Chapter 6
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The Rise of Progressivism- Section 1
I. PROGRESSIVISM AND SUFFRAGE
How do you think business leaders, politicians, and tenement owners felt about muckrakers? Why do you
think the muckrakers’ reporting style was so popular?
Reforming Government
Social Problems and Progressive Solutions
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Poverty In 1890 more than 90 percent of the nation’s 12 million families earned less than $1,200 per year.
The average annual income was $380, which was below the poverty line. Many of those were working-class
families. About 40 percent of those families lived on less than $400 a year, and most family members
worked. The modern poverty line in the United States is $10,830 for a single person, while the average
income is $50,000 per household.
Labor Progressives pushed for child labor laws, minimum wages, and maximum working hours. Worker
safety was another vital issue that resulted in new safety standards.
Crime Many Progressives saw alcohol as a leading cause of crime and worked to prohibit its sale and use.
Government Progressives developed two proposals in which experts ran city government—a commission
plan and a council-manager system. Three reforms—the initiative, the referendum, and the recall—were the
focuses of the progressives’ political agenda. To eliminate corruption in the U.S. Senate, progressives called
for a direct election of senators by each state’s voters.
A group of citizens wants to vote directly on whether or not to increase school funding. (referendum)
A group of citizens wants the legislature to vote on a new littering law. (initiative)
A group of citizens wishes to remove the mayor from office. (recall)
Which issue caused progressives to look to government to regulate social behavior? Why do you think
progressives wanted to change the management of local governments?
Woman Suffrage
Background on Woman Suffrage
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NWSA The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), founded in 1869, wanted to focus on passing a
constitutional amendment to secure women’s voting rights. The American Woman Suffrage Association
wanted state governments to give women voting rights before trying to amend the Constitution.
NAWSA The groups joined in 1890, forming the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).
NWP Alice Paul wanted to directly confront President Wilson on suffrage. Some members of NAWSA were
alarmed. Paul left NAWSA, forming the National Woman’s Party (NWP).
Suffrage As more states granted women suffrage, Congress began favoring a constitutional amendment.
After passage through the House and a year later by the Senate, the bill went to the states. On August 26,
1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified.
Discussion Ask: What was the advantage of a state-by-state suffrage campaign? What trends do you notice
about the map? What reason can you offer for the trends you notice on the map?
II. TRANSFORMING AMERICA To help students understand how the efforts of progressive groups
influenced American society and politics in the early twentieth century, use the interactive whiteboard activity on
Progressive Movements.
I. ROOSEVELT AND REFORM – Section 2
Roosevelt Revives the Presidency
Reforms During Roosevelt’s Presidency
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Business Reform Using the Sherman Antitrust Act, the U.S. government stopped Northern Securities, a
railroad company, from creating a monopoly. The Department of Commerce and Labor was created to
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regulate big business. The Hepburn Act strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) by
allowing it to set railroad rates.
Workplace Safety In 1906 laws were passed setting a minimum age for employment and a maximum
number of hours children could work. Progressives pushed for workers’ compensation laws to pay workers
injured on the job.
Consumer Safety Because of muckraking, by 1906, citizens had become more aware of the dangers in
food and drugs. Roosevelt and Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act. Under the Food and Drug Act
passed in 1906, it became illegal to sell or ship any impure or falsely labeled food or drug.
Why is business competition good for the consumer?: Why didn’t the government outlaw child labor
entirely? Why is it especially important that sanitary standards are kept up at a meat factory?

I. ROOSEVELT AND REFORM Conservation
Conservation
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Roosevelt supported the Newlands Reclamation Act, which authorized the use of federal funds to pay for
irrigation and land development.
Roosevelt tapped close friend Gifford Pinchot to head the U.S. Forest Service, designed to manage the vast
timber resources of the West.
Roosevelt added over 100 million acres to national forests and established 5 new national parks and 51
federal wildlife reservations.
Teddy Roosevelt said that the government had to differentiate “between the man who skins the land and the
man who develops the country.” What does it mean to skin the land? How did Roosevelt’s theory about the
best way to run national forests differ from the laissez-faire argument of businesses that was popular at the
time?
II. LEGACIES
Taft’s Reforms
Reforms During Taft’s Presidency
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Business Taft focused on breaking up trusts and brought twice as many antitrust cases to court as
Roosevelt. Roosevelt criticized Taft for undermining the system of cooperation and regulation established
during his administration.
Workplace Safety Taft established the Children’s Bureau in 1912. This agency investigated and publicized
problems with child labor.
Consumer Safety Taft continued with Roosevelt’s Drug and Safety reforms, enforcing meat inspections and
drug labeling.
Conservation Taft named Richard A. Ballinger Secretary of the Interior. Ballinger was a conservative
corporate lawyer who tried to make public forests available for private development, which strongly opposed
progressive ideals.
Economic Taft supported tariff reductions, but his position changed during negotiations. He signed the
Payne-Aldrich Tariff into law, which only slightly cut most tariffs and actually raised tariffs on some goods.
Roosevelt personally supported Taft as his presidential successor. Why do you think his support of
Taft changed so drastically?
Lesson 3
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I. DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO PROGRESSIVISM
The Election of 1912
Progressive Election
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Woodrow Wilson The Democratic nominee, Woodrow Wilson, from New Jersey, ran as a progressive
promising a “New Freedom.” He wanted to dismantle trusts.
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Theodore Roosevelt The former president who helped form the Progressive Party, when the Republicans
nominated Taft. Roosevelt wanted to increase regulation of trusts. Roosevelt called his program the New
Nationalism.
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was the incumbent president and Republican nominee. He was
seen by many as representing pro-business interests.
How would the formation of the Progressive Party help the Democratic candidate?
Wilson’s Reforms
How did the reforms of Wilson differ from those of Roosevelt?
Progressivism’s Triumphs
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Governmental Reform The federal government took a greater role in people’s lives, offering protections
and services to the public.
Business Reform Antitrust regulation was passed and the oversight of business became an important role
of government.
Labor Reform Child labor became regulated, as did the minimum wage, the workday, and working
conditions.
Suffrage Women gained the right to vote.
Safety Standards Meat inspection, Food and Drug regulation, and work safety were all implemented during
the era.
Conservation The national parks were created, and vast segments of forest and coastline fell under federal
protection.
Progressivism’s Failures
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Civil Rights The Progressive movement did next to nothing to dismantle segregation or attack lynching.
Native American Rights During the Progressive Era, little was done to help Native Americans; in fact, in
many instances, rights continued to be denied.
Women’s Rights Although women did attain suffrage, full equality was still not recognized.
Who do you think was responsible for true reform in society?