progressive dbq

I. Introduction to the Progressive Movement

  • Reform movement aimed at improving society

  • Focused on government intervention to regulate economy, business practices, and social issues

  • Driven by middle-class Americans and women

  • Used science, reason, and logic to enact change

II. Key Areas of Reform

A. Labor and Working Conditions

  • Poor working conditions in factories, mines, and sweatshops

  • No minimum wage, overtime pay, or safety regulations

  • Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911)

    • Over 140 workers (mostly young immigrant women) died

    • Led to fire safety laws and workplace reforms

B. Food and Drug Safety

  • Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906) exposed unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry

  • Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

    • Banned contaminated food and false drug labels

  • Meat Inspection Act (1906)

    • Required federal inspections of meat processing plants

C. Prohibition (Ban on Alcohol)

  • 18th Amendment (1919) – Banned manufacturing, selling, and transporting alcohol

  • Response to crime, domestic violence, and workplace issues

  • 21st Amendment (1933) – Repealed prohibition due to enforcement challenges

D. Child Labor

  • Children worked long hours in factories, mines, and fields

  • National Child Labor Committee pushed for reform

  • Keating-Owen Act (1916) – Banned child labor in interstate commerce (later ruled unconstitutional)

E. Breaking Monopolies (Trust-Busting)

  • Monopolies (Trusts) controlled entire industries, eliminating competition

  • Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) – First law to limit monopolistic business practices

  • Teddy Roosevelt’s Trust-Busting

    • Targeted J.P. Morgan’s railroad monopoly

    • Differentiated between “good” and “bad” trusts

    • Used government regulation rather than banning all monopolies

F. Expanding Democracy

  • More power to the people

  • Direct elections & state reforms

    • 17th Amendment – Direct election of U.S. Senators

    • Referendum, Initiative, Recall (Western states)

      • Referendum – People vote on laws directly

      • Initiative – Citizens propose laws

      • Recall – Public can remove officials from office

    • Direct Primaries – Voters, not party leaders, choose candidates

G. Raising Professional Standards

  • Regulation of certain businesses and professions

  • Bar exams for lawyers

  • Medical and engineering licensing

H. Social Justice and Immigration Reforms

  • Settlement Houses – Community centers for poor and immigrant families

    • Hull House (Chicago) – Founded by Jane Addams to provide education, healthcare, and childcare

  • Muckrakers – Investigative journalists exposing corruption

    • Newspapers played a major role in shaping public opinion

III. The Role of Unions

  • Workers began forming unions to fight for better wages, hours, and conditions

  • Eugene Debs – Labor leader and Socialist politician

  • Major unions:

    • American Federation of Labor (AFL)

    • Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, “Wobblies”)

IV. Progressive Constitutional Amendments

  1. 16th Amendment (1913) – Federal income tax

  2. 17th Amendment (1913) – Direct election of Senators

  3. 18th Amendment (1919) – Prohibition (banning alcohol)

  4. 19th Amendment (1920) – Women’s suffrage (right to vote)

V. Civil Rights and African American Leaders

  • African Americans faced discrimination and segregation

  • Different approaches to racial progress:

    1. W.E.B. Du Bois – Advocated for civil rights, higher education, NAACP

    2. Booker T. Washington – Supported vocational training and economic self-sufficiency

    3. Ida B. Wells – Investigative journalist exposing lynchings

VI. Conclusion

  • Progressivism reshaped American society

  • Increased government intervention to protect workers, consumers, and democracy

  • Set the stage for future reforms in labor laws, voting rights, and economic regulation