Reformers and Reformers and ProgressivesProgressives

American HistoryAmerican History

Unit II – Becoming a World PowerUnit II – Becoming a World Power

Chapter 6 Section 1- ProgressivismChapter 6 Section 1- Progressivism

The Main IdeaProgressives focused on three areas of reform: easing the

suffering of the urban poor, improving unfair and dangerous working conditions, and reforming government at the national, state, and local levels.

Reading Focus• What issues did Progressives focus on, and what helped

energize their causes?

• How did Progressives try to reform society?

• How did Progressives fight to reform the workplace?

• How did Progressives reform government at the national, state, and local levels?

ProgressivismProgressivism

MuckrakersMuckrakersName applied to American journalists, Name applied to American journalists,

novelists, and critics who in the first decade of the novelists, and critics who in the first decade of the 20th cent. attempted to expose the abuses of 20th cent. attempted to expose the abuses of business and the corruption in politics. business and the corruption in politics.

The term derives from the word The term derives from the word muckrakemuckrake used by President Theodore Roosevelt in a speech in used by President Theodore Roosevelt in a speech in 1906, in which he agreed with many of the charges 1906, in which he agreed with many of the charges of the muckrakers but asserted that some of their of the muckrakers but asserted that some of their methods were sensational and irresponsible.methods were sensational and irresponsible.

The muckraking movement lost support in The muckraking movement lost support in about 1912. Historians agree that if it had not been about 1912. Historians agree that if it had not been for the revelations of the muckrakers the for the revelations of the muckrakers the Progressive movement would not have received the Progressive movement would not have received the popular support needed for effective reform.popular support needed for effective reform.

Who were the reformers? Who were the reformers? What did they want?What did they want?

Mostly middle class people (Roosevelt Mostly middle class people (Roosevelt called them called them MuckrakersMuckrakers) concerned with ) concerned with social issues of the times. Issues such as;social issues of the times. Issues such as;

immigrants - oldcomers and newcomersimmigrants - oldcomers and newcomers

city life- poor and needy, and prohibition city life- poor and needy, and prohibition crime and corruptioncrime and corruptionstrikes, Workman’s compensation, minimum wagestrikes, Workman’s compensation, minimum wagePolitical bossesPolitical bossescity/state governments- direct democracy, tax lawscity/state governments- direct democracy, tax lawsGiant business corporationsGiant business corporationsWomen’s SuffrageWomen’s SuffrageChild LaborChild Labor

Ida Tarbell

• Exposed the corrupt Standard Oil Company and its owner, John D. Rockefeller

• Appealed to middle class scared by large business power

Progressivism and Its Progressivism and Its ChampionsChampions

Lincoln Steffens• Shame of the

Cities (1904) exposed corrupt city governments

Frank Norris• Exposed railroad

monopolies in a 1901 novel

• Industrialization helped many but also created dangerous working environments and unhealthy living conditions for the urban poor.

• Progressivism, a wide-ranging reform movement targeting these problems, began in the late 19th century.

• Journalists called muckrakers and urban photographers exposed people to the plight of the unfortunate in hopes of sparking reform.

Jacob Riis

• Danish immigrant who faced New York poverty

• Exposed the slums through magazines, photographs, and a best-selling book

• His fame helped spark city reforms.

MuckrakersMuckrakers• Miss Ida Tarbell had been at work for years on Miss Ida Tarbell had been at work for years on

her history of the Standard Oil Company, and it her history of the Standard Oil Company, and it began to run in began to run in McClure'sMcClure's in November 1902. in November 1902.

• Lincoln Steffen's first novel on municipal Lincoln Steffen's first novel on municipal corruption, "Tweed Days in St. Louis" appeared corruption, "Tweed Days in St. Louis" appeared in in McClure'sMcClure's Oct 1902. Oct 1902.

• Henry Demerest Lloyd's Henry Demerest Lloyd's Wealth Against Wealth Against CommonwealthCommonwealth, published in 1894, attacked , published in 1894, attacked the Standard Oil Company. the Standard Oil Company.

• How the Other Half LivesHow the Other Half Lives, published in 1890 by , published in 1890 by Jacob Riis, exposed life in New York's slums. Jacob Riis, exposed life in New York's slums.

• John Spargo, an Englishman, published John Spargo, an Englishman, published The The Bitter Cry of the ChildrenBitter Cry of the Children, an account of young , an account of young kids at work in sweatshops. kids at work in sweatshops.

• Perhaps the most famous Muckraking novel, Perhaps the most famous Muckraking novel, The Jungle The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, exposed the by Upton Sinclair, exposed the horrors of the Chicago meat-packing plants and horrors of the Chicago meat-packing plants and the immigrants who were worked to death in the immigrants who were worked to death in

themthem.

