The Progressive
Era
1900-1920
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
A. 3 Sources of Reform
1. Religion-YMCA, YWCA, & Salvation Army helped
poor and working people.
2. Press-Muckrakers=journalists who pointed out what
was wrong with society.
Lincoln Steffens & Ida Tarbell
took on big business.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
Upton Sinclair-The Jungle-about
stockyard workers and meat-packing
plants.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
A. 3 Sources of Reform
3. Radical Political Groups-1901-Socialist Party
organized, Eugene V. Debs candidate.
Socialism=eliminates
private ownership.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
B. Cities and States Change
1. New mayors in cities-Progressive and Socialist
2. New ways to manage cities-city commissions and
council-manager system form.
3. Reform governors-attack industry and big
business
Robert M. LaFollette-Wisconsin,
attacked corporations and
ended special treatment.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
B. Cities and States Change
4. Direct primary-eliminated the political
machine,
candidates chosen by popular vote.
5. Social reforms & issues-child labor, long hours,
worker's compensation laws.
Theodore Roosevelt
The Progressive President
TR
Personality-Outdoorsman, Harvard
graduate, and conservationist.
Career-Began as Republican Governor of New York. He
immediately began to reform politics and industry in
the state.
-Became vice-president in 1900
-September 6, 1901- McKinley assassinated and T.R.
became president
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
B. Cities and States Change
4. Direct primary-eliminated the political
machine, candidates chosen by popular vote.
5. Social reforms & issues-child labor, long hours,
worker's compensation laws.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
D. The Square Deal –
Roosevelt's Reforms
1. Increasing Federal Power – Government needed
to
be more active to help US grow.
2. Mediating Labor Disputes –
Athracite Coal Strike – Roosevelt threatened to
take over over mines after owners refused
to accept
arbitration deal he bad brokered. Set
precedent that
the government could
intervene if it was in the public's interests.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
D. The Square Deal –
Roosevelt's Reforms
3. Regulating Trusts – TR filed 44 suits under the
Sherman Antitrust Act. He prided himself
as the "trustbuster", breaking up many large
trusts, including Standard Oil.
Northern Securities v US, 1904, American
Tobacco v US, 1911 – Key cases
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
D. The Square Deal –
Roosevelt's Reforms
4. Regulating Transportation – passed 2 Acts
Elkins Act, 1903 – Made rebates from RR
companies illegal
Hepburn Act, 1906 – Allowed the Interstate
Commerce Commission to set maximum
rates and regulate RR prices.
5. Protecting Health – Pure Food & Drug Act, 1906.
Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley pushed for
labeling of foods because of question
ingredients.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
D. The Square Deal –
Roosevelt's Reforms
6. Conservation – TR set up 5 national parks, 50
wildlife sanctuaries, and 18 monuments.
Crater Lake
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
D. The Square Deal –
Roosevelt's Reforms
Mesa Verde
6. Conservation – TR set up 5 national parks, 50
wildlife sanctuaries, and 18 monuments.
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
D. The Square Deal –
Roosevelt's Reforms
6. Conservation – TR set up 5 national parks, 50
Grand
wildlife sanctuaries, and 18 monuments.
Canyon
I. Reforming the Industrial U.S.
D. The Square Deal –
Roosevelt's Reforms
6. Conservation – TR set up 5 national parks, 50
wildlife sanctuaries, and 18 monuments.
Petrified Forest
II. Progressivism Continues
A. William Howard Taft as President
1. Taft defeated William Jennings
Bryan in 1908 – much more
cautious than TR
2. Taft fought to lower tariffs but
many
conservative
Republicans opposed
him. Payne
Aldrich Tariff in 1909
reduced
tariffs.
II. Progressivism Continues
A. William Howard Taft as President
3. Taft returned much of the
conserved lands to public sale.
4. Taft appointed many unpopular
officials, including Joseph Cannon
as Speaker of the House. "Uncle
Joe" ruled as a dictator, only
considering conservative bills.
