Progressivism
Social and Political Change in the
United States at the turn of the
Century
Targets of Progressives
• Trusts – Populists like Bryan said they were evil.
• Corruption – Boss Tweed and other politicians were
not out to “serve the public”
• Vice – Anti-Vice groups emerge to root out evils of
alcohol, drugs and pleasures of the flesh!
• Slums – Authors highlight for American public
conditions of slum life.
• Govt. – Women especially target the social injustice
they are treated with and press for “equal rights”.
• Food Preparation – Novels that highlight conditions
in slaughterhouses and canneries become popular.
Who were the Progressives?
New middle class composed of young professionals
1. Sought to apply principles of professions
(medicine, law, business, teaching) to problems
of society
2. Strong faith in progress and the ability of
educated people to overcome problems
3. Rise in volunteer organizations organized to
address issues
a)American Bar Association
b)U.S. Chamber of Commerce
c)National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People
d)National Municipal League
4. Mainly urban in residence and orientation
5. Muckraking journalists attacked corruption
and scandal with a sense of moral outrage
6. Political reformers (many opposed to
traditional party politics)
7. Socialists--frustrated workers who promised to
destroy capitalism.
•
Led by Eugene Debs (who polled 900,000 votes
for president in 1912), socialists were rejected by
most Progressives as too extreme in their goals
and methods
Major Beliefs of the time
• Industrialization creates unsafe working environments
for many Americans.
• Unemployment, poor housing facilities and political
corruption were just a few of the major issues of the day.
• Many people have realized that private efforts to change
these problems are not working.
• Many groups step forward and ask the Government to
help.
• Many of the proponents of Progressivism say that
Government involvement is really SOCIALISM!
Progressive Ideology
• Economic Welfare– Government must regulate economic activity in America to
prevent depressions and recessions.
– This also would prevent abuses of workers and abuses of
smaller companies by larger ones.
– They only want Government regulation and control in Water,
Transportation and Electric Industries!
• Human Welfare – Workers need protection from abusive owners!
– They need unemployment programs and welfare programs.
– Social Security system should be created!
Progressive Ideology
• Women’s Suffrage – Suffragists said that many women in cities could not care for
their families without government help.
– Therefore, they needed the right to vote to make their needs
known!
– Many suffragists focused their attention on eliminating
alcohol, or reforming the workplace for women!
– Most women were powerless in terms of political power in
the 1900’s because they had no voting rights.
Muckrakers
• People who exposed
greed or corruption were
often called this.
• Term first coined by
Teddy Roosevelt in 1901.
• He condemned those
who “earned their living
by telling …. scandalous
falsehoods about honest
men.”
Muckrakers
• Lincoln Steffens - book The Shame of the cities
highlights deplorable conditions of US cities
including details about children living in the streets
• Upton Sinclair - his book The Jungle was
supposed to bring to light horrible working
conditions in slaughter houses but actually brings to
light problems with food prep.
• Ida Tarbell - She wrote History of the Standard Oil
Company and detailed all the people Rockefeller had
put out of business legally & illegally.
Other Muckrakers
• Jacob Riis (1890) – How the other half lives.
Book detailed life inside of a New York City
slum.
• John Spargo(1906) – The bitter cry of the
children. The book highlighted the abuses of
Child Labor.
• Ray Stannard Baker (1908) – Following the
Color Line. Book highlights the fact that 90%
of blacks still live in the South with 1/3
illiterate.
• Magazines often ran exposes attacking
conditions in America:
– McClures, Cosmopolitan, Collier’s, Everybody’s.
Progressive Era Reforms
City government system changed to prevent boss or "machine"
rule
1. City commissions replaced mayors and city councils in some
areas
2. City managers (nonpolitical professional managers) were hired
to run small cities
3. State level reform efforts championed by Robert La Follette of
Wisconsin
4. Direct primary to give voters control over candidates
a. Competitive civil service and restrictions on lobbying
b. Many states passed workmen's compensation laws
c. Election reforms to bring direct democracy to voters
5. Initiative--allowed 5% of voters to "initiate" laws in state
legislatures
6. Referendum--in some states voters could then pass initiatives
into laws
7. Recall--by petition voters could force an official to stand for reelection at any time
Major Progressive Reforms
Education
1. Progressive education--John Dewey led movement
that focused on personal growth, not mastery of body
of knowledge and learning through experience.
1. Charles Eliot of Harvard pioneered elective courses and new teaching
techniques (such as seminars) to make university learning more
meaningful
2. Women began attending colleges in large numbers (by 1920, 47% of
total enrollment was female)
3. Believing that more education would help bring an enlightened
population, Progressives pushed enrollments to record levels (86% of
children in schools by 1920) without seriously assessing how schools
were doing.
