Chapter 17 – The Progressive Era

Section One – The Origins of ProgressivismI. Four Goals of Progressivism

a. Concerns of Progressivesi. i. Early 1900s, middle-class reformers address problems of 1890sii. Different reform efforts collectively called progressive movementiii. Reformers aim to restore economic opportunity, correct injustice by:

- protecting social welfare, promoting moral improvement- creating economic reform, fostering efficiency

b. Protecting Social Welfarei. Social Gospel, settlement houses inspire other reform groupsii. Florence Kelley, political activist, advocate for women, children

- helps pass law prohibiting child labor, limiting women’s hours

c. Promoting Moral Improvementi. Some feel poor should uplift selves by improving own behaviorii. Prohibition—banning of alcoholic drinksiii. Woman’s Christian Temperance Union spearheads prohibition crusade

d. Creating Economic Reformi. 1893 panic prompts doubts about capitalism; many become socialistsii. Muckrakers—journalists who expose corruption in politics, business

e. Fostering Efficiencyi. Many use experts, science to make society, workplace more efficientii. Louis D. Brandeis uses social scientists’ data in trial iii. Scientific management—time and motion studies applied to workplaceiv. Assembly lines speed up production, make people work like machines

- cause high worker turnover

II. Cleaning Up Local Governmenta. Reforming Local Government

i. Reformers try to make government efficient, responsive to votersii. Some cities adopt government by commission of experts iii. Many use council-manager: people elect council that appoints manager

b. Reform Mayorsi. Hazen Pingree of Detroit tackles taxes, transit fares, corruption ii. Socialist Tom Johnson of Cleveland fights corrupt utility companies

II. Reform at the State Levela. Reform Governors

i. Governors push states to pass laws to regulate large businessesii. Robert M. La Follette is 3-term governor, then senator of Wisconsin

- attacks big businessb. Protecting Working Children

i. Child workers get lower wages, small hands handle small parts better- families need children’s wages

ii. National Child Labor Committee gathers evidence of harsh conditionsiii. Labor unions argue children’s wages lower all wagesiv. Groups press government to ban child labor, cut hours

c. Efforts to Limit Working Hoursi. Muller v. Oregon—Court upholds limiting women to 10-hour workdayii. Bunting v. Oregon—upholds 10-hour workday for meniii. Reformers win workers’ compensation for families of injured, killed

d. Reforming Electionsi. Oregon adopts secret ballot, initiative, referendum, recallii. Initiative—bill proposed by people, not lawmakers, put on ballotsiii. Referendum—voters, not legislature, decide if initiative becomes lawiv. Recall—voters remove elected official through early election v. Primaries allow voters, not party machines, to choose candidates

e. Direct Election of Senatorsi. Seventeenth Amendment permits popular election of senators

Section Two – Women in Public LifeI. Women in the Work Force

a. Changing Patterns of Livingi. Only middle-, upper-class women can devote selves to home, familyii. Poor women usually have to work for wages outside home

b. Farm Womeni. On Southern, Midwestern farms, women’s roles same as beforeii. Perform household tasks, raise livestock, help with crops

c. Women in Industryi. After 1900, 1 in 5 women hold jobs; 25% in manufacturingii. 50% industrial workers in garment trade; earn half of men’s wagesiii. Jobs in offices, stores, classrooms require high school educationiv. Business schools train bookkeepers, stenographers, typists

d. Domestic Workersi. In 1870, 70% of employed women do domestic workii. Many African-American, immigrant women do domestic labor

- married immigrants take in piecework, boarders

II. Women Lead Reforma. Women Get Involved

i. Many female industrial workers seek to reform working conditionsii. Women form cultural clubs, sometimes become reform groups

b. Women in Higher Educationi. Many women active in public life have attended new women’s collegesii. 50% college-educated women never marry; many work on social reforms

c. Women and Reformi. Women reformers target workplace, housing, education, food, drugsii. National Association of Colored Women (NACW)—child care, educationiii. Susan B. Anthony of National American Woman Suffrage Assoc. (NAWSA)

- works for woman suffrage, or right to voted. A Three-Part Strategy for Suffrage

i. Convince state legislatures to give women right to voteii. Test 14th Amendment—states lose representation if deny men vote

- Aren’t women citizens too?iii. Push for constitutional amendment to give women the vote

Section Three – Teddy Roosevelt’s Square DealI. A Rough Riding-President

a. Roosevelt’s Risei. Theodore Roosevelt has sickly childhood, drives self in athleticsii. Is ambitious, rises through New York politics to become governoriii. NY political bosses cannot control him, urge run for vice-president

b. The Modern Presidencyi. President McKinley shot; Roosevelt becomes president at 42ii. His leadership, publicity campaigns help create modern presidencyiii. Supports federal government role when states do not solve problems

- Square Deal—Roosevelt’s progressive reforms

II. Using Federal Powera. Trustbusting

i. By 1900, trusts control about 4/5 of U.S. industriesii. Roosevelt wants to curb trusts that hurt public interest