II. Progressivism Continues
Roosevelt’s View of Taft
II. Progressivism Continues
B. Election of 1912
1. Roosevelt – Bull Moose Party
Taft – Republican
Wilson – Democrat
2. Republican Party was split between Taft and TR,
Democrats are united.
3. Wilson won 435 electoral votes and the election.
The Democrats controlled the Senate and the
House of Representatives as well.
II. Progressivism Continues
C. Woodrow Wilson as President
Wilson declared the need for a
"New Freedom", and attacked
tariffs, finance and trusts.
1. 16th Amendment – 1913 – Established a federal
income tax. This has become the government's
largest source of revenue.
2. 17th Amendment – 1913 – Provided for direct
election of Senators. From the Populist Party in the
late 1800's.
II. Progressivism Continues
C. Woodrow Wilson as President
Wilson declared the need for a
"New Freedom", and attacked
tariffs, finance and trusts.
3. Underwood Tariff – 1913 – first real lowering of
restrictive tariffs since the Civil War.
4. Federal Reserve Act – 1913 – Created 12 districts,
each with its own federal reserve bank. Created the
Federal Reserve Board to Regulate the system.
II. Progressivism Continues
C. Woodrow Wilson as President
Wilson declared the need for a
"New Freedom", and attacked
tariffs, finance and trusts.
5. Federal Trade Act – 1914 – Created the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) to investigate unfair business
practices.
6. Clayton Act – 1914 – Declared monopolies and other
business practices illegal. Extended the Sherman
Antitrust Act.
II. Life in America Improves
A. Transportation Revolution
1. Automobile-1903-Henry Ford
organized Ford Motor Company. His
Model T was priced under $300
(affordable).
Created urban sprawl as people could
move away from factories.
Ford introduced 2 ideas that
revolutionized industry:
II. Life in America Improves
A. Transportation Revolution
(1) assembly line-parts and machines organized in
sequence.
(2) 5 dollar day-cost Ford $12 million first year but
profit doubled after 3 years.
II. Life in America Improves
A. Transportation Revolution
2. Flight-Orville and Wilbur Wright
made first flight at Kitty Hawk, NC
on Dec 17, 1903.
Military used planes for scouting and
some
combat in WWI.
North Carolina-First Flight
II. Life in America Improves
B. City Improvements
1. Skyscrapers-first designed by Louis
Sullivan, solved space problems.
Central Park
2. Parks and Amusement Parks-gave city dwellers
recreation areas. Frederick Law Olmstead
becomes famous as a designer after planning
New York’s Central Park and landscaping in
Washington, D.C.
II. Life in America Improves
B. City Improvements
3. Shopping increased as goods were abundant and
affordable. Mail order catalogs brought
shopping to the home. Department stores,
chain stores (Woolworth), and shopping
centers became popular.
4. Restaurants sprung up as cities became more
prosperous.
5. Settlement Houses-provided education,
activities, and
services in slums.
II. Life in America Improves
C. Education and Information Improvements
1. 31 states passed attendance laws, high schools
grew and colleges accepted more students.
2. McGuffey Reader was the
first real textbook used.
II. Life in America Improves
C. Education and Information Improvements
3. Black Americans:
Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute
and George Washington Carver taught there.
These leaders believed that blacks could become
equal through education.
Booker T.
Washington
George
Washington
Carver
W.E.B.
Dubois
II. Life in America Improves
C. Education and Information Improvements
4. Americans read many more newspapers as literacy
rate and leisure time increased.
Yellow Journalism: Newspapers began to use
sensational stories and headlines to attract
readers.
William Randolph Hearst
and Joseph Pulitzer
most well known.
II. Life in America Improves
D. Leisure Time
Americans found time for many pastimes.
1. Literature-Mark Twain, Jack London, Stephen
Crane, and Horatio Alger.
II. Life in America Improves
D. Leisure Time
Americans found time for many pastimes.
2. Sports-baseball and boxing become great in late
1800's
3. Drama and Show-P.T. Barnum joined James
Bailey in 1881 creating the "Greatest Show
on Earth." Movies like The Great Train Robbery
and Birth of a Nation were loved