Progressive Era
1890-1920
Define Progressivism
• Reform movement in the
United States aimed at
improving the quality of life in
the general areas of social
wellbeing, moral character,
economic prosperity, and
political stability
• Many Progressives believed that
political action and reform were
required for progress in society.
What were the
common goals of
the various
Progressive Era
organizations?
• In general, Progressive organizations
believed that it was the government’s
job to:
– Be more accountable to its citizens
– Curb the power and influence of
wealthy interests
– Expand its powers to be more active
in improving the lives of its citizens
– Become more efficient and less
corrupt so that they can competently
handle the issues of the country
What were some of the
early inspirations for
attempting change in
society?
Early Inspirations for Change
• 1879 “Progress and Poverty”,
Henry George
–An effort to explain why a nation
so civilized could be in such
economic woes – why was
there such a difference between
the very rich and the very poor?
Early Inspirations for Change
• 1888 “Looking Backward”,
Edward Bellamy
–A man falls asleep in 1887
and wakes up in the year
2000 to a utopian US
society…how did it get that
way, and can we get there?
Early Inspirations for Change
• The Muckrakers – journalists whose
key role was to uncover the
wrongdoings in politics and business,
and to alert the public of such deeds
– Upton Sinclair “The Jungle” – the
meatpacking industry in the US
– Ida Tarbell “The History of the Standard
Oil Company” – business abuses of
Rockefeller and the Standard Oil trust
Some Early Reform Organizations
• The Labor Movement – Unions
continuing to fight for the rights of
workers, through strikes, collective
bargaining, etc.
• Socialists – political movement that
emphasized government control of
property and income – distribute
wealth more evenly, streamline
individual rights for the greater good,
etc.
Examples of
Reform Victories
during the
Progressive Era
Progressives were not a single unified
movement. Their efforts fell into four
general categories:
Social
Reform
Moral Economic Political
Reform Reform Reform
Social Reforms
Issue #1
• Foods
– Diseased animals
slaughtered
– Unsanitary work conditions
– Unsanitary food handling
– Old, rancid meats sold and
Grade A
– Impure ingredients added to
the meats
Meat Inspection Act of 1906

All animals were required to pass an
inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration prior to slaughter

All carcasses were subject to a postmortem inspection

Cleanliness standards were established
for slaughterhouses and processing
plants.
Issue #2
Unethical medical
practices, mis-labled
products, and
unscientific remedies
for illnesses
Patent
Medicines
• Medicines at the turn of the
century did not require a
prescription.
• Making exaggerated claims, they were
used for a variety of ailments.
• Many contained dangerous ingredients.
...More Exaggerated Claims!
Note ↑
Cocaine was a common ingredient – even for
children's medicines
Until 1903, a typical serving contained around 60mg of cocaine
“You'll be surprised how quickly it will ease the tired brain”
Morphine
Notice it's from the makers of
Bayer Aspirin...
Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906
Creation of the Food and Drug
Administration, which was entrusted
with the responsibility of testing all
foods and drugs destined for human
consumption
 The requirement for prescriptions from
licensed physicians before a patient
could purchase certain drugs
 The requirement of label warnings on
habit-forming drugs.

Issue #3
Urban sprawl and
industrialization. A fear that the
growing cities would destroy the
natural beauty of the country, and
that industrialization would drain
the country’s natural resources.
Newlands Reclamation Act
Encouraged conservation by
allowing the building of dams and
irrigations systems using money
from the sale of public lands.
Antiquities Act
Allows President to designate
National Monuments
Protect and Preserve Wildlife
Areas
Issue #4
–Increasing number of children
working in factories (at
progressively younger ages), as
well as increased hours and
hazardous job duties. Excessive
hours by female employees. Wage
losses due to on-the-job injuries.
Labor Reform
–Minimum work age w/o
parents consent is set at 16
–Limited hours of work for
children
–10 hour work-day for women
–Compulsory education from
ages 5-15 kept kids in school
• Workingmen's Compensation
Act. The effort to extend financial
assistance to injured workers was
a prime concern of many
progressives.
• Adamson Act. This measure
established the eight-hour day
and overtime pay guidelines for
railway workers.
•Department of Labor –
Cabinet created to
promote welfare of
working people.
Issue #5
–The poor unable to meet
minimal standards of
healthcare, childcare, and
other basic necessities.
Settlement Houses
• Hull House, founded by Jane
Addams and Ellen Gates Starr in
1889, provided nurseries, adult
education classes, and
recreational opportunities for
children and adults. There were
100 settlement houses in 1900,
200 in 1905, and 400 in 1910.
The Question of Women’s Rights?
• 19th
Amendment
– granted
women full
suffrage
Political Reform
Political Reform
The Pendleton Act allowed:
• A Civil Service Commission
would be formed to administer
tests to qualified applicants for
government jobs.
• Competitive exams would be
used to hire some government
workers.
Political Reform
• Referendum. Some states and
localities require that certain types
of measures (bond measures and
some types of taxes) be
submitted to the electorate to vote
on its passage.
School Referendum
Political Reform
• Initiative: Interested parties
prepare an initiative (proposed
law) and collect the necessary
signatures. If they are
successful, the issue is placed
on a ballot. If approved by the
voters, the measure becomes
law.
Iraq Initiative
Political Reform
• The recall is a direct
democratic procedure that
provides for removal of
elected officials before their
terms expire.
California Recall
• 17th Amendment – Direct Election
of US Senators
–Rather than each State Senate
electing two of it’s own members for
representation in the Federal
Senate, State Senators would be
elected directly by the voting public
Progressive Political Reforms
Economic Reform
Economic Reform
•Sherman Anti-Trust
Act – outlawed
monopolies, trusts,
and unfair business
practices.
Economic Reform
•16th Amendment
- National
Income Tax
Moral Reform
The Woman’s Christian Temperance
Union (WCTU), founded in 1874, had
long campaigned against alcohol. In
1895 the Anti-Saloon League of
America joined the crusade. Alcohol
was seen as the cause of many of
societies ills, including domestic
abuse, social apathy, health issues,
work-related injuries, etc.
Moral Reform
• 18th Amendment –
Prohibition – prohibited the
manufacture, sale, and
transport of alcoholic
beverages (repealed in
1933 by the 21st
Amendment)
• Progressives also
emerged in campaigns to
combat prostitution and
to censor films.
Moral Reform
• 1922 MPAA organization to
protect the youth from the
absurdities of film, and in
1968, it was announced the
birth of the new voluntary film
rating system of the motion
picture industry
•
•
Current Rating System:
G - General Audience. No sex, nudity, bad language or drug use. This film
should be suitable for all audiences.
PG - Parental Guidance Suggested. May contain some material not suitable
for young children. Could include brief nudity.
PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned. May not be appropriate for children
under 13. May contain bad language, brief nudity, sexual overtones, and
drug usage.
R - Restricted, under 17 not admitted without parent or adult guardian. Film
will definitely contain adult material. Will probably contain bad language,
violence, sex, drug usage, or have an adult theme.
NC-17 - No one 17 and under will be admitted. Adult film with explicit sex
scenes, sexually-oriented language, or excessive violence.
• Margaret Sanger educated urban
poor about the benefits of family
planning through birth control.
She founded the organization that
became Planned Parenthood