilynching crusader,
suffragist, women's
and civil rights
advocate,
journalist, and
speaker.
Muckrakers
Investigative reporter who
exposed controversies in order to
inspire change.
Upton Sinclair – best known for his
novel The Jungle that led to the
passage of the Pure Food and
Drug Act
Ida Tarbull – The lasting results of
Ida Tarbell's brand of investigative
journalism, most notably with the
History of the Standard Oil
Company, led to the 1911
Supreme Court decision to break
up the Standard Oil trust.
What conclusions can be drawn from this cartoon? Use the OPTIC
strategy to write down what you see and try and tie them together.
Theodore Roosevelt
War Veteran and Republican
Became President while Vice President
to William McKinley who was
assassinated.
Very progressive President who
believed reforming society, regulating
business (trust-busting), and the
protection of natural resources.
Youngest President to serve up to that
point and was reelected in 1904.
Favored a strong U.S. Military with a
modern Navy to protect American
interests and territories.
Open Door Policy
Roosevelt continued
the Open Door Policy
of the Presidents
before him.
The Open Door Policy
called for the U.S. to
expand foreign trade,
even if it had to force
trade (China). The
idea was to create a
global power like the
nations of Europe.
Panama Canal
One of the greatest foreign
policy accomplishments of
Roosevelt.
Connected the Atlantic and
Pacific and cut trade time
drastically resulting in huge
profits for the U.S. who
leased the land around and
the canal itself from Panama
until 1999.
Massive project that
although a great
accomplishment resulted in
many workers’ deaths.
Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906
One of the great progressive
accomplishments of the
Roosevelt Presidency was the
creation of the FDA that
regulated food, medicine, and
other industries in order to
protect the American
consumer republic.
Products had to be approved
and had to disclose their
ingredients.
William Howard
 Elected in 1908 as a
Republican and viewed as the
Taft successor to Roosevelt.
 Continued anti-trust legislation
and workers rights laws of the
progressive era.
 For some members of the
Republican party, Taft did not
do enough and the result was
some party members leaving
the Republicans to form a new
third party around Roosevelt.
 Taft was a former judge and
will later become a Supreme
Court Judge under President
Harding.
Dollar Diplomacy
President Taft believed in using
America’s prosperity as a source
of diplomatic strength.
Taft gained support from foreign
nations and obtained favorable
treaties and agreements by
providing loans to these
developing countries. He also
encouraged American business in
those nations.
The result was many countries now
indebt to the U.S. What are the
implications of this?
Woodrow Wilson
 Elected President in 1912
representing the Democratic
Party (Won as a result of the
Republicans being divided)
 Huge supporter of progressive
reforms like women’s suffrage
and continued anti-trust
legislation of the presidents
before him.
 Also supporter workers rights and
limiting working hours.
 President during World War I and
reelected to a 2nd term in 1916.
 Suffered a stroke while in office
in 1919.
Federal Reserve Act of 1913
Wilson led the way to the
creation of the Federal
Reserve which is the
national bank of the
United States and still
exists today.
The Federal Reserve
regulates banking and
major economic activity
in the U.S. and overall
promotes policies to keep
the economy stable.
National Park System 1916
Passed in 1916, the
National Park Act, created
and maintained a system
of federally protected
national parks that to this
day preserve natural
treasures of the nation.
Conservation of resources
was a key element of the
Progressive movement and
the motivating factor
behind this legislation.