The Progressive Era

1890-1920

Progressivism

• Ideas how to improve society• Not fully organized…many groups– Fix gov’t– Fix business– Fix social problems

Muckrakers

• Exposed Problems in Society

– Ida Tarbell—Standard Oil Monopoly– Lincoln Steffens—corrupt political machines– Jacob Riis—poverty in the tenements– Led to public debate & political changes

Conditions in the US• Crowded cities

(tenements)• Urban Poor• Disease• Racism/ Discrimination

(Plessy v. Ferguson)• Lack of education• Gender discrimination• Child labor• Unsafe working

conditions

• Workers had no voice• Gov’t corruption• Political machines• Lack of democracy• No control of big business• Monopolies squash

competition• Lack of gov’t control over

the economy• Resources not being

replenished

• Not all progressives agreed on everything

• Some focused on specific areas

• Example: TR was progressive in many ways, but was also an imperialist, a Social Darwinist, and a believer in Anglo-Saxon superiority

Role of Women in the Progressive Era

• Active in the Abolitionist Movement• Fought for the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments• Active in the Temperance/Prohibition

Movement• Suffrage Movement

Role of Muckrakers in the Progressive Movement

• Wrote articles in newspapers/magazines

• Exposed problems in society

• Public pressures the gov’t to fix problems

Social Progressivism

Social Gospel Movement

• Salvation Army

• YMCA

Jane Addams

• Hull House– Settlement house for immigrants– Taught them how to adapt to American culture– Learn English– Job skills– Learn how to survive in America

• Tried to improve tenement and factory conditions

Political Machines

• Targeted immigrants• City services/jobs/housing for votes– Garbage collection– Police protection– Fire protection– Public transportation

• How did they know if you voted for them?• Lincoln Steffens exposes machines• Tammany Hall (NYC) & Boss Tweed most famous

The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

• Meatpacking industry exposed• TR investigates• Leads to:– Meat Inspection Act– Pure Food and Drug Act

NAACP

• Founded in 1909 by W.E.B. Du Bois and others

• Created to fight racism

• Try to get laws passed

• Tried to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson

Niagara Movement

• 1905 meeting of reformers

• W.E.B. Du Bois was very critical of BTW’s Atlanta Compromise

• “We want equality and voting rights now!”

Public Education

• Horace Mann• Created the first modern public schools– Free to the public– Wide variety of subjects– Longer school year– Move from vocational to academic schools

Working Conditions

• Unions slowly gain influence• Child labor is slowly reduced• Work hours are shortened– Women: 16 to 12 to 10 to 8 later on

• Work week is shortened– Seven to six days…later five

• Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (1911)—146 die• Building codes lead to safer factories

Prohibition

• Organized mainly by women• Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)• Anti-Saloon League• 18th Amendment– Ratified in 1919– In effect 1920– Repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933

Carrie Nation

Women’s Suffrage Movement

• Seneca Falls Convention (1848)• American Equal Rights Association– Splits in 1869 over 15th Amendment– AWSA

• Supported 15th Amendment• Get suffrage one state at a time

– NWSA• Opposed 15th Amendment• Wanted constitutional amendment

• NAWSA (1890)

• Susan B. Anthony (NWSA) • Elizabeth Cady Stanton (NWSA)• Lucy Stone (AWSA)• Carrie Chapman Catt (NAWSA)• Lucy Burns & Alice Paul• Only four states by 1900 (WY, CO, ID, UT)• “Iron Jawed Angels” movie• 19th Amendment (1920)

TR on Social Welfare

• Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle– Described conditions in meatpacking plants– Led to the Meat Inspection Act

• Meat Inspection Act– Put federal inspectors in each plant– Created strict cleanliness requirements

• Pure Food and Drug Act– Truth in labeling– Forerunner to FDA

TR on Conservation

• Supported conservation of natural resources• Set aside land for national forests, parks,

wildlife reserves– Focus on timber & water resources

• James Garfield (conservationist) chosen to head the Dept. of the Interior

• Chooses Gifford Pinchot (conservationist) to head the US Forest Service

Wilson on Social Welfare• Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916)– no children under 14 working in

business involving interstate commerce

– Found to be unconstitutional (1918)• Federal Land Banks– Created to help farmers– Long term/low interest loans

