Chapter 21 – Progressives & Reformers

Section 1 – Early ReformsFind out:1. Why did reformers want to end the spoils system?2. What did the Civil Service Commission do?3. How did Congress try to regulate big business?

Taming the Spoils System

• Patronage – giving jobs to loyal supporters– Led to corruption

Civil service – includes all federal jobs except elected positions and the armed forces.

President James Garfield

- called for reform of civil service

- basis of merit

- shot by an angry office seeker – died in office.

President Rutherford B. Hayes

President James Garfield

Civil Service Commission

• Fills jobs in federal government.

• Made up of both Dem. And Rep.

• Exams were set up.

Regulating Big Business• Interstate Commerce Act – forbade unfair

practices such as pools and rebates.

• Interstate Commerce Commission – ICC – – oversaw the railroad industry– Enforced the Interstate Commerce Act

Collis HuntingtonCentral Pacific Railroad

Sherman Antitrust Act• Benjamin Harrison elected

Pres. in 1888.

• Sherman Antitrust Act – prohibited trust or other businesses from limiting competition.– Difficult to enforce.– Was used to stop labor unions.

Chapter 21 – Progressives & Reformers

Section 2 – The Progressive MovementFind out:1. How did bosses control city governments?2. How did muckrakers influence public opinion?3. What were the goals of the Progressives?

Reforming City Governments• Boss rule

– Influenced poor & immigrants to vote for them or their candidates by giving help.

– William Tweed– Thomas Nast – – political cartoonist– Good Government – Leagues

Rousing Public Opinion• Muckrakers – crusading

journalists who raked “the dirt” and exposed it to the public.– Lincoln Steffens (exposed

corruption in STL)– Ida Tarbell (Standard Oil)– Upton Sinclair (The Jungle)

• Wrote a novel that revealed gruesome details about the meatpacking industry in Chicago.

Progressives in Action

• Progressive Era - (1898 – 1917)– Progressives - Forward-thinking people who

wanted to improve American life.– Beliefs

• Public interest (for the good of the people) should guide government actions

• It shouldn’t be sacrificed to the greed of trusts and bosses.

Progressives…• Wisconsin Idea – elected officials with

Progressive ideas that made positive changes– Robert La Follette

• Lowered railroad rates.

Primary – pre-election to choose a party’s candidate for the general election.

Initiative – gave voters the right to put a bill directly before the state legislature.

Referendum – gave voters the power to make a bill become a law.

Recall – allowed voters to remove an elected official from office.

Other Progressive Reforms

16th Amendment – gave Congress the power to impose an income tax.

17th Amendment – allowed for the direct election of senators.