The Progressive Reform Era Chapter 17 The Origins of Progressivism (11/10/11)

The Progressive Reform Era

Chapter 17

The Origins of Progressivism

(11/10/11)

Goals of Progressives

• Improve working conditions

• Improve• Use government to enforce

_________ standards• End corruption of

The Progressive Era (1890 - 1920)

Industrial revolution led to new industries and products - everything from automobiles to skyscrapers

1909 Ford Model T

Flat Iron BuildingFlat Iron Building

Located at Broadway, 23rd, and 5th Avenues

Built in 1902 Designed by Daniel

Burnham It is the oldest

surviving skyscraper in NYC

Industrial Revolution also led to:

Great social changes

Foreign policy

The Progressive Era Laissez-faire economics – Little or no

government interference in business– Few– Few

The gap between the rich and the poor

The top ____ of the population controlled ____ of the nation’s wealth

Labor

Coal miners, textile, steel and railroad workers were underpaid for dangerous, difficult work

__________ met with resistance from state and local governments, as well as owners

Wages were

Popular belief that by helping the disadvantaged, you hurt society as a whole.

True Christianity requires a commitment to social justice and responsibility for your fellow man.

Government Reform State reform:

– initiatives – recalls– referendums

Several states passed laws setting minimum wages, child labor restrictions, and fair business practices

Most of them were found

Government Reform

Federal reforms:

What types of people were “Progressive”?

Belonged to all political parties, including Republican, Democrat, and Socialist

Tended to be:

Review of economic systems:

______________ – Private ownership of the means of production– Motivation is profit

– Requires entrepreneurs

______________ – Government ownership of the means of production– Motivation “To each what he needs”

– Voluntary, usually through elections

____________ – Socialism by force if necessary

Progressive Reform Organizations

Socialist Party – formed in 1910– many people thought only through government

owned industry would workers ever get better conditions

– most famous member– not a popular movement then or now– many positions were adopted by other parties, such

as the minimum wage– IWW – Labor union of Socialists

Progressive Reform Organizations

Women’s Movement– worked for:

– famous women include Jane Addams, Florence Kelley, and Mother Jones

Progressive Legislation

Reforms are often a result of tragedy

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Saturday afternoon - 500 workers in the 10

story building. Fire began on the ____ floor - quickly erupted

into an inferno _______________became an inferno Crowded a fire escape:

Went to the roof and found they were trapped

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Many of the stairways and exits were

The did not have the equipment to rescue the women

In desperation, many jumped to their deaths

Galveston Hurricane - 1900

Unnamed hurricane hit Galveston Island Sept. 8, 1900

Category _____winds and a ______ foot storm surge

_________________people died

Galveston Hurricane - 1900 Local government unprepared

Started a new municipal government with a

Model was later picked up throughout the country

Progressive Reform Organizations

The Labor Movement

– __________________was goal

– organized and used strikes

– owners often able to get _______________ to stop strikes

_________ - 3rd party listens to both sides and makes a decision on a settlement

Owners refused to go to arbitration until President Roosevelt threatened to _________ the coal mines if they refused.

The coal miners won improved wages and hours but the owners refused to recognize their union.

Anthracite Coal Miner Strike May 12 – October 23, 1902

Coal Miners Salary 1902

According to the Citizen’s Voice (Wilkes-Barre) Coal miners earned $500 a year

Expenses for housing and first aid were deducted Varied by location of mine, method of payment,

and company expenses Result of strike was10% raise Reduced hours to 9 hours a day, 6 days a week, 52

weeks a year* Approximately 12,000 a year before expenses in

2009 when adjusted for inflation

Theodore Roosevelt Gave a ‘__________’ to miners in

1902 Became his campaign slogan Accomplishments:

–Trust buster–Railroad regulations–Department of Labor established

Theodore Roosevelt Accomplishments:

– 1906 Pure Food & Drug Act

– Added 200 million acres to our national parks ands forests

Muckrakers

Person that Journalists, authors, and photographers

that exposed the corruption in society– Examples:

– Upton Sinclair - wrote first about tainted beef sold to the army, then about the meat packing industry in Chicago

– Ida Tarbell - wrote about the monopoly controlled by John D. Rockefeller

Muller v. Oregon - 1908

Upheld Oregon law limiting work hours based on the frailty of women

Helped women by Hurt them by reinforcing the stereotype

that women are

Taft and Wilson

Taft’s Presidency

Mistakes:– Did not appoint a progressive cabinet

– Did not veto non-progressive legislation

– Did not use the justice department to enforce environmental laws

Taft’s Presidency

Tariffs– Ran on a platform of lowering tariffs

• House passed some reductions• Republicans added some protective

increases• Result –

Taft’s Presidency

Ballinger- Pinchot Affair

• Head of US Forest Service

• Major Conservationist at the time

• Secretary of the Interior

• Allowed Businesses to acquire several million acres of land in Alaska

Taft’s Presidency

Pinchot – Protested against Ballinger to Taft

Taft

The Republican Party

“Old Guard” v. Progressives– Old Guard interested in status quo– Progressives wanted more immediate change– Republicans were split between Old Guard

and Progressives

Republican Party

Midterm Elections– Roosevelt

• Returns from

The Elections of 1912

Roosevelt vs. Taft for Republican ticket– Taft wins the Republican nomination easily

Progressive Republicans leave, vowing to create their own party.

August 1912, The Progressives nominate TR as presidential nominee– Nickname

The Election of 1912

Bull Moose Party– Platform

• Tariff Reduction

• Women’s Suffrage

• Regulation of Business

• Child Labor Ban

• 8-hour work day

• Workman’s Compensation

• Direct Election of Senators

The Election of 1912

Taft– Followed many

Progressive Reforms

– Still very unpopular with Progressive Republicans

Wilson– Democrat

– Ran on a Reform platform

– Criticized both Big Business and Big Government

Popular Vote:1912 Election

Taft –

Roosevelt –

Wilson –

Other –

Wilson Presidency

Tariffs and Taxes– Underwood Tariff Act of

1913• Reduced Tariffs from

_______________

– To make up for Government loss

• Income Tax legislation signed in 1913

Trust Busting– Clayton Anti-trust Act

• Spelled out specific illegal activities

• Prevents anti-trust legislation from being used against unions

– Federal Trade Commission

• Ability to order firms to ______________unfair business tactics

Wilson’s Presidency

Federal Reserve System– Federal Reserve Act of 1913

• Divided the country into 12 Districts of Banking

• Each Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) is owned by the banks in its district

• Member banks could borrow money from the FRB to meet short term demands

• Chairperson “The Fed” appointed by the president for a ten year term

Wilson’s Presidency

– Appointed to the Supreme Court• Many thought Brandeis was too radical

• First Jewish person on Supreme Court

• Upheld many progressive laws

Limits of Progressivism

Limited to certain sectors of society– Municipal Problems

• Did little to aid tenant and migrant farmers and nonunion workers

• Many Progressives supported

Limits to Progressivism Social Justice

– Separated races in federal offices– Wilson initially opposed women’s suffrage– African Americans ignored

• Small group of Progressives help form the

End of Progressivism