Progressive reform858

Progressive Reform

8.5-8—Compare the Progressive movement in South Carolina with the

national Progressive movement, including the impact on temperance; women’s suffrage; labor laws; and educational,

agricultural, health, and governmental reform.

SC’s Progressive Prerogative • In SC, some believed that disenfranchising African Americans was

a progressive reform of government• This group believed African Americans were not intelligent enough

to make sound political decisions• Major progressive issues in SC were:

– Child labor– Fair treatment for workers– Temperance– Women’s suffrage – Education

• Progressive South Carolinians did not want to align themselves with the national movement or party

• They preferred to work within the Democratic Party to make changes in SC

• Problems in mills prompted both Northern & Southern progressives to propose reforms

Muckrakers • The muckrakers provided detailed, accurate journalistic accounts of the political and economic corruption and social hardships caused by the power of big business in a rapidly industrializing United States

• SC’s Columbia newspaper, The State, supported child labor reform with articles that described the problems of the workers

• Helped progressives pass labor laws for a minimum work age of 10, and later, 12 years old

Health & Literacy Reforms

• Disease & illiteracy spread through the mill villages

• Only 1/3 of SC children went to school for 4 months or less of a year

• SC Education reforms included:– Compulsory attendance law– Increased funding– Establishment of adult school programs by the

state• Local communities oversaw these reforms• Most mill workers did not always support these

reforms (Why?)– Needed the extra income their children made – Resented being told their children had to go to

school, be inoculated against diseases, or told their children couldn’t work

• State hospital built on the outskirts of Columbia for tuberculosis (founded by church women )

• Women’s leagues raised money to build libraries in communities throughout the state (separate facilities for blacks & whites)

Land Grants• US government offered to assist

African American farmers, but the state wouldn’t authorize the purchase of land

• Claflin College (African American college) did offer land & support

• Clemson & SC State attempted to offer new farming techniques& encouraged diversification of crops (Why was this important?)

• Sharecropping & crop lien system tied most farmers to the cash crop cotton

Claflin College for African Americans

Prohibition/ Temperance• Most of the nation believed the prohibition or temperance in the

use of alcohol would curb crime & improve family life• SC (socially conservative) was slow to pass temperance legislation

b/c of Tillman’s control over the government • Socially conservative farmers supported prohibition, voting the

referendum in favor of prohibition• Even though the bill passed, Tillman substituted the State

Dispensary system so that the state would control the distribution of alcohol

• By the late 20th century, 20+ out of 43 counties voted to be “dry”

• 1915, SC passed prohibition law• 1918, US amended the US Constitution

to outlaw the sale & distribution of alcohol• Rise of the Moonshiners

Women on Reforms

• Took active roles in promoting reforms & improvement of their communities

• Gained little for securing the right to vote• (White) Women’s clubs promoted prohibition,

fostered civic responsibility, & pushed for education reforms

• African American women’s clubs promoted better health & education in their communities

National Women’s Suffrage Movement• Initial idea - change local voting laws @ the

state level• Equal Rights Association in SC got little

support• SC women benefited when the movement

took a national approach• WW1 suffragettes engaged in:

– Marching– Picketing– Being arrested

• Not successful till political leaders (President Wilson) recognized women’s contributions in the war effort

• 19th Amendment gave them the right to vote

• SC did not ratify the amendment till 1967; SC women were able to vote b/c of ratification by other states (how many states need to ratify before an amendment is a law?)

Government Reform• Based on the expansion of democracy & limitation of

power of:– Corrupt political bosses– Support for a secret ballot– Primary elections-direct election

of Senators by voters, not party bosses– Income tax

• Other “reforms” in SC –designed to limit the voting power of mill workers

• Several state governors supported a fair tax system, including an income tax to provide needed services to the people

• 16th Amendment established the federal income tax

Governor Robert Cooper– supported raising

state taxes to use on public education – supported a law

that increased the amount of time students were to spend in school to 7 months per year

Governor Richard Manning– Helped establish a fair

tax system that enforced income taxes for ALL South Carolinians

– Established schools– Improved

administration of hospitals

– Paved SC’s roads (how is this progress?)

The End• Despite both Governor’s efforts, graduation

rates from high school in SC were extremely low due to the limited number of schools in the state

• WW1 (The Great War) brought an end to the Progressive Era, but not an end to the problems it tried to address