Progressivism and Key Figures

Progressivism Overview

  • Movement in the early 20th century aimed at improving human welfare.

  • Focus on fighting monopolies, corruption, inefficiency, and social injustices.

Key Figures and Texts

  • Henry Damaris Lloyd: "Walth against Commonwealth" (1894) critiques Standard Oil and Rockefeller's corrupt practices.

  • Ida M. Tarbell: Muckraker who exposes Rockefeller's corruption in "History of the Standard Oil Company."

  • Jacob A. Riis: "How the Other Half Lives" (1890) highlights urban poverty in contrast to the prosperity of the elite.

  • Thorstein Veblen: "The Theory of the Leisure Class" (1899) addresses predatory wealth and conspicuous consumption.

Types of Socialism

  • Reform Socialism: Aims to soften capitalism with socialist policies (e.g., labor rights, safety standards).

  • Revolutionary Socialism: Advocates for worker ownership of production.

Muckrakers

  • Investigative journalists who expose societal problems.

  • Term coined by Theodore Roosevelt; intended as criticism but embraced by journalists.

  • Important muckrakers include:

    • Lincoln Steffens: "The Shame of the Cities" (1902) on government corruption.

    • David G. Phillips: "The Treason of the Senate" (1906) on senators' ties to corporations.

    • Ray Stannard Baker: Focused on Jim Crow laws and racial issues.

Progressivism Goals

  • Use government power to regulate trusts and improve conditions for workers.

  • Key reforms: Initiative, referendum, recall, and the Australian ballot.

  • Constitutional Amendment 17 (1913): Direct election of senators.

  • City manager commissions: Nonpartisan management of local government.

Theodore Roosevelt's Presidency

  • Introduced the Square Deal: Focus on corporations, consumer protection, and conservation.

  • Established the Bureau of Corporations to investigate monopolies and publish findings.

  • Trust-busting approach differentiated between good and bad trusts.

  • Significant reforms include:

    • Meat Inspection Act (1906) and Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) to improve health standards.

    • Conservation initiatives through establishing numerous national parks.

Impact of the Lochner Era

  • Supreme Court (1897-1937) made decisions favoring businesses over labor regulations (e.g., Lochner v. New York, 1905).

  • This era resisted economic regulations, deeming them a violation of the 14th Amendment's freedom of contract.

Developments Under Taft

  • William Howard Taft succeeded Roosevelt; his presidency saw increased trust-busting efforts.

  • Taft's cautious approach, including the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, disappointed progressives.

  • The Ballinger-Pinchot controversy undermined Taft's credibility with progressives.