Law
1. Judges opinions needed to be based on factual information, not just
oral arguments and precedents
2. Muller V. Oregon (1908)--limited women's working hours
3. Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court overturned a New
York law limiting bakers' working hours. Not an example of
Progressive ideology!
Progressive Social Reforms
Settlement houses--Jane Addams and others established group
homes in city slums to aid poor urban residents.
1.
2.
3.
Promoted public health reform in cities, chlorinating water and
tightening sanitary regulations
Developed education and craft programs for residents
Created neighborhood health clinics and dispensaries
Racial anti-discrimination efforts
1.
2.
Booker T. Washington (Atlanta Compromise) argued for selfhelp and accommodation on the part of blacks to white society
W.E.B. DuBois (Niagara Movement--1905) urged blacks to assert
themselves and agitate for political and economic rights. Formed
NAACP to use legal means to end racial discrimination
Women’s Movements
a)
Charlotteof
Perkins
Gilman
1. Number
Women
employed
attacked the
male constant
monopoly on
1900-1920
stayed
opportunity and declared that
(20%)
domesticity was an obsolete
2. The
of work switched
valuetype
for American
women
from domestic labor (servants,
b) cooks,
Margaret
Sanger led the
laundresses)
clerical
movement to provide to
birth
work
(clerks,
typists,
control
to prevent
unwanted
bookkeepers),
factory
pregnancies among poorwork,
women
professionals.
c) and
Suffragists
urged that women
3. Most
women
still heldwhich
the
be given
the franchise,
lowest
and least
came onpaying
the national
level with
the 19th Amendment
(1919).
opportune
jobs.
4. Significant Progressive
feminists called for greater
reform
19th Amendment
• Introduced in Congress in
1878!
• 9 western states already
had state suffrage laws.
• President Wilson changed
his position and
supported the
Amendment in 1918.
• It was ratified on August
18, 1920!
Suffrage in the United States
Anti Trust Movement
• Sherman Anti Trust Act 1890
• The act declared illegal "every contract, combination
in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in
restraint of trade or commerce among the several
States, or with foreign nations."
• Criminal penalties were provided for violators of the
law, and aggrieved persons were entitled to recover
three times the amount of losses suffered as a result
of the violation.
Anti Trust Movement
•
•
•
•
Clayton Anti Trust Act (1914)
An Amendment to the Sherman Act.
Outlawed local price fixing to freeze out competition.
Forbid inter-corporate stock holdings (one company holds
stock of another)
• Allowed lawsuits to be filed to recoup losses and held
CEO’s of companies directly responsible for the actions
of their company.
• Also said that unions could organize strikes if needed!
Progressive Era Reforms
• Direct Primaries - voters actually pick the delegates for state
and national election conventions instead of political bosses!
• Worker’s Insurance policies - States allowed for
unemployment insurance, accident insurance and compensation for
injuries to be created.
• Laws - 30 states outlawed
– Child Labor Laws - by 1917 and eight adopted a minimum wage law
after MA passed one in 1912
Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”
• Hepburn Act (1906) - allowed ICC to
become involved in disputes over shipping costs.
• He had proposed arbitration in
•Northern Securities Case (1904) - TR had
MineGeneral
workers
of 1902.
attorney
suestrike
a Holding
Company under
the
trust
Act.
They
• Sherman
WorkersAnti
got 10
cent
raise
andheld
9 stocks
and bonds of other companies and that was
hour
did not
legally
against
theday,
law. owners
Government
won
the case!
recognize unions.
•Meat Inspection Act (1906) – requires
• Roosevelt saidofboth
sides
got a in the
inspection/grading
meat
produced
USAsquare deal!
•Pure
Drug
Act (1906)
- requires
• HeFood
easilyand
won
reelection
in 1904
labeling of all ingredients, a strict inspection
andand
setratings
about scale
to reorganize
system
for all meat in USA.
practices.
By 1909 - forty two American
anti trustbusiness
cases went
to court!
•
Environmental legislation
• As country expanded, more
and more people called for
the protection of natural
resources and areas of the
West.
• 35 million acres of land
preserved in the USA.
• Yellowstone created in 1872
• Yosemite created in 1890.
Environmental Legislation
• US Forest Service-created to
preserve and monitor the US forest
lands set aside by Presidents
Cleveland, Harrison and Roosevelt.
Consists at the time of about 200
million acres of land.
• National Reclamation Act - It
was supposed to plan and develop
irrigation projects to save land
from deforestation, erosion and
weathering. Controversy still exists
today.
