The Roots of The Roots of ProgressivisProgressivis

mm

ProgressivismProgressivism Not a unified political movement, Not a unified political movement,

but rather a broad range of but rather a broad range of reform movementsreform movements

Rejected Social Darwinism, Rejected Social Darwinism, laissez-faire economics, & laissez-faire economics, & IndividualismIndividualism

Blamed industrialization & Blamed industrialization & urbanization for the filth, crime, urbanization for the filth, crime, and poverty of American cities, and poverty of American cities, yet embraced the power of yet embraced the power of science and technology to build a science and technology to build a better societybetter society

Believed change can only come Believed change can only come through government regulation of through government regulation of the economy and providing direct the economy and providing direct help to those in needhelp to those in need

Progressives tended to be urban, Progressives tended to be urban, educated, middle-class Americanseducated, middle-class Americans

Leadership came from journalists, Leadership came from journalists, educators, social workers, and educators, social workers, and the clergythe clergy

MuckrakersMuckrakers Journalists who Journalists who

investigate social investigate social conditions, unfair conditions, unfair business practices, business practices, and political and political corruption (today, corruption (today, this is called this is called “investigative “investigative journalism”)journalism”)

Term first coined by Term first coined by Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt in a 1906 speechin a 1906 speech

Ida TarbellIda Tarbell 1857 – 19441857 – 1944 Magazine journalistMagazine journalist Wrote Wrote The History of The History of

Standard Oil CompanyStandard Oil Company (1904), an expose of (1904), an expose of Rockefeller’s unethical Rockefeller’s unethical business practicesbusiness practices

For many Americans, For many Americans, this was their first this was their first lesson in the dangers lesson in the dangers of trusts and of trusts and monopoliesmonopolies

Charles Edward Charles Edward RussellRussell

1860 – 19411860 – 1941 JournalistJournalist Exposed the conditions Exposed the conditions

in Chicago’s stockyards, in Chicago’s stockyards, badly damaging the badly damaging the reputation of the beef reputation of the beef industryindustry

One of the founders of One of the founders of the NAACP in 1909the NAACP in 1909

Later became a Later became a socialist, ran for office socialist, ran for office in NYin NY

David Graham David Graham PhillipsPhillips

1867 – 19111867 – 1911 Journalist / NovelistJournalist / Novelist Exposed how campaign Exposed how campaign

contributions had led to contributions had led to corruption in the Senate; corruption in the Senate; the public uproar that the public uproar that followed led to the followed led to the passage of the 17passage of the 17thth Amendment, changing Amendment, changing how Senators are electedhow Senators are elected

Shot and killed by a man Shot and killed by a man who believed Phillips’ who believed Phillips’ exposexposéé had led to the had led to the downfall of his family’s downfall of his family’s reputationreputation

Lincoln SteffensLincoln Steffens 1846 – 19361846 – 1936 JournalistJournalist Wrote Wrote The Shame of the The Shame of the

CitiesCities (1904), an expos (1904), an exposéé on political corruption on political corruption within the US’ major within the US’ major citiescities

Later became a Later became a communist, declaring communist, declaring after a visit to the Soviet after a visit to the Soviet Union in 1919: “I've Union in 1919: “I've seen the future, and it seen the future, and it works”works”

Jacob RiisJacob Riis 1840 – 19141840 – 1914 Danish immigrantDanish immigrant Worked as a journalist and Worked as a journalist and

crime scene photographercrime scene photographer Wrote Wrote How the Other Half How the Other Half

LivesLives (1890): Used (1890): Used photographs to expose the photographs to expose the squalor and horrible living squalor and horrible living conditions in the conditions in the tenements and slums of tenements and slums of NYCNYC

Worked with then NYC Worked with then NYC police-commissioner police-commissioner Theodore Roosevelt to Theodore Roosevelt to effect reforms within the effect reforms within the NYPD NYPD

Progressive Progressive PhilosophersPhilosophers

Henry GeorgeHenry George 1839 – 18971839 – 1897 Wrote Wrote Progress and PovertyProgress and Poverty

(1879)(1879) Argued that a gap was Argued that a gap was

opening up between the rich opening up between the rich and poor due to and poor due to industrializationindustrialization

Wanted government to tax Wanted government to tax the wealthy (through property the wealthy (through property taxes) to raise the money for taxes) to raise the money for social programs to help the social programs to help the poorpoor

Also supported free trade, Also supported free trade, limits on Chinese immigration, limits on Chinese immigration, use of secret ballots in votinguse of secret ballots in voting

Died of a stroke while running Died of a stroke while running for mayor of New York – over for mayor of New York – over 100,000 people attended his 100,000 people attended his funeral!funeral!

