Unit 2, day 1

Flashback: Gilded Age Problems

• Social, political, and economic problems summarized from the previous unit.

• Key issues to know:

  • Extreme urban poverty and housing problems

  • Unfair and dangerous working conditions; child labor

  • Political corruption and machine politics; bribery

  • Monopolies/large corporations dominating the economy

  • Inequities in rights and protections (labor, civil rights, literacy)

  • Inadequate safety, health, and consumer protections

The Progressive Era: Key Ideas

• Progressive reformers aimed to fix Gilded Age problems by reforming society and improving city conditions.

• Muckrakers exposed societal problems through writings and photography; spurred public awareness.

Time Period and Definition

• Time period: early 1900s

• Activists: progressives; engaged both individuals and government officials

• Goals: make economic and political systems fair; attack issues of industrialization and urbanization; expand democracy; advance social justice

Problems Addressed by Progressives

• Extreme poverty in cities; housing reforms

• Unfair and dangerous working conditions; child labor

• Government corruption; electoral reform

• Women's suffrage; social ills (e.g., alcohol)

• Trust-busting and corporate power limits

• Civil rights and literacy issues

Muckrakers and Types of Progressives

• Muckrakers: journalists who exposed problems; wrote novels/essays and used photography

• Photographic reporters: visual evidence of urban/industrial issues

• Activist organizations: clubs to fight for rights of members/minority groups

• Unions: worker organizations advocating for better conditions via strikes and boycotts

• Types of progressives:

  • Protesters: marches and boycotts for rights

  • Social leaders: programs and assistance for poor/needy

  • Christian groups: push for legislation to address social ills

  • Politicians: elected officials who supported reform

Populism and Its Influence

• The Populist Party (1892) advocated reforms in government and economy; represented farmers and industrial workers

• Key farmer concerns: low crop prices, high interest rates, high shipping costs

• Populist presidential candidate: William Jennings Bryan; carried western/southern states but lost in 1896; third party in the election

• Many Populist ideas would be realized during the Progressive Era and beyond

Populism: Platform Highlights

• Opposed power of large corporations

• Supported term limits for President and Vice President ($22^{ ext{nd}}$ amendment, 1951)

• Supported direct election of Senators ($17^{ ext{th}}$ amendment, 1913)

• Supported government control of railroads, banks, and telephone

• Supported an $8$-hour work day and improved working conditions

• National (Progressive) income tax ($16^{ ext{th}}$ amendment, 1913)

• Rejected the gold standard

• Supported civil rights and equality; secret ballot (late 19th–early 20th century)

A Timeline of Progressive Change

• $1879$: Women’s Christian Temperance Union formed (Prohibition support)

• $1889$: Hull House established by Jane Addams (settlement house)

• $1889$: How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis (photojournalism)

• $1890$: Sherman Antitrust Act breaks up trusts and monopolies

• $1901$: Shame of the Cities by Lincoln Steffens (exposes city corruption)

• $1903$: History of Standard Oil by Ida Tarbell (breakup of Standard Oil)

• $1904$: National Child Labor Committee formed by Florence Kelley

• $1906$: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food & Drug Act)

• $1908$: Muller v. Oregon (10-hour workday)

• $1909$: NAACP formed by Ida B. Wells and W. E. B. Du Bois

• $1913$: The $16^{ ext{th}}$ Amendment authorizes a federal income tax

• $1914$: Clayton Antitrust Act strengthens trust busting

• $1916$: Child Labor Act passed restricting child labor

• $1919$: Prohibition (the $18^{ ext{th}}$ Amendment) made alcohol illegal

• $1920$: The $19^{ ext{th}}$ Amendment gives women the right to vote (first election for women to vote in 1920)

Notable Reformers and Their Impacts

• Jane Addams

  • Problem addressed: Social conditions in cities; living conditions for immigrants

  • Group helped: Immigrants

  • Method: Settlement houses (Hull House)

  • Successes: Provided social services and support networks; community programs

• Ida B. Wells

  • Problem addressed: Lynching; racial terror

  • Group helped: African Americans

  • Method: Wrote articles; founded organizations (NAACP)

  • Successes: Raised awareness; organized civil rights efforts

• Jacob Riis

  • Problem addressed: Social problems/urban hardship

  • Group helped: Immigrants

  • Method: Photojournalism (How the Other Half Lives)

  • Successes: Exposed conditions; spurred reforms

• Ida Tarbell

  • Problem addressed: Monopolies/Trusts impacting small businesses

  • Group helped: The people; small businesses

  • Method: Wrote History of the Standard Oil Company

  • Successes: Influenced trust-busting and anti-trust actions

• Lincoln Steffens

  • Problem addressed: Bribery/corruption in city governments

  • Group helped: City residents

  • Method: Wrote The Shame of the Cities

  • Successes: Exposed corruption; challenged political machines

• Susan B. Anthony

  • Problem addressed: Women’s rights

  • Group helped: Women

  • Method: Led the National American Woman Suffrage Association

  • Successes: Achieved the 19th Amendment

End of the Progressive Era: What Improved

• Child labor restricted; labor laws for fair wages and hours

• Workplace safety initiatives

• Housing improvements in cities

• Food and drug protections enacted

• Trusts broken, enabling small businesses to compete

• Voting rights extended to women

• Civil rights groups formed; increased activism

• Governments reorganized and cleaned up corruption

• Education advanced; Prohibition established in some periods

• Alcohol prohibition enacted (early 20th century)

Wrap-Up and Reflections

• By the end of the Progressive Era, which reforms contributed most to positive change? Consider impact on workers, families, and democracy.

• Describe 2 ways Progressives improved social conditions in cities; which method was most effective and why

• Use notes to prepare for quick recall and high-level understanding