Ch.17.1
The Origins of Progressivism
Notes
Main Idea:
Political, economic, and social change in the late 19th century led to broad
progressive reforms.
Four goals of Progressivism
1.
2.
3.
4.
Protecting social welfare
Promoting moral improvement
Creating economic reform
Fostering efficiency
1. Protecting social welfare
-worked to soften the harsh conditions of industrialization
Organizations that were formed:
-YMCA
-Salvation Army
-“Slum brigades”
Influential individuals:
-Florence Kelley
-instrumental in getting child labor laws
-limiting women’s working hours
2. Promoting moral improvement
-worked to improve personal behavior and morals
Organizations that were formed:
-WCTU- Woman’s Christian Temperance Movement (1874)
-Anti-saloon League (1895)
Programs that were started:
-Prohibition- the banning of alcoholic beverages
Influential individuals:
-Frances Willard
-transformed WCTU into the largest women’s group in our
nation’s history
-Carry Nation
-used her hatchet to destroy bottles of liquor
-scolded customers (Fond du Lac)
3. Creating economic reform
-worked to improve economic conditions brought on by the panic of 1893.
Organizations that were formed:
-American Socialist Party (1901)
-felt big business unfairly, limited competition
Influential Individuals:
-Eugene V. Debs
-felt an uneven balance existed between big business, government,
and ordinary people in the free-market system
-Muckrakers-journalists who uncovered the corrupt side of business and public
life.
-Ida Tarbell- uncovered the cutthroat methods of Standard Oil Co.
4. Fostering efficiency
-used scientific principle and experts to make society more efficient
Influential individuals:
-Louis Brandeis (“Brandeis brief”)
-argued that long working hours were more costly than shorter hours
-used data from social scientists to argue his point and promote
changes through law
-Fredrick Winslow Taylor
-used time and motion studies to improve efficiency
-broke down jobs into simpler parts
-Efficiency specialists also targeted corrupt state and local governments
-Political bosses- bought votes and gave kick backs for support
-Corruption- bribes and favors
Reforming local government
-disasters seemed to be the only thing that created change
-Hurricane in Galveston, TX
-created the Commission form of government
-experts take control of city departments
-Flood in Dayton, OH
-created the City Manager form of government
-A city council appoints a person to oversee city
departments
-Two Rivers (Greg Buckley)
Influential individuals:
-Hazen Pingree (Detroit)
-concentrated on economic reforms
-Tom Johnson (Cleveland)
-focused on dismissing corrupt utility owners
Reforming state governments
-many states passed laws to regulate railroads, mines, mills, telephone
Companies and other large businesses
Influential individuals:
- Governor Robert La Follette (Republican-WI)
-wanted to “treat them (big business) exactly the same as other people
are treated.”
-targeted the railroad industry
-Governor Charles Aycock
-Governor James Hogg
-Wm. S. U’Ren
-prompted the state to adopt the secret ballot, the initiative, the referendum
and the recall.
-initiative-laws proposed by the people rather than law makers
-referendum-a vote on the initiative
-recall-enabled voters to remove a public official by making them face
another election
Influential organizations:
-National Child Labor Committee (1904)
-investigated harsh working conditions of children
-fatigue, accidents, health problems, stunted growth
-Keating-Owens Act (1906)
- prohibited the transportation of child labor goods across state
Lines
Supreme Court
-found Keating-Owens Act to be unconstitutional because it interfered
with a states right to regulate trade
-Muller v. Oregon
-limited women to a 10-hour work day
-Bunting v. Oregon
-upheld a 10-hour work day for men
Congress
-Passed the 17th Amendment
-election of Senators rather than having them appointed by the
state