Context

• In the late 19th century the U.S. continued its shift from a rural, agricultural economy to an urban,

• industrial economy led by large corporations’ Industrial growth expanded opportunity and changed American society

  • New jobs & technology

  • Movement to urban areas

  • Immigration increased (especially from Southern and Eastern Europe)

• Economic instability led to new efforts to reform U.S. society and laissez faire capitalism

  • Panic of 1893 & other economic declines led for calls for reform

    • Interstate Commerce Act & Sherman Anti-Trust Act were rarely enforced

The Progressive Era of the early 20th century responded to economic instability, political corruption, and social concerns by calling for greater government action and other political and social measures

• BIG IDEA: Effort to use government power to regulate and improve society

  • Rejection of laissez faire ideology

Progressive Era

• Progressive journalist attacked what they saw as political corruption, social injustice, and economic inequality

  • Muckrakers: investigative journalist that advocated for reform

  • Economic- Ida Tarbell's "History of Standard Oil": John D. Rockefeller's business practices

  • Political-Lincoln Steffens "The Shame of the Cities": political machines

  • Social: Jacob Riis "How the Other Half Lives": urban poverty

• Progressive Era reformers were often from the middle and upper classes

  • Many women were involved in various Progressive Era reforms

    • Temperance, suffrage, child labor, consumer safety, etc.

  • Worked to effect social changes in cities and among immigrant populations

    • Jane Addams settlement house movement (Hull House)

    • Florence Kelly: National Consumers League

      • It's complicated: often immigrants needed their children to work\

The progressive movement was not actually a unified movement

The Progressive “Movement”

• Race and the Progressive Movement

  • Some Progressive reformers were racist

    • Support for Southern segregation

  • Black activism during the Progressive Era

    • NAACP created from Niagara movement

    • W.E.B. Du Bois, lda B. Wells actively fought against racism

• Some Progressive reformers sought to expand popular participation in government

  • Initiative, referendum, recall, & primary system were all reforms that expanded popular participation in government

  • 17th Amendment- direct election of Senators

  • Nevertheless, black voting rights continued to be denied and racism flourished

• Greater reliance on professional and technical experts to make government more efficient

  • Hope to reduce graft and corruption of political machines

Progressive era reforms took place at the local, state, and federal level

National Movement

• Progressive reformers advocated for federal legislation to:

  • Effectively regulate the economy

    • Muller v. Oregon (1908) limited work hours for women

    • Meat Inspection Act & Pure Food & Drug Act (1906)

    • Trust busting: Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)

    • Regulation of railroads: Elkins Act (1903) & Hepburn (1906)

  • Expand democracy

    • 17th Amendment: direct election of senators

  • Implement moral reform

    • Prohibition, immigration restrictions, support for eugenics

• Progressive Amendments to the Constitutions

  • 16th Amendment: income tax

  • 17th Amendment: direct Election of Senators

  • 18th Amendment (Prohibition)

  • 19th Amendment: women’s suffrage

Protecting the Environment

• Preservationists and conservationists both supported the establishment of national parks while advocating different government responses to the overuse of natural resources.

  • Preservation: protect the environment by restricting human development

  • Conservation: protect the environment by advocating for managed use of resources

• Sierra Club (1892) advocated for the preservation of natural areas

  • Led by John Muir

• Theodore Roosevelt used the presidency to pursue various conservationist projects

  • Creation of national parks, national forests, national monuments

Connections

• Progressive Movement (1890s-1917ish): response to problems/challenges caused by industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and other problems in American society

• New Deal (1933-1940s): response to Great Depression

• Great Society (1960s): response to racial issues, poverty, and other issues