The Progressive Era Notes (1890-1920)

Progrssivism

  • Ideas how to improve society

  • Not fully organize… many groups

  1. Fix gov’t (Make more responsive to the people)

  2. Fix business

  3. Fix social problems (largest)

Muckrakers (TR)

  • Exposed problems in society

  1. Ida Tarbell- Standard Oil Monopoly

  2. Lincoln Steffens- Corrupt Political Machines

  3. Jacob Riis- Poverty in the tenements

  4. Lead to public debate and political change

Conditions in the U.S

  • Crowded cities (tenements)

  • Urban Poor

  • Disease

  • Racism/Discrimination (Plessy v. Ferguson)

  • Lack of Education

  • Gender discrimination

  • Child Labor

  • Unsafe Working Conditions

  • Workers had no voice

  • Gov’t Corruption

  • Political Machines

  • Lack of Democracy

  • No control of big business

  • Monopolies squash competition

  • Lack of gov’t control over the economy

  • Resources not being replenished

  • Not all Progressive agreed on everything

  • Some focuses on specific areas

  • Ex.TR was progressive in many ways, but imperialist, a social Darwinist, and believer in Anglo-Saxon superiority

Role of Women in the Progressive Era

  • Active in the Abolitionist

  • Fought for the 13th, 14th, 15th amendments

  • Active in the Temperance/Prohibition

  • Suffrage Movement

Role of Muckrakers in the Progressive Movement

  • Wrote articles in newspaper/magazines

  • Exposed problems in society

  • Public pressures the gov’t to fix problems

Social Progressivism

Social Gospel Movement

  • Salvation Army

  • YMCA

Jane Addams

  • Hull House

  1. Settlement house for immigrants

  2. Taught them how to adapt to American Culture

  3. Learn English

  4. Job Skills

  5. Learn how to survive in America

  • Tried to improve tenement and factory

Political Machines

  • Targeted immigrants

  • City services/ jobs/ housing for votes

  1. Garbage collection

  2. Police collection

  3. Fire protection

  4. Public transportation

  • How did they know if you voted for them?- Watched you vote

  • Lincoln Steffens exposed machines

  • Tammany Hall (NYC) and Boss Tweed most famous

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair (muckraker)

  • Meatpacking industry exposed

  • TR investigates

  • Leads to:

  1. Meat Inspection Act

  2. Pure Food and Drug Act

Niagara Movement

  • 1905 meeting of reforms

  • W.E.B Du Bois was very critical of BTW’s Atlanta Compromise

  • “We want equal and voting rights now!”

NAACP

  • Founded in 1909 by W.E.B Du Bois and others

  • Created to fight racism

  • Try to get laws passed

  • Tried overturn Plessy v. Ferguson

Public Education

  • Horace Mann

  • Created the first modern public schools

  1. Free to the public

  2. Wide Variety of subjects

  3. Longer school year

  4. Move from Vocational to academic schools

Working Conditions

  • Unions slowly gain influence

  • Child labor is slowly reduced

  • Work hours are shortened

  1. Women: 16 to 12 to 12 to 8 later on

  • Work week is shortened

  1. 7 to 6 days... later 5

  • Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (1911)- 146 died

  • Building codes lead to safer factories

Prohibition

  • Organized mainly by women

  • Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTC)

  • Anti-Saloon League

  • 18th Amendment

  1. Ratified in 1919

  2. In effect 1920

  3. Repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933

Women’s Suffrage Movement

  • Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

  • American Equal Rights Association

  1. Splits in 1869 over 15th Amendment

  2. AWSA- American Women Suffrage Association

  • Supported 15th amendment

  • Get suffrage one state at a time

  1. NWSA- National women suffrage Association

  • Opposed 15th amendment

  • Wanted constitutional amendment

  • NAWSA (1890)- National American women suffrage Association

  • Susan B Anthony (NWSA)

  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton (NWSA)

  • Lucy Stone (AWSA)

  • Carrie Chapmen Catt (NAWSA)

  • Lucy Burns and Alice Paul

  • Only four state by 1900

  • Iron Jawed Angels movie

  • 19th Amendment (1920)

TR on Social Welfare

  • Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

  1. Described conditions in meat packing Plants

  2. Led to the Meat Inspection Act

  • Meat Inspection Act

  1. Put federal inspectors in each plant

  2. Created Strict Cleanliness requirements

  • Pure Food and Drug Act

  1. Truth in labeling

  2. Forerunner to FDA

TR on Conservation

  • Supported conservation of natural resources

  • Set aside land for national forests, parks, wildlife reserves

  1. Focus on timber and water resources

  • James Garfield (conservationist chosen to head the Dept. or Interior)

  • Chooses Gifford Pinchot (conservationist) to head the US Forest Service

Wilson on Social Welfare

  • Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916)

  1. No children under 14 working on business involving interstate commerce

  2. Found to be unconstitutional (1918)

  • Federal Land Banks

  1. Created to help farmers

  2. Long term low interest loans

  • Federal Jobs are segregated

  1. Many federal jobs closed for African Americans

Economic Progressivism

Progressive -vs- Big Business Two View:

  • Gov’t Regulates Business:

  1. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

  2. Interstate Commerce Commission

  3. Gov’t should restore competition

  • Socialism:

  1. Eugene V. Debs

  2. Edward Bellamy

  3. Gov’t takes over buildings

  4. Most Americans opposed

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

  • Made trust and monopolies illegal

  • Weak law

  • Not enforced for 11 years (TR-1901)

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)

  • Strengthened Sherman Antitrust Act

  1. No price discrimination

  2. No more volume discounts (RR)

  3. Legalized Unions

  4. Mergers have to be approved

  • Clayton was an Alabama Democrat (House)

Standard Oil Monopoly

  • John D. Rockefeller

  1. Monopoly on oil, refineries, and gasoline

  • Ida Tarbell exposes business practices in articles

  • Standard Oil is broken-up by the Gov’t

TR’s Background

  • Youth

  1. Asthma

  • Activities

  1. Boxing, horses, hunting, and wrestling

  • Political Life

  1. NYC Police Commissioner

  2. NYC State Leg.

  3. Asst. Sec. of Navy

  4. NVC Governor… VP

  • Presidency

  1. At 42, youngest to become pres. (not elected)

TR’s Presidency

  • Square Deal

  • Northern Securities RR Holding Co. broken-up

  1. Enforces Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

  • 1902 Coal Strike

  1. UMW wants wage/hour changes and union rec.

  2. TR sets major precedent

  • Dept. of Comerce created (1903)

  1. Bureau of Corporations

  2. Deal with US steal

  • Hepburn Act (1906) strengthen ICC (can set RR rates)

TR and Monopolies

  • Known as the “Trust buster”

  • Attempted to break- 44 in 7 1/2 years

  • Felt that not all monopolies are bad… as long as they felt cooperated with the Gov’t they were OK

  • Made a deal with US steal

  • Era of cooperation

  • “New Nationalism” platform in 1912

  • TR:

  1. Dynamic

  2. Outgoing

  3. Loved politics

  4. Quick to respond to issues

  5. “Trustbuster” 44 in 7 ½ yrs

  • Taft:

  1. Quiet

  2. Behind-the-scenes

  3. Disliked politics

  4. Slow decision maker

  5. The real “Trustbuster” 90 in only four years

Taft and Monopolies

TR told him not to break-up US steel

Taft went after US Steel and destroyed the atmosphere of cooperation between Gov’t and big business

Helped split the Republican Party

Went after 90 trust/monopolies in 4 yrs