• Federal Jobs are Segregated– Many federal jobs closed for African Americans

Economic Progressivism

Progressives –vs- Big BusinessTwo Views:

• Gov’t Regulates Business– Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)– Interstate Commerce Commission– Gov’t should restore competition

• Socialism– Eugene V. Debs– Edward Bellamy– Gov’t takes over business

– Most Americans opposed

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

• Made trusts & monopolies illegal

• Weak law

• Not enforced for 11 years (TR-1901)

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)

• Strengthened Sherman Antitrust Act– No price discrimination– No more volume discounts (RR)– Legalized unions– Mergers have to be approved

• Clayton was an Alabama Democrat (House)

Standard Oil Monopoly

• John D. Rockefeller– Monopoly on oil, refineries, and gasoline

• Ida Tarbell exposes business practices in articles

• Standard Oil is broken-up by the Gov’t

TR’s Background• Youth– asthma

• Activities– Boxing, horses, hunting, wrestling…

• Political Life– NYC Police Commissioner– NY State Leg.– Asst. Sec. of Navy– NY Governor…VP

• Presidency– At 42, youngest to become Pres

TR’s Presidency• Square Deal• Northern Securities Holding Co. broken-up– Enforces Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

• 1902 Coal Strike– UMW wants wage/hour changes & union rec.– TR sets major precedent

• Dept. of Commerce created (1903)– Bureau of Corporations– Deal with US Steel

• Hepburn Act (1906) strengthens ICC (can set RR rates)

TR and Monopolies

• Known as the “Trustbuster”• Attempted to break-up 44 in 7 ½ years• Felt that not all monopolies are bad…as long

as they cooperated with the Gov’t they were OK

• Made a deal with US Steel• Era of cooperation• “New Nationalism” platform in 1912

TR• Dynamic• Outgoing• Loved politics• Quick to respond to

issues.• “Trustbuster” 44 in

7 ½ years

Taft• Quiet• Behind-the-scenes• Disliked politics• Slow decision-maker• The real

“trustbuster” 90 in only four years

Taft and Monopolies

• TR told him not to break-up US Steel

• Taft went after US Steel and destroyed the atmosphere of cooperation between Gov’t and big business

• Helped split the Republican Party• Went after 90 trusts/monopolies in 4 years

Wilson and Monopolies

• “New Freedom” platform in 1912

• Felt all monopolies were bad

• Later began to realize the economy would suffer if all monopolies were broken-up

• Moved toward TR’s position after election

Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909)

• Was supposed to reduce tariff– Taft needs help to pass– Taft supports Speaker Joe Cannon– In return Cannon pushes through the bill

• House version lowers tariffs• Senate version takes out cuts• Left most unchanged (some up & some down)• Taft declares it to be the best tariff reduction bill ever• Helps split Republican Party

Underwood Tariff (1913)

• Dramatically reduced tariff rates (by 30%)

• Directly led to the creation of a federal income tax

• Oscar Underwood-Alabama Democrat (House)

16th Amendment

• Created a new graduated or progressive federal income tax.

• No tax on first $3000

• Highest tax rate was 7% ($500,000+)

Federal Trade Commission

• Proposed by TR• Created by Wilson• Monitors business for unfair trade practices• Works with big business to ensure

competition

Interstate Commerce Commission

• ICC created (1887) to regulate RRs• Hepburn Act-gave ICC power to set RR rates• Mann-Elkins Act- increased power of the ICC– Railroads– Included communications

• Adamson Act- 8 hour workday for RR workers

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

• Created Federal Reserve System• Strengthens the banking system• The “bank’s bank”• Sets interest rates• Allows Gov’t to control the money supply and

inflation (elastic money supply)• Banks put part of their deposits in the “Fed”

Scientific Management

• Frederick Winslow Taylor– Time and motion studies– Light levels & conveyor belt speed

• Henry Ford adopts ideas– Mass production– Assembly line– Interchangeable parts– Cars affordable to everyone

Political Progressivism

More Democracy @ the National Level

• 16th Amendment- created the federal income tax (tax burden on the wealthy)

• 17th Amendment- allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators by the voters

