View
213
Download
0
Category
Tags:
Preview:
Citation preview
Unit 2: Cornell-D
“What Progressive reforms addressed economic
problems and were they successful ?”
“What Progressive reforms addressed economic problems and were they
successful ?”
Exploitation of Workers Child Labor
Labor Strikes
Unfair treatment of Women Workers
Monopolies & Trusts Railroad Monopolies
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working CONDITIONS, no benefits
Economic Reformers:
Upton Sinclair, (Muckraker)
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
The Jungle – a novel based on the dirtiest food industry in America: MEAT packing
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
Sam Gompers,
Am.
Federation of Labor
union leader
Mary Harris Jones,
“Mother Jones” – union leader
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
Eugene Debs, American Railway
Union –Also, Socialist
candidate for Pres. in 1912
“Big Bill” Haywood IWWIndustrial Workers
of the World “the Wobblies” –
most radical union
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
Solutions:1. Organize UNIONS! … for decent PAY & conditions could mean STRIKES =
the refusal to WORK…
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
Before and after unions organized:1890 1915
Weekly Wages: $17.40 $24
Weekly Hours: 54.5 hrs/wk.49 hrs/wk.
Members in Unions 400,000 1,500,000
(1904)
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
Unions successful reforms?Y/N ?“YES & NO”
Business managers refuse to RECOGNIZE or negotiate with UNIONS
Unions Successful Reforms ?“Yes & No”
Sometimes, public FEARS VIOLENCE of STRIKES, and that unions might lead to a
SOCIALIST
REVOLUTION like Russia (BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION of 1917)
Unions Successful Reforms ?“Yes & No”
Often, Business managers would stop STRIKES with LEGAL action.
They argued that STRIKES interfere with inter-STATE commerce (trade)
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
Solution: 2. ARBITRATION =
both sides in a STRIKE negotiate/w aMEDIATOR
1st Arbitrated strike in USA:1903 COAL STRIKET.ROOSEVELT said COAL is Public INTEREST so GOVERNMENT should settle the STRIKE with ARBITRATION – the government will be the MEDIATOR
Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits
Successful reform?Y/N ?“YES” Arbitration is used to settle SOME
strikes – but its not always usedT.R. 1st Pres. to arbitrate a strike for the
Public I________?Interest
Problem: Child Labor
Progressive Reformers:
Jane Addams
Florence Kelley
Mary Harris Jones
Problem: Child Labor
Solution:
1. NATIONAL reform is tried KEATING-OWENS Act=this law prohibited theTRANSPORTATION of goods made by children
Successful ?Y/N ?“NO”Supreme Court said the law UNCONSTITUTIONAL
because it restricted TRADE (interstate commerce)
Problem: Child Labor
Solution:
2. STATE reforms state laws ban child labor and make MANDATORYSCHOOL laws that take most kids out of jobs
Also, HOURS are limited for minors/children who do work.
Successful ?Y/N ?“YES”By 1920 the number of children
working is cut by½ (50%)
Women Labors—long hours
Solution:
STATE laws limit working HOURS for women (to 10 hrs/day)
Big business fights back in court saying Oregon’s law is unconstitutional
Unfair treatment of Women Workers
Successful reform?Y/N ?“YES”1908 OREGON v. MUELLERSupreme Court caseSays that protecting young women is a PUBLIC INTEREST(for healthy MOTHERS and families)
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Progressive Reformers:
Pres. Teddy Roosevelt
Pres. Woodrow Wilson
Problem: Unfair elimination of c________ by
monopoly businesses
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Solution:
1. Sue “BAD” trusts with theSHERMAN ANTI-TRUST Act=any corporation that harms the Public INTERESTBut – T.R. still wants Big Business for an INDUSTRIAL
America (so, some big industries are OK !)
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Sherman Anti-trust Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES & NO”T.R. broke-up only a FEW trusts T.R. preferred to REGULATE not ELIMINATE big industriesHe was not as big of a “Trust-Buster” as the media
made of him
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Solution:2. REGULATION =
laws to stop “BAD” or UNFAIR behavior of business
1906: Meat INSPECTION Act Pure FOOD & DRUGS Act
These are examples of “regulatory laws”
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES”REGULARTORY laws required strict RULES,
INSPECTION and LABELING on productsto protect consumers
(prop 37—2012)
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
T.R. supports Populist goal REGULATE the RR’sCongress passes theINTERSTATE COMMERCE Act Creates the INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION (ICC)To stop RR’s from fixing high prices to charge
farmers/consumers
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES”The ICC had LIMITED powers to ENFORCE the law –
but,The COMMISSION did help farmers and consumers
against RR monopolies
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Solution:3. Wilson’s CLAYTON ANTI-TRUST Act of 1914 is
stronger than the – SHERMAN Anti-trust law
And it saidUNIONS had right to ORGANIZE
(creates the Fed. TRADE COMMISSION, too)
Problem: Monopolies & Trusts
Clayton Anti-Trust Act Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES”Over 400 “cease & desist” orders were issued to
stop unfair business activities
Recommended