The Progressive Era Notes

Coming out of the Industrial Revolution, there was a greater accumulation of wealth in the United States than almost any time in human history, with some of the richest non -emperor individuals ever.
Humorists like Mark Twain mocked the “gilded” nature of the late 19th century.
Despite massive innovations in transportation, infrastructure, technology, food production, and more, many Americans still lived in intense poverty.

In the 1890s, more and more politicians, activists, and citizens began to identify themselves as “progressive”, not always with a common definition or goals.
Most progressives were middle-class moderates; not socialists.
They believed that education, reason, democracy, and Christian faith could solve most social problems and “perfect” capitalism.
They do not share all, or even most, of the beliefs of modern-day progressives.

“Muckrakers” were journalists, photographers, and sometimes fiction writers who sought to highlight societal ills.
Other progressives advocated for “trustbusting”, breaking up monopolies, and enacting regulations (leading to FTC in 1914).
Still others called for child labor laws, temperance, regulations for food/industries/buildings.

Urban planning is partially birthed out of desires to shield upper-classes from industry’s side-effects.
Frederick Law Olmstead’s urban parks, Ebenezer Howard’s “garden cities”, Daniel Burnham’s Chicago plan, Progressive reformers all play into popularity of “City Beautiful”.
Zoning wouldn’t be ruled definitively constitutional until 1926, but Los Angeles was introducing zoning ordinances as early as 1904.
Race is often a factor- sometimes implicit, but often explicit.

A key part of Progressive movement was push for women’s suffrage.
Number of rationales for this: expansion of republican motherhood, importance of direct democracy, temperance.
Various women’s groups stage demonstrations and protests.
Wyoming is admitted to Union in 1890 with women’s suffrage in constitution; Colorado, Utah, and Idaho would follow suit in the decade.

Write a one-sentence answer to the following question: In your opinion, what was the most significant impact of Progressive politics of the early 1900s on American society today?

Roosevelt became known as a reformer, a conservationist, and trustbuster; would later form a Progressive Party.
Sought to use U.S. economy and diplomacy rather than military to establish it as international leader, negotiating end to Russo-Japanese War and claiming canal zone in Panama.
Also favored continued U.S. imperial expansion and was decidedly not progressive as we would understand it today.

Roosevelt is often put forward as the figurehead of the Progressive Era, and his biography and persona are certainly interesting.
However, implying that his politics stand for all Progressive (and other reform) politics, or that he is responsible for all the reforms, risks us missing out on a lot.
Progressive movement was led by women Jane Addams (established settlement houses), Jeannette Rankin (first woman representative), and Alice Paul (went on hunger strikes for suffrage).
But also led by thousands of more obscure trade unionists, socialists, temperance advocates, muckraking journalists, and other obscure figures working together.

“Teddy” Roosevelt:
- Former governor of New York, police chief, military hero. Was not initially elected; youngest prez at the time, succeeding McKinley after his assassination.
William Taft:
- Roosevelt’s chosen successor; first prez to have not won elected office nor served in the military; refused to move back aside for Roosevelt, splitting the vote; later served as Chief Justice of Supreme Court.