The
Women’s Movement
& Black Awakening
Reforms
By 1900,African-American
80% of African-Americans
lived in
rural
areas, mostprogressivism
as Southern sharecroppers
■Southern
was for
whites only; Keeping blacks from
voting was seen as necessary:
–Allowed for poll taxes, literacy
tests, property qualifications (&
grandfather clauses for whites)
–Strengthened Jim Crow laws
requiring separate theaters,
restaurants, hotels, & schools
–But did regulate RRs & industry
African-American Reforms
■Black leaders were
divided on how to
address racial problems
–Booker T Washington
was Harvard educated,
studied black urban culture, & was
1st president of Tuskegee University
–His “Atlanta Compromise” stressed
black self-improvement (not lawsuits
or agitation against whites)
“[African-Americans]
African-American Reforms
have■W.E.B.
a right to know,
to was
DuBois
think, to aspire…
We
moreforaggressive
must strive
the right
which
the world
■Dubois
led the
accords to man.”
Niagara DuBois
Movement
—W.E.B.
in 1905 calling for
immediate civil rights,
integrated schools, &
promotion of the “Talented 10th”
to be the next generation of black
civil rights leaders
The Niagara Movement & NAACP
■In 1909, National Assoc for the
Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) was formed by William
Walling & others; Du Bios was put
in charge of The Crisis publication
■The
NAACP
had
some
victories:
But…“I have never seen the colored
–Guinn
(1915)and
ended
people v
soU.S.
discouraged
so bitter
as they are atgrandfather
the present time.”
Oklahoma’s
clause
—Booker T. Washington, 1913
–Buchanan v Worley (1917)
ended KY housing segregation
Conclusions
■Social progressivism led to
successful reforms in American
cities by attacking corruption &
advocating for the less fortunate
■Urban reformers drew national
attention to:
–The plight of women & blacks
(with mixed results)
–The need for reform at the
state & national levels
Conclusions
■Social progressivism led to
successful reforms in American
cities by attacking corruption &
advocating for the less fortunate
■Urban reformers drew national
attention to:
–The plight of women & blacks
(with mixed results)
–The need for reform at the
state & national levels
The Women’s Movement
■Successful progressive reforms
led by women strengthened calls
for women’s rights & suffrage:
–The National Association of
Colored Women advocated for
“Women’s vote will help cure ills of society”
the rights of black women
–The National American Woman
Suffrage Association was key in
getting the 19th Amendment
passed in 1920
Women’s
Suffrage
Before
1900
The Women’s Movement
■Margaret Sanger championed the
cause for increased birth control
for women:
–Her journals provided
contraceptive information for
poor & middle-class women
–In 1916, Sanger opened the
1st birth control clinic in the U.S.
Conflict in the Workplace
■The new industrial advances like
mass production & management
sped up production but led to:
–Long hours, low wages,
dangerous settings for workers
–Labor unrest & strikes
–Union membership jumped from
4% in 1900 to 13% by 1920
–Progressive reforms for workers
Labor Union
Membership,
1897-1920
“It is our purpose
to overthrow
the capitalist
Organizing
Labor
The
WTUL
strike
against
Hart,
Schaffer,
system
by
forceful
means
in
necessary…
st
&
Marx
Co
led
to
the
1
collective
■Gompers’
American
Federation
of
[There
is
nothing
a
worker
can
do
that]
will
bargaining
victory
in
U.S.
labor
history
bringLabor
as much
anguish
to the boss
thanunion
a little
was
the largest
U.S.
sabotage
in
the
right
place.”
but
it
was
exclusive;
led to:
Open to all workers
—IWW
co-founder
“Big Bill” Haywood
regardless
of
race,
sex,
–Women’s Trade Union League
ethnicity, or skill
(1903) formed to help working
Called
the “Wobblies”
women
& educate the public
–Industrial Workers of the World
(1905) urged revolution & the
creation of a workers’ republic
via sabotage & strikes
Did not threaten
to overthrow
Organizing
Labor
the capitalist system
■Eugene V. Debs
formed the
Socialist Party
of America &
applied Marxist
ideas into a
moderate &
appealing
political platform
The Republican Roosevelt
The
president
is “a
steward of
TR
thought of
presidency
as the
a(1901)
■The
McKinley
assassination
people
bound
actively
& affirmatively
bully
pulpit
to
advocate
hispresident:
agenda
made
Teddy
Roosevelt
to do all he can for the people”
president who
Elihu–TR
Root was
to Secan
of activist
State
how
guideGifford
publicPinchot
opinion
(districtknew
attorney
of to
NYC)
as chief
most
Gilded Age
W.H.–Unlike
Taft to Sec
of War
conservationist
(governor
of Philippines)
Republicans,
Roosevelt refused
to ignore social inequalities
–He believed gov’t agencies
should be run by experts
The Square Deal
■In 1902, the United Mine Workers
went on strike to demand higher
pay & an eight-hour work day
–The strike lasted 11 months
–TR brought both sides to
arbitration & threatened gov’t
seizure of the coal mine
■The result was a “square deal” for
labor (higher wages) & owners
(no formal recognition of the union)
TR the Trustbuster?
