Chapter 9
The Progressive Era,
1890–1920
Amid great political and social change,
women gain a larger public role and
lead the call for reform. President
Theodore Roosevelt dubs his reform
policies a Square Deal.
The Origins of Progressivism
•
Political, economic, and social change in late 19th century America
leads to broad progressive reforms.
– Early 1900s, middle-class reformers address problems of
1890s
– Different reform efforts collectively
Progressive Movement =
reformers aim to restore
economic opportunity and
correct injustice in America
Four Goals of Progressivism
1. Protecting Social Welfare
–
–
Social Gospel, settlement houses inspire other reform groups
Florence Kelley, political activist, advocate for women, children
•
helps pass law
prohibiting child
labor, limiting women’s hours
2.
Promoting Moral Improvement
–
Some feel poor should uplift selves by improving own
behavior
– Prohibition — banning of
alcoholic beverages
– Woman’s Christian Temperance Union
spearheads prohibition crusade
3. Creating Economic
Reform
–
1893 panic prompts doubts about capitalism;
many become socialists
–
Muckrakers — journalists
who expose corruption in
politics, business
4. Fostering Efficiency
•
Many use experts, science to make society, workplace more
efficient
•
Scientific management — time and motion
studies applied to workplace
–
Assembly lines speed up
production, make people work like machines
–
cause high worker turnover
Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
•
As president, Theodore Roosevelt works to give citizens a Square Deal through
progressive reforms.
The Modern Presidency
•
•
•
President McKinley shot; Roosevelt becomes president at 42
His leadership, publicity campaigns help create modern presidency
Supports federal government role when states do not solve problems
– Square Deal —Roosevelt’s
progressive reforms to protect
the common people against
big business
– Trustbusting - breaks up
some trusts under Sherman
Antitrust Act
Conservation Measures
• Roosevelt sets aside forest reserves, sanctuaries,
national parks
•
Believes in conservation, not complete preservation; development of some wilderness for public good
Health and the Environment
Regulating Foods and Drugs
• Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle — unsanitary
conditions in meatpacking
•
Roosevelt commission investigates, backs up Sinclair’s account
•
Roosevelt pushes for
– dictates sanitary requirements
Meat Inspection Act:
– creates federal meat inspection
program
Pure Food and Drug Act
•
Food, drug advertisements make false claims; medicines often unsafe
• Pure Food and Drug Act halts sale of
contaminated food, medicine
– requires truth in labeling
Cleaning Up Local and State Government
Reform at the State Level
– Governors push states to pass laws to regulate large businesses
– Robert M. La Follette is 3-term governor, then senator of Wisconsin
• attacks big business
17th Amendment allows
for direct election of senators. permits popular
Seventeenth Amendment (1913) election of senators
Protecting Working Children - Groups press government to ban
child labor, cut hours
– National Child Labor Committee gathers evidence of harsh
conditions
– Labor unions argue children’s wages lower all wages
Efforts to Limit Working Hours
• Muller v. Oregon — Court upholds limiting
women to 10-hour workday
Left-Side
“Goals of Progressivism”
Ch. 9, sect 1 p307-308 [331-333]
Protecting Social Welfare
- Goal
- Examples:
Creating Economic Reform
- Goal
- Examples:
Promoting Moral Improvement
- Goal
- Examples:
Fostering Efficiency
- Goal
- Examples:
Take-A-Stand: Which of the four goals had the
greatest impact on the United States? Support.