The Progressive Era
Part 2
The Solution
• What were settlement houses?
• What was the “Social Gospel” and who was its leading
voice?
• Who were the “Muckrakers”?
• Who were the Progressives?
• Why did the Progressives want to reform society?
Progressivism = New Way of
Thinking
• Believe that government can be a positive
force in helping people.
• Public good is more important than what is
good for the individual.
Political Reform
• At the turn of the century, politicians seemed to
be controlled by both big business and the
political machine bosses.
• Big business gave politicians $ and the bosses
got to decide who the candidates would be.
• Therefore, many politicians did what the bosses
and big business wanted rather than what was
best for everybody.
• WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU Could
FIX THIS?
Wisconsin Leads the Way
• Wisconsin's Robert
“Fighting Bob” La
Follette was the
leading Progressive
Governor of the
Progressive era.
• Wisconsin is called
the “Laboratory of
progressivism.”
Progressive Political Reforms
• 1. Direct Primary —voters get to vote on who
the candidates will be (rather than the bosses
picking them).
• 2. Initiative —regular people can introduce a bill
and then the state legislatures vote on it.
• 3. Referendum —voters vote on bills.
• 4. Recall —voters can remove elected officials.
• 5. Secret Ballots
Tom Johnson
• Progressive mayor of Cleveland
• Regulated the streetcars.
• Progressives called for government to
regulate business.
Calif. Progs
• Hiram Johnson
• Gov. of Calif. (1910-1916)
• Senator from CA (1917-1945)
• Prog. VP candidate in 1912.
Changing the Senate
• Originally, the State legislatures chose the 2 Senators
from each state.
• Therefore, the big bosses usually got to decide who the
Senators were and they had great influence over them.
• The Progressive called for the direct election of Senators
(therefore the voters—the people—and not the bosses
or big business, would control the Senators).
• The 17th Amendment made the direct election of
Senators law.
Change in city govts.
• Galveston flood 1900
• Killed 6,000 and left the city flooded.
• City govt. was unable to deal with the disaster.
• Led to development of the commissioner system
of city govt.
• Soon other cities followed suit.
Review
• Who were the Progressives? What did they want
to do and why?
• Who were the muckrakers?
• What were settlement houses and what was the
most famous one?
• Who were nativists?
• What state was referred to as the “laboratory” for
progressivism?
More Review
• Why did the Progs. Think it was necessary to
enact political reforms?
• What were some of the political reforms
enacted by progressives?
• What did the 17th Amendment of the
Constitution do?
• What was the political impact of the
Galveston flood?
Women as Progressives
• Women very active in reform.
• Outlet into public life.
Suffragettes
• = Women who want the vote
Lading Progressive Era
Suffragettes
• Carrie Chapman Catt —leader of National
American Woman’s Suffrage Association
(NAWSA). Used referendum process to
try to get women the right to vote in
individual states.
• Alice Paul —National Woman’s Party
(NWP). More radical. Staged protests,
marches, hunger strikes and picketed the
White House.
What were arguments for and
against?
• Against = “Separate Spheres.” Will be
injurious to women.
• For: a) women will bring unique
sensibilities to politics. Will help bring
reform.
• B) Why not women if blacks and
immigrants and poor men?
Women’s Suffrage
• In 1890, women could vote in only 19 states
(and then only in local or state elections). Only
in Utah and Wyoming could women vote in
national elections.
• By 1912, 9 states (all west of the Mississippi)
allowed women to vote in all elections.
• In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed that
allowed women throughout the country to vote in
all elections.
Protecting Consumers
• Pure Food and Drug Act
• Meat Inspection Act
Florence Kelley
• Helped to create the National Consumers
League (NCL).
• Labeled products made in safe
workplaces.
• Also created National Child Labor
Committee which sought to end child
labor.
Social Reform
Public Schools—During the lat e 1800s, many
states began passing laws requiring children to
go to school.
Before the Civil War, there were very few high
schools.
By 1920, there were 14,000.
The illiteracy rate dropped from 20% in 1870 to 6%
in 1920.
Temperance
• Temperance = Trying to make
alcohol illegal.
• Women’s Christian Temperance
Union (WTCU) was the main group.
• Eventually Progs. Pass the 18th
Amendment which made it illegal to
make, sell or transport alcohol
(called prohibition).
Birth Control
• During the Progressive Era, there was an effort by many
reformers to educate women about birth control.
• This, of course, met with much opposition.
• Margaret Sanger was the leading spokesperson.
• Under New York’s Comstock Act, talking about birth
control was considered obscene.
• Sanger was arrested but the charges were eventually
dropped.
Immigration Restriction
• Onslaught of “new Immigrants” was creating
social problems.
• Some Progs. sought to help (settlement houses,
etc.).
• Others called for laws limiting immigration.
• Based on social Darwinism .
• Called for quotas based on nationality.
Review of Progressive
Amendments
• 16th = Direct Income Tax.
• 17th = Direct Election of Senators.
• 18th = Prohibition of alcohol.
• 19th = Women get right to Vote.
Review
• What were settlement houses?
• What was the “Social Gospel” and who was its leading voice?
• Who were the “Muckrakers”?
• Who were the Progressives?
• Why did the Progressives want to reform society?
• What were the Progressive amendments to the Constitution?
• Explain how the Progs. Were divided over the issue of
immigration?
Regulating Business
• Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)