■TR saw the benefit of good trusts,
but wanted to control bad trusts:
–He pushed for the Dept of
Commerce & Labor to
investigate business misconduct
–In 1902, TR ordered the Justice
Dept to charge the Northern
Securities Co in violation of the
Sherman Anti-Trust Act; The
Supreme Court ordered the
company to be broken up
TR accepted monopolies as a fact of life
for 20th century business but viewed
regulation as the best way to tame trusts
who use corrupt business practices
TR the Trustbuster?
■TR was not always consistent:
–Initiated suits against beef trust,
American Tobacco, DuPont,
Standard Oil, & New Haven RR
–But he relied on business to gain
re-election in 1904; sought the
advice
of 43
JPmonopolies
Morgan; allowed
Taft busted
in 4 years
some monopolistic mergers
–The Roosevelt administration
only “busted” 25 trusts in 7 years
Muckraking Journalism
■Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
(1906) led to federal investigation
of the meatpacking industry, gov’t
inspections, & improved sanitation
aimed
at theexposed
public’s heart
■Sam“IH.
Adams
the &
by
accident
I
hit
it
in
the
stomach”
dangers of patent medicines which
led to the Pure Food & Drug Act
requiring listing of ingredients &
banned “adulterated” drugs
■TR was a popular president & won a
landslide victory in 1904
“Under no circumstances will
I be a candidate for or accept
another nomination”
Regulating the Railroads
■TR’s re-election agenda focused
on business regulation:
–Hepburn Act (1906) increased
the ICC’s power to set maximum
RR rates & investigate RR
company financial records
–The Food & Drug Act (1906) &
Meat Inspection Act (1906)
protected consumers
Conserving the Land
■TR created the 1st comprehensive
national conservation policy:
–TR defined “conservation” as
wise use of natural resources
–Created the Reclamation Service
to place natural resources (oil,
trees, coal) under federal domain
–From 1901 to 1908, U.S. gov’t
preserves grew from 45 million
acres to 195 million acres
National Parks and Forests
The Presidency of
William Howard Taft
The Taft Presidency
■TR remained true to his promise
not to run for a 3rd term & chose
William Howard Taft as the
“I feel
a bit like a fish
out of for president
Republican
nominee
water…I hate the limelight.”
■Taft seemed ready to carry out
TR’s political agenda
The Taft Presidency
Taft
backed
high Payne-Aldrich
■Taft
wasthepoorly
equipped totariff
continue
Roosevelt’s
agenda:
Taft fired
Pinchot,
TR’s chief conservationist
after the
Affairto
–Taft
didBallinger-Pinchot
not trust the gov’t
Progressive
Republicans
no longer
regulate business
behavior
looked to Taft for leadership &
–He
didn’talmost
have all
thehisflair
of TR;
criticized
policies
Taft was “too honest & sincere”
–Taft tended to side with
conservative Republicans rather
than progressive Republicans
The Taft Presidency
■Despite these set backs, Taft
helped push through significant
progressive legislation:
–16th Amendment was written;
created a national income tax
–17th Amendment was written;
direct election of U.S. Senators
–Safety codes for miners & RRs
–Created the Children’s Bureau
“I’m feeling
like a BullofMoose!”
The Election
1912
■TR decided to run against Taft for
the Republican nomination in 1912
This
divided the
Republican Party
but deeply
conservative
Republicans
refused to take him over Taft
■TR was nominated to the new
Progressive (Bull Moose) Party
■Democrats nominated former
Princeton president & NJ governor
Woodrow Wilson who ran as a
progressive reformer
The Election of 1912
TR’s New Nationalism WW’s New Freedom
The 1912 election was the most significant 3■way
U.S.election
needssince
a nat’l
U.S. needs
small
1860: ■Lincoln
(Republican),
approach
to reform
gov’t,
free trade
Stephen Douglas
(Northern
Democrat),
&&
Breckenridge
Democrat)
& aJohn
strong
president(Southern
competition
■ Social-Justice
■ Both plans saw the
reforms; protection
economy as the
of women, children,
central issue, but
workers; “good”
Wilson distrusted
trusts to help growth federal power &
nat’l
planningbut
only won the
presidency,
■Democrats
1st to enlistnot
women
also outright control of both House & Senate
Woodrow Wilson’s
New Freedom
Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom
■Wilson believed in strong, activist
1% tax for all,
2% for
the rich
leadership
& but
helped
push
through
many
“New Freedom”
ideas:
The
1st efficient
national banking
system
since
Jackson destroyed
in 1832
–Underwood
Tariff the
ActBUS
reduced
tariffs & created America’s 1st
graduated income tax
–Federal Reserve Act created a
Federal Reserve to regulate the
economy by adjusting the
money supply & interest rates
Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom
–Clayton Anti-Trust Act banned
Federalinterlocking
Farm
Endorsed
an 8-hour& held
directorates
Loan Act
day
for
all
workers
business officers personally
Defended
unions’
right
Supported
liable
for monopolies;
helped
to collectively
bargain
women’s
suffrage
workers by allowing strikes &
banning injunctions
■As the 1916 elections neared,
Wilson pushed for more social
reforms…but U.S. involvement in
WWI in 1917 distracted Americans
from progressive reform
Conclusions:
The Fruits of
Progressivism
The Fruits of Progressivism
■Progressive reforms led to:
–Urban & labor improvements
–Direct primaries & female voting
–More gov’t responsibility for
social welfare
–Regulatory commissions
–Increased importance of interest
groups & public opinion polls
–An “expert” bureaucracy
–A more powerful presidency
■WWI ended the Progressive Era