Progressive Era Legislation
• 16th Amendment (Feb. 1913)- Allowed the Govt. to raise
more tax money from wealthy people’s incomes rather than poor
people’s incomes.
• 17th Amendment (May 1913) - Provides for direct election of
Senators to US Senate. Previously had been done by State
Legislatures.
• 18th Amendment (Jan 1919) -Outlawed the sale, consumption
and transportation of alcohol anywhere in the United States of
America.
• 19th Amendment (Aug 1920) - Gave women the right to vote
in the USA.
Presidency of William Howard Taft
• Ballinger - Pinchot Affair -Secretary of the Interior
(Ballinger) allowed a private group to get several million acres of
public owned land in Alaska. Head of forestry service (Pinchot)
publicly objects. President Taft fires Pinchot!
• Mann - Elkins Act (1910) - Put responsibility for regulation
of telephone and telegraph rates under control of ICC instead of
big business.
• Parcel Post Service created to deliver large packages
anywhere in the USA.
• Supported the 16th and 17th Amendments as well as Child
Labor laws and laws against discrimination of women!
Two Giants Clash!
Roosevelt declared
his desire to run
for the Presidency
in 1912 after
returning from an
African Safari. He
publicly
challenged Taft for
the Republican
nomination!
Bull Moose Party
• It was created by Roosevelt to challenge Taft in the election
of 1912.
•It was one of the first successful Third Party organizations.
•They campaigned for 8 hour workdays for everyone, more
restrictions on business, and end to child labor, a federal
worker’s compensation system and popular election of US
Senators.
• Many women ran campaigns and got elected for office in
their home state on the BULL MOOSE ticket!
Who wins election?
Election of 1912
• Election results:
• Wilson - 41.8 % 435 electoral
• Roosevelt - 27.4% 88
electoral
• Taft - 23.2 % 8 electoral
• Debs - 6% 0 electoral
• Two others account for
remaining 2%
Results of Progressive Era
• Political Change -Direct election of US Senators (17th
Amendment). Protective Legislation for workers, women, children
and the poor. Public welfare programs and proposals for Social
Security and public assistance programs.
• Social Change- Women earn the right to vote (19th
Amendment) Prohibition enacted (18th Amendment). Nationalist
and Single Tax Clubs spring up everywhere. Muckrakers are born
and prosper in the American Media.
• Economic Change- US Companies sell products all over the
world. Restrictions placed on meat packers, factory owners,
USDA created along with ICC and FTC.
Life in 1903
Life in 1903
•
•
•
•
Average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47. Today 76-77
Only 14% of the homes had a bathtub. Today 90%
Only 8% of the homes had a telephone. Today 91%
Three minute call from Denver to NY city cost eleven
dollars. Today: $3
• There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S. and only 144 miles
of paved road. Today: 235 million (estimate)
• Maximum speed limit in most cities was 10mph. Today: 35
city/65 highway
Life in 1903
• Average U.S. worker made between $300 and $500 per
year. Today: $45,760
• More than 95% of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
• Today: 91% in a hospital.
• Sugar cost .12 cents a pound. Eggs were .14 cents a dozen.
Coffee cost .15 cents a pound.
• Most women washed their hair once a month and used
borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Life in 1903
•
There were 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
–
•
•
•
•
Today: 16, 530 (2003)
Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from
entering the country for any reason.
American flag had 45 stars. Today: 50! DUH!
Canned beer and iced tea hadn’t been invented.
No Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Life in 1903
• One in ten U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Today: 1 in 4
• Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter
at drugstores.
– “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels,
and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health”
• Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
– Today: 71%-84% (estimates) (54% Latinos, 56% Blacks, 78% whites)
– Georgia: 54% lowest graduation rate
Iowa: 93% highest graduation rate
– Virginia: 79-84% (2003)
• The leading causes of death were:
–
–
–
–
–
Pneumonia and Influenza
Tuberculosis
Diarrhea
Heart Disease
Stroke
National Progressivism
Roosevelt
Taft
Wilson
Advocated more state and national
government involvement and protection
Special
Interests
Urban, Middle Class Special
Interests
Protestants
Labor Populists Women
Social Reformers African-Americans
Characteristics of Progressivism
1. Concern about the effects of industrialization and the conditions
of industrial life. Humanize and regulate big business, not
destroy it.
2. Fundamental optimism about human nature, the possibilities of
progress and for individuals to “investigate, educate, and
legislate.”
3. Willing to intervene in people’s lives, confident that it was their
right to do so.
4. Reliance of the authority of the state and government at all levels in
order to put into effect the reforms they wanted.
5. Combined evangelical Protestantism and the natural and social
sciences. Saw the environment as a key to reform.