Ida Tarbell Lincoln Steffen

Upton Sinclair

Jacob Riis

• Growing cities couldn’t provide people necessary services like garbage collection, safe housing, and police and fire protection.

• Reformers, many of whom were women like activist Lillian Wald, saw this as an opportunity to expand public health services.

• Progressives scored an early victory in New York State with the passage of the Tenement Act of 1901, which forced landlords to install lighting in public hallways and to provide at least one toilet for every two families, which helped outhouses become obsolete in New York slums.

• These simple steps helped impoverished New Yorkers, and within 15 years the death rate in New York dropped dramatically.

• Reformers in other states used New York law as a model for their own proposals.

Reforming SocietyReforming Society

Fighting for Civil RightsFighting for Civil Rights

NAACPNAACP

• National Association for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleAdvancement of Colored People

• Formed in 1909 by a multiracial Formed in 1909 by a multiracial group of activists to fight for the group of activists to fight for the rights of African Americansrights of African Americans

• 1913: Protested the official 1913: Protested the official introduction of segregation in introduction of segregation in federal governmentfederal government

• 1915: Protested the D. W. Griffith 1915: Protested the D. W. Griffith film film Birth of a NationBirth of a Nation because of because of hostile African American hostile African American stereotypes, which led to the stereotypes, which led to the film’s banning in eight statesfilm’s banning in eight states

ADLADL

• Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation League

• Formed by Sigmund Livingston, Formed by Sigmund Livingston, a Jewish man in Chicago, in a Jewish man in Chicago, in 19131913

• Fought anti-Semitism, or Fought anti-Semitism, or prejudice against Jews, which prejudice against Jews, which was common in Americawas common in America

• Fought to stop negative Fought to stop negative stereotypes of Jews in mediastereotypes of Jews in media

• The publisher of the The publisher of the New York New York TimesTimes was a member and was a member and helped stop negative helped stop negative references to Jewsreferences to Jews

Progressives fought prejudice in society by forming various reform groups.

• By the late 19th century, labor unions fought for adult male workers but didn’t advocate enough for women and children.

• In 1893, Florence Kelley helped push the Illinois legislature to prohibit child labor and to limit women’s working hours.

• In 1904, Kelley helped organize the National Child Labor Committee, which wanted state legislatures to ban child labor.

• By 1912, nearly 40 states passed child-labor laws, but states didn’t strictly enforce the laws and many children still worked.

• Progressives, mounting state campaigns to limit workdays for women, were successful in states including Oregon and Utah.

• But since most workers were still underpaid and living in poverty, an alliance of labor unions and progressives fought for a minimum wage, which Congress didn’t adopt until 1938.

• Businesses fought labor laws in the Supreme Court, which ruled on several cases in the early 1900s concerning workday length.

Reforming the WorkplaceReforming the Workplace

Lochner v. New York

• 1905: The Court refused to uphold a law limiting bakers to a 10-hour workday.

• The Court said it denied workers the right to make contracts with their employers.

• This was a blow to progressives, as the Court sided with business owners.

Muller v. Oregon

• The Court upheld a state law establishing a 10-hour workday for women in laundries and factories.

• Louis D. Brandeis was the attorney for the state of Oregon and a future Supreme Court Justice.

• He argued that evidence proved long hours harmed women’s health.

Labor Law in the Supreme Labor Law in the Supreme CourtCourt Bunting v. Oregon

• Brandeis’ case, or the Brandeis brief, as his defense was called, became a model for similar cases.

• Using the tactics of its case for women, in Bunting v. Oregon the state led the Court to uphold a law that extended the protection of a 10-hour workday to men working in mills and factories.

In 1911, a gruesome disaster in New York inspired progressives to fight for safety in the workplace.

• About 500 women worked for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, a high-rise building sweatshop that made women’s blouses.

• Just as they were ending their six-day workweek, a small fire broke out, which quickly spread to three floors.

• Escape was nearly impossible, as doors were locked to prevent theft, the flimsy fire escape broke under pressure, and the fire was too high for fire truck ladders to reach.

• More than 140 women and men died in the fire, marking a turning point for labor and reform movements.

• With the efforts of Union organizer Rose Schneiderman and others, New York State passed the toughest fire-safety laws in the nation, as well as factory inspection and sanitation laws.

• New York laws became a model for workplace safety nationwide.