• 19th Amendment- granted women the right to vote nationwide

• Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts limit big business

• ICC limits RR corruption

More Democracy @ the State Level

• Secret Ballot– Really hurts political machines

• Direct Primary• Initiative• Referendum• Recall

More Democracy @ the Local Level

• City Council– “beauty contest”– Best candidates don’t get elected

• City Commission (Galveston, TX)– Commissioners become experts in one area

• Council-Manager (Dayton, OH)– No mayor– City manager can be hired/fired by the council

Conservation Movement

• Conservation- the setting aside of land and other resources for future use

• TR pushes conservation• Gifford Pinchot• National Parks/Forests• Water resources set aside

African Americans

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)– Not progressive– “Separate but Equal” doctrine– Legalized segregation

• Alabama Constitution of 1901– Not progressive– Enforced racism/discrimination– Oldest state const. & longest in the world

Shortfall in the Movement

• The only real shortfall in the Progressive Movement was in the area of Civil Rights

Progressive Era Presidents

• TR (1901-1909)

• Taft (1909-1913)

• Wilson (1913-1921)

The Election of 1912

Seven Reasons for the Split in the Republican Party

1. The Republican Party had two wings or factions

• A conservative group led by Speaker of the House Joe Cannon

• A progressive group led by TR

• They rarely agreed on anything

2. Speaker of the House Joe Cannon

• Conservative• Hated the progressives• Blocked all progressive bills in the House• Needs progressive Republican votes to be re-

elected Speaker• Cuts a deal with Taft:– Agrees to push progressive tariff thru House– Taft agrees to back Cannon & get progressive support

• He is re-elected Speaker• Progressives are furious with Taft later

3. Payne-Aldrich Tariff

• Intended to lower tariffs (progressive)• Cannon pushes Payne’s bill thru the House• Bill goes to the Senate• Aldrich amends the bill & kills the tariff cuts• Senate version passes & goes to Taft• Taft signs Payne-Aldrich Tariff into law• “best tariff reduction bill ever” & “I didn’t read it”• Progressives are furious

4. Ballinger-Pinchot Affair

• Conservative Ballinger replaces progressive Garfield as Sec. of the Interior

• Pinchot charges Ballinger was removing land from protected list

• Taft does nothing• Pinchot goes to the papers• Taft fires Pinchot• Progressives are furious

5. Taft breaks-up US Steel

• TR has a deal with US Steel not to break them up• Taft stops US Steel’s merger with TCI in B’ham• Taft announces he is going to break up US Steel• TR and most progressives are mad• Atmosphere of cooperation with business is

destroyed• Final straw: TR decides to run against Taft as a

Republican in 1912

6. Republican Convention of 1912

• Taft controls convention• TR’s delegates are locked out• Taft is re-nominated as Republican candidate

for President• TR’s people leave

7. Progressive Party forms

• TR & progressive Republicans (and some progressive Democrats) create a new political Party

• Progressive Party is born• Also known as the “Bull Moose Party”• Progressive Party nominates TR in 1912

Democratic Party

• Democrats nominate Woodrow Wilson

• He is a progressive northern Democrat

Socialist Party

• Created by Eugene V. Debs• The most progressive of the four parties (they

wanted radical change)• Debs is nominated in 1912

TR’s New Nationalism

1. more powerful federal gov’t to regulate trusts

2. felt not all trusts were bad3. supports laws to protect

women/children at work4. workers compensation5. wanted a Federal Trade

Commission to regulate industry

Wilson’s New Freedom

1. felt all monopolies were bad2. wanted to limit the size & power of

gov’t3. bank & currency reform

1912—Four Candidates

1. Wilson—Democrat2. Taft—Republican3. TR—Progressive (Bull Moose)4. Debs—Socialist

Outcome

• Wilson wins because of the split in the Republican Party (1st Dem. since Cleveland)

• Wilson 42% of the popular vote (435)• TR 26% of the popular vote (88)• Taft 23% of the popular vote (8)• Debs with 9% of the popular vote (0)

Progressive Constitutional Amendments

• 16th Amendment• 17th Amendment• 18th Amendment• 19th Amendment

Legacy of the Progressive Movement

• The Federal Gov’t becomes larger and more active in people’s lives