Progressive Era
Progressive Era
•Introduction to the
Progressive Movement
SWBAT
• Examine difficulties farmers faced
in the West
• Explain the goals of the Populist
Party
• Identify William Jennings Bryan,
the Grange
Populists
• 3 factors that helped bring people
West:
1. Transcontinental Railroad
2. Homestead Act
3. Manifest Destiny
• Many who moved West became
farmers
Problems for Farmers
• Problems that Farmers faced in
the West:
1. Difficult land to farm
2. Weather- blizzards, tornados,
droughts
3. Loneliness
4. Conflicts with Native Americans
Problems for Farmers
5. Debt due to high cost of farm
equipment
6. Charged high prices by railroad
for storage and transport of
products
The Grange
• Grange- organization founded in 1867,
meant to develop social ties among
farmers
• Due to poor economic conditions,
farmers pressed for political changes to
limit power of railroads
The Populists
• The Populist Partyestablished in 1891
• Also known as the
“People’s Party”
• Dedicated to reform and radical
change in the social, economic, and
political situation in the US
Goals of the Populists
1. Government control of railroads,
telephones, & telegraphs
2. Progressive income tax
3. Secret ballot
Goals of the Populists
4. Direct election of Senators
5. 8 hour work day
6. Free & unlimited silver
coinage (wanted more $
in circulation so the
farmers could pay their
debt more easily)
Goals of the Populists
7. Restricted immigration
8. Women’s suffrage
Leader of the Populists
• Leader: William Jennings Bryan
- ran for President 3 times 
never won
• Election of 1896: Bryan ran
against William McKinley
- McKinley won with the
support of Big Business
End of the Populists
• Populists disappeared as a political
party by 1900
- as urban population increased
(immigration) 
increase in demand for food 
prices for food increase 
farmers become prosperous
End of Populists
• Populist ideas were later adopted
by other political parties
Significance of Populist Party
• Populists were unsuccessful in
achieving goals, BUT their ideas/goals
were applied to urban problems later,
during the Progressive Era
• Economy shifting from agriculture to
industrial
• US shifting from nation of farms to a
nation of cities
Populists and the
Wizard of Oz…
• L. Frank Baum
(1856 – 1919)
authored
The Wizard of Oz,
in 1900
Who the Characters
Represent…
Dorothy=
the American People
Scarecrow=
Western Farmers (Populists)
Tin Man=
Eastern Industrial Workers
Cowardly Lion=
William Jennings Bryan
Wizard of Oz=
William McKinley ?
Oz=
Washington/Government
=
Kansas=
Populist Stronghold
Populists and the
Wizard of Oz…
• Oz- abbreviation for an ounce of
silver or gold
• Dorothy’s Silver Slippers (not
Ruby!) = Silver Sandard
• Yellow Brick Road = Gold
Standard
Progressives and
Reform
SWBAT
• Explain characteristics of a
Progressive
• Describe goals of the Progressive
Movement
• Identify muckraker
Progressives
• Progressive Movement: 1900-1918
• Progressives:
- A middle class, urban movement
- Saw themselves as reformers against
abuses of urban life, corporate
business, and government corruption
- Ideas came from populist movement
Goals of Progressives
1. Greater Democracy
- Direct primary- nomination of
candidates for office by party
members (the people!)
- Initiative- voters petition to have
an issue put on the ballot (local gov.
only)
Goals of Progressives
- Referendum- an issue that you vote
“yes” or “no” on
- Recall- remove an elected official by
petition or vote
th
- 17 Amendment- direct election of
Senators by the people (1917)
- 19th Amendment- women’s right to
vote (1920)
Goals of Progressives
2. More government regulation of
business (TR/Wilson)
3. Social Justice (issues of women and
children)
- Got rid of child labor
- Passed laws allowing women to work
shorter hours than men, and not at night
Goals of Progressives
4. Get local and
national
government
more involved in
ending
problems
Muckraker
• Investigative journalists who
informed the public about
corruption, bad business practices,
and unfair treatment of workers
Video
• While viewing the video, listen
carefully, and answer the
questions as the video
progresses…
• We will review the questions as a
class at the end of the video
SWBAT
• Analyze Progressive Era
documents and photographs
• Identify Ida Tarbell and Upton
Sinclair
Directions
• You will move from station to station as a
group
• You will have 6 minutes at each station
• In those 6 minutes you must complete the
questions accordingly in your packet for
that station
• Everyone MUST have all questions
complete by the end of your last station
• Have fun! 