The Triangle Shirtwaist The Triangle Shirtwaist Company FireCompany Fire

ILGWU• In 1900, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union organized

unskilled workers.• In 1909, the ILGWU called a general strike known as the Uprising of

20,000.• Strikers won a shorter workweek and higher wages and attracted

thousands of workers to the union.

• In 1905, the Industrial Workers of the World formed to oppose capitalism, organizing unskilled workers that the American Federation of Labor ignored.

• Under William “Big Bill” Haywood, the IWW, known as Wobblies, used traditional tactics like strikes and boycotts but also engaged in radical tactics like industrial sabotage.

• By 1912, the IWW led 23,000 textile workers to strike in Massachusetts to protest pay cuts, which ended successfully after six weeks.

• However, several IWW strikes were failures, and, fearing the IWW’s revolutionary goals, the government cracked down on the organization, causing dispute among its leaders and leading to its decline a few years later.

The UnionsThe Unions

IWW

Reforming GovernmentReforming GovernmentCity GovernmentCity Government

• Reforming government meant Reforming government meant winning control of it:winning control of it:

– Tom Johnson of Cleveland was Tom Johnson of Cleveland was a successful reform mayor a successful reform mayor who set new rules for police, who set new rules for police, released debtors from prison, released debtors from prison, and supported a fairer tax and supported a fairer tax system.system.

• Progressives promoted new Progressives promoted new government structures:government structures:

– Texas set up a five-member Texas set up a five-member committee to govern committee to govern Galveston after a hurricane, Galveston after a hurricane, and by 1918, 500 cities and by 1918, 500 cities adopted this plan.adopted this plan.

– The city manager model had a The city manager model had a professional administrator, not professional administrator, not a politician, manage the a politician, manage the government.government.

State GovernmentState Government

• Progressive governor Progressive governor Robert La Robert La FolletteFollette created the Wisconsin created the Wisconsin Ideas, which wanted:Ideas, which wanted:

– Direct primary elections; Direct primary elections; limited campaign spendinglimited campaign spending

– Commissions to regulate Commissions to regulate railroads and oversee railroads and oversee transportation, civil service, transportation, civil service, and taxationand taxation

• Other governors pushed for Other governors pushed for reform, but some were corrupt:reform, but some were corrupt:

– New York’s Charles Evan New York’s Charles Evan Hughes regulated insurance Hughes regulated insurance companies.companies.

– Mississippi’s James Mississippi’s James Vardaman exploited Vardaman exploited prejudice to gain power.prejudice to gain power.

Election ReformsElection Reforms•Progressives wanted fairer elections and to make

politicians more accountable to voters.

– Proposed a direct primary, or an election in which voters choose candidates to run in a general election, which most states adopted.

– Backed the Seventeenth Amendment, which gave voters, not state legislatures, the power to elect their U.S. senators.

•Some measures Progressives fought for include Direct primary: voters select a party’s candidate for public office

17th Amendment: voters elect their senators directly

secret ballot: people vote privately without fear of coercion

initiative: allows citizens to propose new laws

referendum: allows citizens to vote on a proposed or existing law

recall: allows voters to remove an elected official from office

Reforming GovernmentReforming Government

• City Government reformsCity Government reforms

– New rules for police, releasing debtors from prison and New rules for police, releasing debtors from prison and a fairer tax system.a fairer tax system.

– 5 member commission system5 member commission system

– Council-manager modelCouncil-manager model

• State government reformsState government reforms

• Election reformsElection reforms

– Seventeenth AmendmentSeventeenth Amendment

– Initiative, referendum and recall.Initiative, referendum and recall.

National Association for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Advancement of Colored

PeoplePeople 19091909On February 12th The National Association On February 12th The National Association

for the Advancement of Colored People was founded for the Advancement of Colored People was founded by a multiracial group of activists, who answered "The by a multiracial group of activists, who answered "The Call." They initially called themselves the National Call." They initially called themselves the National Negro Committee. Organized to end discrimination and Negro Committee. Organized to end discrimination and to prevent violence against blacks, especially lynching.to prevent violence against blacks, especially lynching.

FOUNDERS:FOUNDERS:

Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, William English Walling and led the "Call" to Villiard, William English Walling and led the "Call" to

renew the struggle for civil and political liberty.renew the struggle for civil and political liberty.

N.A.A.C.P.N.A.A.C.P.

• The NAACP started its The NAACP started its own magazine, own magazine, CrisisCrisis in in November, 1910November, 1910

• NAACP campaigned, NAACP campaigned, especially in the especially in the Supreme Court against Supreme Court against lynching, segregation lynching, segregation and racial discrimination and racial discrimination in housing, education, in housing, education, employment, voting and employment, voting and transportation.transportation.

