Progressivism
1890-1920
Chapter 21
Progressive Reformers
• Progressive beliefs / conservative direction
- the array of disgust/ need for change
• Progressive reformers
- muckraker- reporters
- “robber barons” & “ghettos”
• Increase in newspaper and magazine
circulation
Rise of Progressivism
• Large middle-class movement
- pressured government
- cut down on corruption
- deal with “trusts” (power in the hands of
the few)
- movement centered around exposed
abuses & inequality
Progressive change
• Settlement houses
- Jane Addams (1889)
- care for poor & immigrants
- more than 400 models established
• Prohibition of alcohol
- many pubs shut down
Political Reform in state gov’t
• Corrupt party bosses (A-3)
• *(trusts-money-boss-senator-legislation)
Restoring Sovereignty to the
People
• 17th amendment (1913)- election of
senators (A-8)
• “recall” – check on public officials
• helped ensure honest politicians &
strengthened power of voters
Voting laws
• voting- a precious benefit
• open vs. “secret” ballot (1890s)
• register to vote laws (1890s)
- excluded corrupt
- also excluded hardworking people
• disenfranchisement
- difficult becoming a US citizen
- southern “Jim Crow” laws
- voting inequality
- decline in voting (p 545)
Women Suffrage
• 1890- NAWSA- Nat’l American Woman
Suffrage Assoc.
- led by Susan B. Anthony/ Eliz Stanton
• Wyoming in 1890- women right to vote
• Women’s vote would cleanse democracy
• National movement
• protest of white house (Alice Paul)
- arrest / hunger strikes
• 19th amendment / 1920
African American Progressivism
• policies of Booker T. Washington
• W.E.B. Du Bois
• Niagara Falls Movement (1905)
- right to vote / abolition of segregation
• rise of the NAACP (1910)
- beginning of modern civil rights
movement
- thousands join NAACP by 1914
Presidential Agenda
• McKinley / Roosevelt ticket in 1900
• What happened to McKinley in Sept 1901?
• Roosevelt becomes youngest chief
executive in US history
Teddy Roosevelt
• outdoorsman / combat veteran
• breaking up “trusts”
- dissolved Northern Securities Com
• regulation of Industries / expansion of
powers
- fix the ICC act of 1887
- pure food & drug act
- meat Inspection Act (1906)/ The Jungle
- preservation of nat’l parks
The Taft Presidency
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Teddy’s decision not to seek reelection in 1908
Roosevelt endorsed his secretary of war
William H. Taft
How did Taft view politics?
promoted “dollar diplomacy” (p 581)
- substitute “bullets for dollars”
• Roosevelt displeased w/ Taft (1910)
• Roosevelt campaigned against Taft
• Bull-Moose Party split Republican party
Rise of Woodrow Wilson
• Well educated / President of Princeton
• Governor of New Jersey (1910)
• Election of 1912
- republican party split
- Taft barely campaigned
- democrats best chance in 20 years
Presidential election, 1912
Federal Reserve Act
• Federal Reserve Act (1913)
• established 12 regional banks, which
make loans to member banks
• established Federal Reserve Board
• strengthened nations financial market
The twelve federal reserve districts
Wilson Administration
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1st federal workmen’s compensation bill
1st federal law outlawing child labor
1st federal law guaranteeing 8-hr work day
Wilson cared as much about the
powerless as powerful
• strengthened image of democratic party
• won reelection in 1916
Conclusion
• Progressives accomplishments:
enfranchised women, reform local & nat’l
gov’t
• enlarged executive branch (p 558)
• emergence of new nat’l gov’t
- power directed toward Washington