Teddy Roosevelt &
Progressive Policies
SWBAT
• Review reformers and their
effects
• Describe 3 areas of reform under
President Roosevelt
• Identify the term: Square Deal
Reformers & Legislation
Reformer
Effect
Jacob Riis- How the Other
Half Lives (1890)
Upton Sinclair- The Jungle
(1906)
Lincoln Steffens- The
Shame of Cities (1904)
Ida Tarbell- The History of
the Standard Oil Company
(1903)
Settlement Houses,
protection of child labor
Meat Inspection Act
Food and Drug Act
Voting reform
17th Amendment
Anti-trust legislation
Settlement Housing
• volunteer middle-class "settlement
workers" would live, hoping to share
knowledge and culture, and alleviate the
poverty of their low-income neighbors
Progressive Era
Improvements
• As a class, review Progressive Era
Improvements…
• What Amendments were passed
during this Era and what did they
address?
President Roosevelt
• Held office from 1901-1908
• Saw his job as one of
“stewardship”- leading the nation
responsibly in the public’s interest,
like a manager
• Took a very active role as President
President Roosevelt
• Administration was called the
“Square Deal”- fairness for all,
and free from corruption
3 Areas of Reform
• TR’s Square Deal consisted of 3
areas of reform
1. Regulating Business- his attitude
toward business= gov. should
keep their eye on monopolies &
should eliminate bad business
practices
Regulating Business
A. Northern Securities Case- a
“trustbuster”, a railroad monopoly
in the Pacific Northwest was broken
up by the Roosevelt Administration
Regulating Business
B. Hepburn Act, 1906allowed Interstate
Commerce Commission
(ICC) to set railroad
rates & expanded ICC’s
authority to cover
ferries & bridges as well
Regulating Business
C. Pure Food and Drug Actaccurate labeling of food and
drugs
Meat Inspection Act- fed. Gov.
would ensure meat was safe
for consumption
Labor
2. Labor
A. Coal Strike of 1902- mine owners
refused to deal with strikers  TR
said they must come up with an
agreement or he would send the
Army to take over the mines
RESULT- mine workers won shorter
hours and higher wages
Conservation
3. Conservation
A. Newlands Reclamation Act:
- built dams, irrigation systems in
the west
- added land in Alaska & Northwest
to federally protected lands
- started state & national parks
(ex Yellowstone)
Woodrow
Wilson
SWBAT
• Identify the philosophy of the
Wilson Administration
• Identify the Federal Reserve Act
and Clayton Anti-Trust Act
• Contrast Wilson’s view of trusts
with TR’s view of trusts
Progressive Era Presidents
• T. Roosevelt 1901-1908
• Taft 1908-1912
• Wilson 1912- 1920
Election of 1912
• Candidates:
1. Taft (Republican)
2. Wilson (Democrat)
3. T. Roosevelt (Bull Moose)
4. Debs (Socialist)
• WILSON WINS!
Election of 1912
Wilson’s Philosophy
• A return to competition in the
workplace
• Therefore  need to get rid of
monopolies and use anti-trust laws to
do it!
• Presidential Program: “New Freedom”
Wilson’s Reform Actions
1. Underwood Tariff- paved the
way for the 16th Amendment
(income tax)
2. Federal Reserve Act- set up
Federal Reserve System to
stabilize banking:
Wilson’s Reform Actions
A. 12 banking districts
B. Not a people’s bank, instead issues
$ to other banks
C. Controls amount of $ in circulation
by increasing and decreasing
interest rates
D. Shifts and redistributes $ to other
banks
Wilson’s Reform Actions
Wilson’s Reform Actions
3. Federal Trade Commission- est. to
prevent unfair competition,
enforce anti-trust laws, investigate
false advertising, and mislabeling
of products
Wilson’s Reform Actions
4. Clayton Anti-Trust Act- strengthened
the Sherman Anti-Trust Act
- more specific
- spelled out specific activities big
business could not take part in
- legalized strikes, peaceful picketing,
and boycotts
End of Progressivism
• Progressivism ends with WWI (1917)
• Last remnant of the Progressive
th
Movement is in 1920, with the 19
Amendment
Knowledge Check!
1. A major purpose of the Federal
Reserve System is to:
A. deal with the trade deficit through
tariffs and quotas
B. control the minimum wage
C. establish the Federal budget
D. regulate interest rates and the money
supply
Knowledge Check!
2. Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and
Robert M. LaFollette are all considered
progressives because they:
A. supported the formation of the first trade
union
B. used Presidential power to break up
strikes
C. worked to limit the power of big business
D. formed the first civil rights organizations