• NAACP also fought for NAACP also fought for Women’s SuffrageWomen’s Suffrage..

City GovernmentCity GovernmentCommission PlanCommission Plan

Replaced the mayor and council with a Replaced the mayor and council with a small board of commissioners, each small board of commissioners, each elected at large and each responsible elected at large and each responsible for a single area of municipal for a single area of municipal administration.administration.

Under the new plan voters could easily Under the new plan voters could easily identify and punish those responsible identify and punish those responsible for shortcomings in city services.for shortcomings in city services.

City GovernmentCity Government

City Manager schemeCity Manager scheme

Under this plan an elected city council determined Under this plan an elected city council determined basic policy and appointed a professional, basic policy and appointed a professional, nonpartisan city manager who was in charge of the nonpartisan city manager who was in charge of the day-to-day operation of the municipality. Worked day-to-day operation of the municipality. Worked well in small cities.well in small cities.

Critics of corruption urged adoption of nonpartisan Critics of corruption urged adoption of nonpartisan elections, new methods of municipal accounting, a elections, new methods of municipal accounting, a civil service system for city employees, and state civil service system for city employees, and state constitutional amendments to halt state legislative constitutional amendments to halt state legislative interference in municipal affairs.interference in municipal affairs.

Child LaborChild Labor The rise of child labor in the The rise of child labor in the

United States began in the late United States began in the late seventeen and early eighteen seventeen and early eighteen hundreds. Industrialization was hundreds. Industrialization was a strong force in increasing the a strong force in increasing the number of working children.number of working children.

By nineteen hundred more than By nineteen hundred more than two million U.S. children worked. two million U.S. children worked. Children worked in factories, Children worked in factories, mines, fields and in the streets. mines, fields and in the streets. They picked cotton, shined They picked cotton, shined shoes, sold newspapers, canned shoes, sold newspapers, canned fish, made clothes and wove fish, made clothes and wove fabric. Children were forced into fabric. Children were forced into this situation in order to help this situation in order to help support their families.support their families.

Sadie Pfeifer, 48 inches high. Has worked half a year.

Child LaborChild Labor Working conditions were Working conditions were

often horrendous. Children often horrendous. Children would work twelve hours a would work twelve hours a day, six days a week day, six days a week throughout the year. throughout the year.

The hours were long, the pay The hours were long, the pay was low and the children was low and the children were exhausted and hungry. were exhausted and hungry.

Factory children were kept Factory children were kept inside all day long, children inside all day long, children who worked the fields spent who worked the fields spent long, hot days in the sun or long, hot days in the sun or went barefoot in mud and went barefoot in mud and rain. rain.

These young workers could These young workers could not attend school and rarely not attend school and rarely

knew how to read or writeknew how to read or write

Breaker Boys" were used in the anthracite coal mines to separate slate rock from the coal after it had been brought out of the shaft. They often worked 14 to 16 hours a day.

Child LaborChild Labor Children in the United States Children in the United States

continued to work under deplorable continued to work under deplorable conditions until well into the mid-conditions until well into the mid-twentieth century. twentieth century.

In the early nineteen hundreds, In the early nineteen hundreds, reformers began working to raise reformers began working to raise awareness about the dangers of child awareness about the dangers of child labor and tried to establish laws labor and tried to establish laws regulating the practice. regulating the practice.

In 1904, the National Child Labor In 1904, the National Child Labor Committee was formed. Throughout Committee was formed. Throughout the nineteen hundreds, Congress and the nineteen hundreds, Congress and the Supreme Court were at odds over the Supreme Court were at odds over child labor regulation. child labor regulation.

1938- the Fair Labor Standards Act 1938- the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed and children were freed was passed and children were freed from the bondage of dangerous workfrom the bondage of dangerous work

Lewis HinesLewis HinesIn 1908 the National Child

Labor Committee employed Lewis Hine as their staff investigator and photographer. Hine traveled the country taking pictures of children working in factories. Hine also lectured on the subject and once told one audience: "Perhaps you are weary of child labor pictures. Well, so are the rest of us, but we propose to make you and the whole country so sick and tired of the whole business that when the time for action comes, child labor

pictures will be records of the past."

Congress Attempts to Congress Attempts to Control Child LaborControl Child Labor

In 1916 Congress made its first effort to control child labor by passing the Keating-Owen Act. The legislation forbade the transportation among states of products of factories, shops or canneries employing children under 14 years of age, of mines employing children under 16 years of age, and the products of any of these employing children under 16 who worked at night or more than eight hours a day. In 1918 the Supreme Court ruled that the Keating-Owen Act was unconstitutional.