- breaks up some trusts under Sherman Antitrust Actb. 1902 Coal-Strike

i. Coal reserves low; forces miners, operators to accept arbitrationii. Sets principle of federal intervention when strike threatens public

c. Railroad Regulationi. Roosevelt pushes for federal regulation to control abuses

- Elkins Act—stops rebates, sudden rate changes- Hepburn Act—limits passes, ICC to set maximum rates

III. Health and Environmenta. Regulating Food and Drugs

i. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle—unsanitary conditions in meatpackingii. Roosevelt commission investigates, backs up Sinclair’s accountiii. Roosevelt pushes for Meat Inspection Act:

- dictates sanitary requirements- creates federal meat inspection program

b. Pure Food and Drug Acti. Food, drug advertisements make false claims; medicines often unsafeii. Pure Food and Drug Act halts sale of contaminated food, medicine

- requires truth in labeling

c. Conservation and Natural Resourcesi. 1887, U.S. Forest Bureau established, manages 45 million acresii. Private interests exploit natural environment

d. Conservation Measuresi. Roosevelt sets aside forest reserves, sanctuaries, national parksii. Believes conservation part preservation, part development for public

IV. Roosevelt and Civil Rightsa. Civil Rights at the turn of the 20th Century

i. Roosevelt does not support civil rights for African Americansii. Supports individual African Americans in civil service

- invites Booker T. Washington to White Houseiii. NAACP—National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

- goal is full equality among racesiv. Founded 1909 by W. E. B. Du Bois and black, white reformers

Section Four – Progressivism Under TaftI. Taft Becomes President

a. Taft Stumblesi. 1908, Republican William Howard Taft wins with Roosevelt’s supportii. Has cautiously progressive agenda; gets little credit for successesiii. Does not use presidential bully pulpit to arouse public opinion

b. The Payne-Aldrich Tariffi. Taft signs Payne-Aldrich Tariff—compromise bill, moderate tariffsii. Progressives angry, think he abandoned low tariffs, progressivism

c. Disputing Public Landsi. Conservationists angry Richard A. Ballinger named interior secretary

- Ballinger puts reserved lands in public domainii. Interior official protests action, is fired, writes magazine exposéiii. Gifford Pinchot head of U.S. Forest Service

- testifies against Ballinger- is fired by Taft

II. The Republican Party Splitsa. Problems Within the Party

i. Republicans split over Taft’s support of House Speaker Joseph Cannonii. Cannon weakens progressive agenda; progressives ally with Democratsiii. 1910 midterm elections, Democrats get control of House

b. The Bull Moose Partyi. 1912 convention, Taft people outmaneuver Roosevelt’s for nominationii. Progressives form Bull Moose Party; nominate Roosevelt, call for:

- more voter participation in government- woman suffrage- labor legislation, business controls

iii. Runs against Democrat Woodrow Wilson, reform governor of NJ

III. The Democrats Win in 1912a. The Election

i. Wilson endorses progressive platform called the New Freedom- wants stronger antitrust laws, banking reform, lower tariffs- calls all monopolies evil

ii. Roosevelt wants oversight of big business; not all monopolies badiii. Socialist Party candidate Eugene V. Debs wants to end capitalismiv. Wilson wins great electoral victory; gets majority in Congress

Section Five – Wilson’s New FreedomI. Wilson Wins Financial Reforms

a. Wilson’s Backgroundi. Wilson was lawyer, professor, president of Princeton, NJ governorii. As president, focuses on trusts, tariffs, high finance

b. Two Key Antitrust Measuresi. Clayton Antitrust Act stops companies buying stock to form monopolyii. Ends injunctions against strikers unless threaten irreparable damageiii. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—new “watchdog” agency

- investigates regulatory violations- ends unfair business practices

c. A New Tax Systemi. Wilson pushes for Underwood Act to substantially reduce tariffsii. Sets precedent of giving State of the Union message in personiii. His use of bully pulpit leads to passage

d. Federal Income Taxi. Sixteenth Amendment legalizes graduated federal income tax

e. The Federal Reserve Systemi. Federal Reserve System—private banking system under federal controlii. Nation divided into 12 districts; central bank in each district

II. Women Win Suffragea. Local Suffrage Battles

i. College-educated women spread suffrage message to working-class ii. Go door-to-door, take trolley tours, give speeches at stops

- some adopt bold tactics of British suffragistsb. Catt and the National Movement

i. Carrie Chapman Catt, head of NAWSA, stresses organization, lobbyingii. National Woman’s Party aggressively pressures for suffrage amendmentiii. Work of patriotic women in war effort influences politiciansiv. 1920 Nineteenth Amendment grants women right to vote

III. The Limits of Progressivisma. Wilson and Civil Rights

i. As candidate, wins support of NAACP for favoring civil rightsii. As president, opposes anti-lynching legislationiii. Appoints fellow white Southerners to cabinet who extend segregationiv. NAACP feels betrayed; Wilson self-defense widens rift

b. The Twilight of Progressivismi. Outbreak of World War I distracts Americans; reform efforts stall