The Progressive Movement Part I. The Origins of the Movement
Dec 28, 2015
The Progressive Movement
Part I. The Origins of the Movement
Theme of this Lecture
• By the late 19th century, the U.S. had fulfilled its Manifest Destiny spread from Atlantic to Pacific
• It had become a major industrial power and a wealthy nation
• Wealth creation had been allowed willy-nilly. Some of the impacts did not match with American ideals (equality, liberty, democracy, opportunity, rights)
• Progressives looked for ways to restore these ideals to the ‘little guy’
Basic Problems of the Gilded Age:• poor working conditions
• unfair labor practices
• political corruption
• environmental destruction
• monopolies
• discrimination and legal segregation for women, African Americans, and immigrants
• unstable economy
• social divide between rich and poor
Causes of Problems:• Industrialization
• Immigration
• Urbanization
• Bank Instability
• Lack of Government Regulation
A Definition
• Why this name? – The Progressives wanted change– To some Americans, change was bad
• For example, the factory owners thought that new business practices, say safety regulations (lots of fire exits, for example) might be a drain on their profitability
– The Progressive’s name made the point that change was… you guessed it… • Progress!
Origins of Progressivism :
• In the mid 1800s, some private groups (not the government!) started to try to solve some of the problems of the Gilded Age– The Social Gospel Movement was a religious
movement, inspired by the idea that helping the poor and oppressed was a way into heaven
• Followers of this movement set up Settlement Houses- places in urban slums where services were provided (think homeless shelters)
– The YMCA and the Salvation Army are surviving examples of Settlement Houses
Origins of Progressivism (cont.):
• Also in the mid 1800s, a group of farmers, angry at bad conditions, formed a political party known as the Populist (aka People’s) party – This party, managed to gain 10% of the national
presidential vote– As a result, the major political parties adopted many
of the Populist policies to win these votes
• Although the Populist Party eventually died out, it demonstrated that united effort by the people could cause change
•investigative reporters attempting to uncover corruption in
American society• primarily wrote articles for newspapers, magazines,
and journals• some published entire books
Focused on raking ‘the muck’ of society and
making it public knowledge.
Originally considered a negative term Later, these journalists helped inspire others to fight for progressive change – including President Teddy Roosevelt.
Uncovering the ProblemsThe Muckrakers
Famous Muckrakers:Ida Tarbell
(focused on monopolies like Rockefeller’s Oil Monopoly)
Lincoln Steffens(focused on government
corruption like political machines)
Upton Sinclair(focused on immigrant’s experience)
What Muck did they rake?
• Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle – Conditions in meatpacking plants were horrible – There was a need for regulation
• The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire– Thousands of immigrant women were burned to
death in a building without sufficient safety features
– Again.. A need for regulation
The Jungle
The Progressive Movement
Part II. Successes and Failures of Progressivism
Women’s Rights
Problems
• Can’t vote or hold office
• Not admitted to colleges
• Victorian ideals– Women must be proper and lady-like at all
times
Women’s RightsSolutions • Women’s suffrage movement
– Suffrage = the right to vote – Seneca Falls Convention 1848 women pledge to work
for their rights – Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
• Oppositions from liquor store owners (women favored prohibition), factory owners (women were against child-labor), and men (who like their privileges)
• Some women were radicals burned down houses, spit on police, etc.
• Pre- WWI some states (Wyoming) granted women the right to vote, but no national right to vote
Teddy Roosevelt
• President who Supported Progressive reforms
• Thought president could use the bully pulpit to win reforms– Bully pulpit- president’s voice is loud and
influential could be used from a pulpit (a place to speak to a crowd) to intimidate the Robber Barons into changing their ways
Teddy Roosevelt (cont.)
