Social Progressivism Lecture Notes

Many progressives focused on societal reform due to their belief in the capacity of healthy and educated citizens to improve society.
Majority of social progressives were opposed to the sale of alcohol:
- Some participants came from Protestant backgrounds where drinking was deemed a sin.
- Yet, most advocated for prohibition based on pragmatic reasons to reform cities and conserve human resources and promote worker health.
Alcohol consumption levels were historically high:
- Americans drank excessively more than current levels.
- Alcohol consumption peaked between 1900 and 1915.
Prohibition History:
- Only three states enacted prohibition laws in the 1850s.
- Modern anti-liquor movements began in the 1880s and 1890s, led by:
- Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
- Anti Saloon League established in 1900.
- These organizations, along with religious leaders, advocated for a nationwide prohibition on alcohol.
- Between 1906 and 1912, seven states passed laws to outlaw alcohol.
- The Eighteenth Amendment (1920) to the US Constitution prohibited the sale of alcohol nationwide.

Progressives identified alcohol with prostitution, viewing it as a major societal evil.
The anti-prostitution movement drew diverse groups:
- Some racists and anti-immigration advocates claimed that immigrants and African Americans were predominantly involved in prostitution.
- Some female reformers promoted a consistent moral standard for all genders.
- Concerns regarding the spread of venereal diseases from prostitutes to families.
Mainstream progressive belief attributed prostitution to environmental conditions:
- Emphasis on education and reform as methods to eliminate prostitution, child labor, and poor housing.
Despite efforts, progressives largely failed to make significant changes in reducing prostitution or addressing underlying poverty.

The Industrial Revolution saw an increase in prostitution correlated with rising wealth inequality.
Exact prevalence remains unclear, but anecdotal reports highlight substantial growth in prostitution tied to economic struggles:
- Specifically affected were women, especially single women without economic support.
- Methods to combat prostitution included:
- Passage of laws banning prostitution and closing of red-light districts.
- Mann Act of 1910, prohibiting transportation of women for immoral purposes across state lines.
- Increasing age of consent laws in several states.

Reformers believed that poor housing conditions contributed to societal issues:
- Notable works like Jacob Riis' "How the Other Half Lives" illustrated the terrible conditions of the urban poor.
- Reformers hoped for better housing as a means to elevate conditions for the poor and immigrants.
Early 20th century housing reforms included:
- The passage of tenement laws, though many were ineffectual and poorly enforced.
- Formation of the National Housing Association in 1910 with aspirations for government-subsidized housing.

Child labor emerged as a significant concern among progressives, paralleling the prostitution crisis:
- Reformers gathered evidence of the damaging impact long factory hours had on children’s health.
- Efforts included pushing for child labor laws, albeit with many loopholes.
Mandatory school attendance laws were advocated to decrease child labor instances:
- These laws aimed to indoctrinate children with middle-class Protestant values and improve educational outcomes.
Despite advocacy, enforcement remained challenging due to:
- Business resistance leveraging children's labor for profit.
- Political reluctance among judges and politicians to regulate child labor.

Reform movements also focused on juvenile offenders:
- Establishment of juvenile courts aimed to keep young offenders separate from adult criminals.
- However, due process rights for juveniles were commonly undermined, leading to issues recognized by the Supreme Court eventually in 1967.

Reformers targeted limiting work hours for women as a necessity for protecting the future generation:
- Court case: Oregon's ten-hour workday law upheld by the Supreme Court in 1908, citing health concerns related to women's labor.
- This legal precedent indicated government responsibility for protecting public health, influencing future healthcare laws.
The ten-hour law, despite its intention, perpetuated gender segregation by arguing that women needed protection based on presumed physical weakness.

The progressive movement saw a rise in women's labor participation:
- Women in workforce increased from over 5 million in 1900 to nearly 8.5 million by 1920.
- Despite increases in female workers, many did not join unions; organizations like the American Federation of Labor (AFL) often excluded women.
The Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) established in 1903 aimed to organize female workers:
- Contributed to union efforts and provided support and resources during strikes, including financial bail for unlawfully arrested workers.

On March 25, 1911, a catastrophic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company highlighted unsafe working conditions:
- The fire broke out in a poorly equipped building with locked exits to prevent workers from leaving.
- Many women were trapped, leading to 146 fatalities, some jumping to escape the flames.
The aftermath led to significant reforms in workplace safety and labor laws:
- A state commission investigated the tragedy, resulting in new safety regulations and limits on women's working hours to 54 hours per week.

Among the most controversial progressive reforms was birth control, typically considered taboo:
- Margaret Sanger emerged as a pivotal figure advocating for women's control over reproduction:
- Faced legal challenges for distributing contraceptive materials through the mail.
Sanger argued that better control over childbirth could lift poor women out of poverty:
- Criticisms included some overlap with eugenics, aiming to limit reproduction among the perceived unfit.
- Sanger was notably against abortion, which remained a contentious issue for decades.

The progressive era saw significant movements for reform related to alcohol, prostitution, housing, child labor, women’s rights, and public health.
Each of these areas demonstrated the complexities and contradictions within the social reform movements of the time, often leading to unintended consequences while addressing the formidable challenges posed by poverty, inequality, and labor exploitation.