Progressive Era Reforms: Social, Political, and Economic Changes

Four Main Goals of Progressive Era

Protecting social welfare, promoting moral improvement, creating economic reform, fostering efficiency

Protecting Social Welfare

Improving lives of the poor through community centers and social services; supported by YMCA and Salvation Army; Illinois Factory Act prohibited child labor and limited women's working hours

The Social Gospel Movement

emphasizing Christian duty to help the poor; supported by YMCA and Salvation Army

Moral Reform

Focused on banning alcohol (Prohibition) led by the WCTU; leaders included Carry Nation, Susan B. Anthony, and Frances Willard

18th Amendment

Established Prohibition—banning alcoholic beverages

Economic Reform

Criticism of laissez-faire capitalism; rise of socialism led by Eugene Debs; investigative journalists called "muckrakers" exposed corruption

Eugene Debs

Socialist leader who ran for president in 1900 advocating for workers' rights and economic reform

Muckrakers

Progressive journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices

Fostering Efficiency

Used scientific management to make work more efficient; Henry Ford's "five dollar day" improved worker pay and productivity

Scientific Management

Breaking tasks into simple parts to improve efficiency in factories

Henry Ford's "Five Dollar Day"

Doubled workers' pay to $5 a day and shortened hours, boosting morale and productivity

Reform in Cities

Reform mayors ("gas and water socialists") focused on public utilities and reducing corruption

Gas and Water Socialists

Reform mayors who worked to control city utilities and improve living conditions

Election Reform

Introduced secret ballot, initiative, referendum, recall, and direct primary; aimed to give citizens more political power

Secret Ballot

(Australian Ballot) Allowed voters to make choices privately

Initiative

A bill introduced by citizens, not politicians

Referendum

Public vote on an initiative

Recall

Allowed citizens to remove public officials from office through another election

Direct Primary

Citizens vote to choose political candidates instead of party bosses

17th Amendment

Established direct election of U.S. Senators

Protecting Workers

Laws limited child labor and working hours; first workers' compensation laws established in 1902 (Maryland)

Maryland 1902

Law First state to provide workers' compensation

Muller v. Oregon (1908)

Limited women's working hours to 10 per day

Bunting v. Oregon (1917)

Established 10-hour workday for men

Women at Work (1870s)

70% of working women were servants; women earned about half as much as men for the same jobs

Women Turn to Reform

1890—National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) formed to fight for voting rights

NAWSA Strategy

Work state-by-state, test the 14th Amendment, and push for a federal amendment granting suffrage

Western Progressive

States Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho—first to grant women's suffrage

19th Amendment (1920)

Granted women the right to vote

Anti-Suffrage Cartoons

Argued women shouldn't vote because they would lose domestic focus or couldn't handle added responsibility

Theodore Roosevelt

Became president in 1901 after McKinley's assassination; known as the Progressive President

"Speak softly and carry a big stick"

Roosevelt's motto for international diplomacy—be peaceful but ready to use power

"Bully Pulpit"

Using one's power and position to influence or pressure others in government for reform

Conservationist

Person who works to protect natural resources—Roosevelt preserved millions of acres for future use

Herbert Spencer & Charles Darwin

Created Social Darwinism—belief in "survival of the fittest" applied to society and economics (laissez-faire)

Social Darwinism

Theory that success and failure in society are governed by natural selection

Trusts

Large business combinations that controlled industries; targeted by Progressive reformers

The Trust Buster

Nickname for Theodore Roosevelt for breaking up monopolies and unfair trusts

Protecting Consumers

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) required truthful labeling and banned harmful additives

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

Required truth in labeling and banned dangerous substances like dyes, borax, and formaldehyde

Conservation

(Roosevelt) Set aside 148 million acres of forest, 1.5 million acres for water power, and 80 million acres for mineral and water resources

William howard taft

won presidency in 1908 - republican

Teddy roosevelt became president becasue

Mckinley was assasinated

How old was roosevelt

42 - youngest president

who made the bull moose party

roosevelt

bull moose signifigance:

signifies roosevelt becasue he is strong and willing

PROBLEMS IN 1912 ELECTIONS

- roosevelt came back and controlled the bull moose party

- the republican party split and thus loss the election

- democrat woodrow wilson won the election

Thomas Woodrow Wilson

professor and president of princeton

FTC (federal trade commision)

16th ammendment

federal income tax

19 ammendment

gave women the right to vote