After the Supreme Court ruled that the Keating-Owen Act was unconstitutional, Congress passed a Second Child Labor Law. This levied a tax of ten per cent on the net profits of factories employing children under the age of 14, and of mines and quarries employing children under the age of 16. This legislation was declared unconstitutional as a result of the Drexel Furniture Company case in 1922.

Fair Labor Standards ActFair Labor Standards Act

June, 1938, that Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The main objective of the act was to eliminate "labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standards of living necessary for health, efficiency and well-being of workers". This included the prohibition of child labor in all industries engaged in producing goods in inter-state commerce. It set the minimum age at 14 for employment outside of school hours in non-manufacturing jobs, at 16 for employment during school hours, and 18 for hazardous occupations.

Direct DemocracyDirect Democracy Secret BallotSecret Ballot

Direct Primary- Direct Primary- People select the candidates

INITIATIVE: INITIATIVE: The people may initiate(propose) by 5-8% The people may initiate(propose) by 5-8% petition of voters a bill to a legislature.petition of voters a bill to a legislature.

REFERENDUMREFERENDUM: The people may use referendum (popular ballot) to enact, approve or reject acts of the legislature.

RECALLRECALL: All elected public officials in the State, except judicial officers, are subject to recall (by petition) by the voters of the State and forced to stand for re-election at any time.

17th Amendment17th Amendment: Direct Election of Senators. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote

Progressive MovementProgressive Movement• The The Progressive MovementProgressive Movement was an effort to cure many of the ills of American society that had developed during the was an effort to cure many of the ills of American society that had developed during the

great spurt of industrial growth in the last quarter of the 19th century. The frontier had been tamed, great cities and great spurt of industrial growth in the last quarter of the 19th century. The frontier had been tamed, great cities and businesses developed and an overseas empire established, but not all citizens shared in the new wealth, prestige and businesses developed and an overseas empire established, but not all citizens shared in the new wealth, prestige and optimism.optimism.

• Progressivism was rooted in the belief that man was capable of improving the lot of all within society. Progressivism also Progressivism was rooted in the belief that man was capable of improving the lot of all within society. Progressivism also was full of strong political overtones and rejected the church as the driving force for change. was full of strong political overtones and rejected the church as the driving force for change. Supporters of the movement Supporters of the movement

were found in both major political parties, Democrat and Republican.were found in both major political parties, Democrat and Republican. • Specific goals included:Specific goals included:

– Remove corruption and undue influence from governmentRemove corruption and undue influence from government

– ConservationConservation

– Include more people more directly in the political process.Include more people more directly in the political process.

– Government must play a role to solve social problems and establish fairness in economic matters.Government must play a role to solve social problems and establish fairness in economic matters.

– Race- Blacks and Native AmericansRace- Blacks and Native Americans

– Child Labor, Workers- young and old, workers compensation,Child Labor, Workers- young and old, workers compensation,

– Political Reform- Direct Election, political reform, Political Reform- Direct Election, political reform,

– Anti- monopoly reform.Anti- monopoly reform.

Progressive MovementProgressive Movement• The efforts and successesThe efforts and successes::

– Interstate Commerce ActInterstate Commerce Act (1887) and the (1887) and the Sherman Antitrust ActSherman Antitrust Act (1890). (1890).

– A minority supported A minority supported socialismsocialism with government ownership of the means of with government ownership of the means of production. production.

– conservation movementconservation movement

– railroad legislationrailroad legislation

– food and drug lawsfood and drug laws. .

– elect senatorselect senators

– prohibitionprohibition

– suffrage to womensuffrage to women. .

– Workers compensation, civil service, and minimum wageWorkers compensation, civil service, and minimum wage

– efforts to place limitations on efforts to place limitations on child laborchild labor were routinely thwarted by the courts. were routinely thwarted by the courts.

– The needs of blacks and Native Americans were poorly served by the The needs of blacks and Native Americans were poorly served by the Progressives.Progressives.

– Secret Ballot, Direct Election, direct primary and initiative, referendum and Secret Ballot, Direct Election, direct primary and initiative, referendum and recallrecall

• Robert LaFollette- Leader in reform measures and the candidate of Robert LaFollette- Leader in reform measures and the candidate of the reform element of his party for the nomination for governor in the reform element of his party for the nomination for governor in 1896 and 1898: in 1896 and 1898: in 19001900 unanimously nominated for Governor of unanimously nominated for Governor of Wisconsin and elected by the largest plurality ever given a candidate Wisconsin and elected by the largest plurality ever given a candidate

for that office.for that office.