• Promised Americans a ‘square deal’ • Trustbuster – broke up more trusts than
previous presidents • Sided with workers in a mine strike
– When mine owners wouldn’t compromise, TR threatened to use the army to take over the mines
• First ‘conservationist’ president set aside lands for ‘the people’
Health Reforms
Problems
• The Jungle
Solutions
• Meat Inspection Act
• Food and Drug Administration
Monopolies and Trusts
Problem• Not enough competition• Leads to high prices for consumers
Solutions• Sherman Anti Trust Act and later Clayton Act
– Gov can break up monopolies
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) set up as a trust ‘watchdog’ – Can warn companies when they are getting too big and
are in danger of being broken up
Banks
Problems• Unregulated banks can collapse cause
financial panics
Solutions• Federal Reserve
– Bank of the banks – Can loan money to banks to prevent collapses– Can make rules for banks (for example, you can only
loan out so much money)
End of the Progressive Era
• World War I (1914-1918) turned America’s attention away from Progressivism
Hansen Name _______________U.S. History Period _______
Lecture Guide The Progressive Movement Part I. The Origins of the Movement Theme of this Lecture • By the late 19th century, the U.S. had fulfilled _____________________
spread from ______________ to ____________ • It had become a ____________________________ and a wealthy nation • Wealth creation had been allowed ______________. Some of the
impacts did not match with _________________________ (equality, liberty, democracy, opportunity, rights)
• Progressives looked for ways to restore these ideals to the ‘__________’ Basic Problems of the Gilded Age • poor working conditions• ____________________________________• political corruption• environmental destruction• ______________________________• discrimination and legal segregation for women, African Americans, and
immigrants• _____________________________• social divide between ______________________-Causes of the Problems • _______________________• Immigration• Urbanization• _______________________• Lack of Government RegulationA Definition • Why this name?
– The Progressives wanted ______________– To some Americans, __________________________
• For example, the factory owners thought that new business practices, say _________________ (lots of fire exits, for example) might be a drain on their profitability
– The Progressive’s name made the point that change was… you guessed it…
• ________________________Origins of Progressivism • In the mid 1800s, some private groups (_________________________!)
started to try to solve some of the problems of _____________________– The Social Gospel Movement was a ________________
movement, inspired by the idea that helping the poor and oppressed was ______________________________________
• Followers of this movement set up _________________- places in urban slums where ______________________ (think homeless shelters)
– The _________ and the __________________ are surviving examples of Settlement Houses
Origins of Progressivism (cont.) • Also in the mid 1800s, a group of ______, angry at bad conditions,
formed a political party known as __________(aka People’s) _____– This party, managed to gain _______ of the national
_________________________________– As a result, the major political parties ___________many of
the Populist policies to ____________________________• Although the Populist Party eventually ___________, it
demonstrated that united effort by the people __________________ Uncovering the Problems • The Muckrakers
– ________________________ attempting to uncover ____________ in American society
– primarily wrote _____________for newspapers, magazines, and journals
– some published entire ____________– Focused on raking ‘the muck’ of society and making it
___________________________________.– Originally considered a __________________. Later, these – journalists helped inspire others to fight for progressive – change – including President ________________________.
• What Muck did they rake? – Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
• Conditions in _____________________were horrible • There was a need for ________________
– The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire• Thousands of __________________ were burned to
death in a building without sufficient ______________• Again.. A need for ___________________
Part II. Successes and Failures of Progressivism Women’s Rights• Problems
– _______________________________________________– Not admitted to colleges – __________________________
• Women must be proper and lady-like at all times
• Solutions – Women’s suffrage movement
• Suffrage = ____________________________• Seneca Falls Convention 1848 women __________
_____________________________________________• _______________________and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
– Oppositions from ______________________owners (women favored prohibition), ______ owners (women were against child-labor), and ________________ (who like their privileges)
– Some women were _________ burned down houses, spit on police, etc.
– Pre- WWI some states (____________) granted women the right to vote, but no _______________________________
Teddy Roosevelt • President who ____________________________________________• Thought president could use the ___________________to win reforms
– Bully pulpit- president’s voice is loud and influential could be used from a pulpit (a place to speak to a crowd) to ________________________ ____________________ into changing their ways
• Promised Americans _________________________ • ___________________– broke up more trusts than previous presidents • Sided with workers in a mine strike
– When mine owners wouldn’t compromise, TR threatened to _________ ________________________________________________________
• First ___________________ president set aside lands for ‘the people’
Health Reforms • Problems
– _____________________
Solutions– ______________________________– Food and Drug Administration
Monopolies and Trusts • Problem
– _________________________________________– Leads to high _____________ for consumers
• Solutions– Sherman Anti Trust Act and later __________________________
• Gov can break up monopolies – Federal Trade Commission (FTC) set up as a trust ‘___________’
• Can warn companies when they are getting _________ and are in danger of being ___________________
Banks • Problems
– Unregulated banks can collapse cause ___________________• Solutions
– Federal Reserve• ____________ of the banks • Can ________________ to banks to prevent collapses• Can make _________________(for example, you can only
loan out so much money) End of the Progressive Era • _____________________ (1914-1918) turned America’s attention away
from Progressivism