Chapter 21 – Progressives & Reformers
Section 1 – Early ReformsFind out:1. Why did reformers want to end the spoils system?2. What did the Civil Service Commission do?3. How did Congress try to regulate big business?
Taming the Spoils System
• Patronage – giving jobs to loyal supporters– Led to corruption
Civil service – includes all federal jobs except elected positions and the armed forces.
President James Garfield
- called for reform of civil service
- basis of merit
- shot by an angry office seeker – died in office.
President Rutherford B. Hayes
President James Garfield
Civil Service Commission
• Fills jobs in federal government.
• Made up of both Dem. And Rep.
• Exams were set up.
Regulating Big Business• Interstate Commerce Act – forbade unfair
practices such as pools and rebates.
• Interstate Commerce Commission – ICC – – oversaw the railroad industry– Enforced the Interstate Commerce Act
Collis HuntingtonCentral Pacific Railroad
Sherman Antitrust Act• Benjamin Harrison elected
Pres. in 1888.
• Sherman Antitrust Act – prohibited trust or other businesses from limiting competition.– Difficult to enforce.– Was used to stop labor unions.
Chapter 21 – Progressives & Reformers
Section 2 – The Progressive MovementFind out:1. How did bosses control city governments?2. How did muckrakers influence public opinion?3. What were the goals of the Progressives?
Reforming City Governments• Boss rule
– Influenced poor & immigrants to vote for them or their candidates by giving help.
– William Tweed– Thomas Nast – – political cartoonist– Good Government – Leagues
Rousing Public Opinion• Muckrakers – crusading
journalists who raked “the dirt” and exposed it to the public.– Lincoln Steffens (exposed
corruption in STL)– Ida Tarbell (Standard Oil)– Upton Sinclair (The Jungle)
• Wrote a novel that revealed gruesome details about the meatpacking industry in Chicago.
Progressives in Action
• Progressive Era - (1898 – 1917)– Progressives - Forward-thinking people who
wanted to improve American life.– Beliefs
• Public interest (for the good of the people) should guide government actions
• It shouldn’t be sacrificed to the greed of trusts and bosses.
Progressives…• Wisconsin Idea – elected officials with
Progressive ideas that made positive changes– Robert La Follette
• Lowered railroad rates.
Primary – pre-election to choose a party’s candidate for the general election.
Initiative – gave voters the right to put a bill directly before the state legislature.
Referendum – gave voters the power to make a bill become a law.
Recall – allowed voters to remove an elected official from office.
Other Progressive Reforms
16th Amendment – gave Congress the power to impose an income tax.
17th Amendment – allowed for the direct election of senators.