Progressivism

Henry Cabot Lodge

Spokesperson for Nativists in Congress

Urban Churches and Federal Council of the Churches of Christ

Lead the Social Gospel Movement

Goal of the COS

Help the “worthy” poor

Gave speeches against drinking alcohol

Prohibitionists

A.A. Hopkins

Lead the Prohibition movement

Settlement House movement leaders did this

Experienced city living first-hand so they could better understand the problems

Charity Organization Society (COS) did this

Kept records of the poor they aided so as not to waste effort on “undeserving” people

Purity Crusaders aimed to do this

Rid cities of vice and immoral activities (gambling, drugs, prostitution, police bribing)

Josephine Lowell

Founder of COS

Beliefs of Prohibitionists

Alcohol was the cause of all social and city problems, so it should be limited

Chinese Exclusion Act

A victory for Nativists

Settlement House movement established this

Hull House, which aided immigrants and helped them assimilate

Purity Crusaders pushed for this

Passage of the Comstock Law, which made it illegal to send immoral or indecent mail

Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr

Lead the Settlement House movement

Beliefs of Nativism movement

Immigrants were the cause of period problems, so quotas should be established

Strategy example for Purity Crusaders

New York Society for the Suppression of Vice

Purity Crusaders attacked and tried to destroy these

Political Machines

Beliefs of Social Gospel Movement

Teaching the poor about Christ would help solve their problems

Prohibitionists did this in saloons

Gave speeches and often preached

Methods of the COS had this effect

Seemed to interfere with the lives of immigrants even though they tried to help

Cities

Main focus of early reform groups

Problems farmers faced

Low prices of goods (result of overproduction), high transport costs (unfair rates due to monopolies), rising debt and interest rates for bank loans, droughts, insects, natural disasters

Oliver Kelley

Organized granges for farmers in 1867

Granges

Educated farmers in new ag techniques, called for more railroad regulation, formed cooperatives to lower costs, “grange laws” enacted in some states

Farmers’ Alliances

Similar to granges but used politics, pushed for government to lower interest rates, called for more money supply and railroad regulation, created state ag departments, supported anti-trust laws

Goals of Populist Party

Federal government regulation of railroads, utilities, and communication. Supported a bimetallic standard (free coinage of silver), political and worker reforms, wanted inequality of wealth to be addressed

Supporters of Populist Party

Workers, farmers

Opponents of Populist Party

Upper class, big businesses, monopolies

Populist worker reforms

Eight hour work day, graduated income tax (rich pay more)

Populist political reforms

Secret ballot, direct election of senators, initiative (people propose new law), referendum (citizens approve or reject laws)

Mary Elizabeth Lease

Populist, supported women’s suffrage

Cross of Gold

Speech made by Democrat William J. Bryan, denounced the Gold Standard and called for free coinage of silver, goal was to appease Populists

William J. Bryan

Democratic candidate in the 1896 election, made the Cross of Gold speech to gain support of Populists

16th Amendment

Graduated income tax: you pay based on earnings

1896 election

William McKinley was Republican candidate, William Jennings Bryan Democratic. McKinley won by popular vote and electoral votes, with Pennsylvania and New York having the most electoral votes (and won by McKinley)

17th Amendment

Direct election of senators by popular vote