Lester Frank Lester Frank WardWard

1841 – 19131841 – 1913 Wrote Wrote Dynamic SociologyDynamic Sociology

(1883)(1883) Used Darwin’s ideas to Used Darwin’s ideas to

argue that humans were argue that humans were different from animals different from animals because of the ability to because of the ability to think and plan; we succeed think and plan; we succeed not because of the ability to not because of the ability to compete, but rather compete, but rather because we have the ability because we have the ability to cooperate (through to cooperate (through government)government)

This idea is called Reform This idea is called Reform DarwinismDarwinism

Edward BellamyEdward Bellamy 1850 – 18981850 – 1898 Wrote Wrote Looking Backward, Looking Backward,

2000 – 18872000 – 1887 (1888) (1888) Predicted a future where Predicted a future where

the US has become a the US has become a utopia – no crime, utopia – no crime, poverty, or politics, poverty, or politics, government owns all government owns all industry and distributes industry and distributes wealth equallywealth equally

His cousin wrote the His cousin wrote the Pledge of AllegiancePledge of Allegiance

Died of tuberculosisDied of tuberculosis

NaturalistsNaturalists Group of novelists Group of novelists

who argued that, who argued that, contrary to “survival contrary to “survival of the fittest,” of the fittest,” sometimes people fail sometimes people fail through no fault of through no fault of their own – they are their own – they are caught up in caught up in circumstances that circumstances that they can’t control; they can’t control; part of the Realism part of the Realism movementmovement

Stephen CraneStephen Crane 1871 – 19001871 – 1900 Wrote Wrote Maggie, A Girl Maggie, A Girl

of the Streetsof the Streets (1893): (1893): tale of a girl forced by tale of a girl forced by family circumstances family circumstances into prostitution and into prostitution and deathdeath

Also wrote Also wrote The Red The Red Badge of CourageBadge of Courage (1895), the short-story (1895), the short-story The Open BoatThe Open Boat

Died of tuberculosis Died of tuberculosis which he contracted which he contracted while covering the while covering the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War

Jack LondonJack London 1876 – 19161876 – 1916 Author of Author of The Call of The Call of

the Wildthe Wild (1903) (1903) Wrote stories of Wrote stories of

man’s struggle man’s struggle against the against the uncontrollable power uncontrollable power of natureof nature

Also a socialistAlso a socialist Was his death a Was his death a

suicide?suicide?

Theodore Theodore DreiserDreiser

1871 – 19451871 – 1945 Wrote Wrote Sister CarrieSister Carrie

(1900): a story of (1900): a story of how sex and how sex and wealth can slowly wealth can slowly corrupt the corrupt the innocent without innocent without them even being them even being aware of itaware of it

Devoted socialistDevoted socialist

The Social GospelThe Social Gospel 1870 – 19201870 – 1920 Work to improve society Work to improve society

through the biblical through the biblical ideals of charity and ideals of charity and justicejustice

Primarily church-Primarily church-centeredcentered

Churches began to Churches began to evolve from being evolve from being simply places of worship simply places of worship to being community to being community centers and taking on centers and taking on missions designed to missions designed to help the poor – provide help the poor – provide gyms, social programs, gyms, social programs, day careday care

The Salvation The Salvation ArmyArmy

Began in England in 1865 Began in England in 1865 as the Christian Mission, as the Christian Mission, spread to US in 1880spread to US in 1880

Dedicated to “The Dedicated to “The advancement of the advancement of the Christian religion as Christian religion as promulgated in the promulgated in the religious doctrines . . . religious doctrines . . . the advancement of the advancement of education, the relief of education, the relief of poverty, and other poverty, and other charitable objects charitable objects beneficial to society or beneficial to society or the community of the community of mankind as a whole.”mankind as a whole.”

The YMCAThe YMCA The The YYoung oung MMen’s en’s CChristian hristian

AAssociationssociation Began in England in 1844, Began in England in 1844,

spread quickly throughout spread quickly throughout USUS

Aim was to help urban Aim was to help urban workers by offering Bible workers by offering Bible studies, prayer meetings, studies, prayer meetings, citizenship classescitizenship classes

Facilities included gyms, Facilities included gyms, pools, libraries, pools, libraries, auditoriums, and auditoriums, and temporary low-cost temporary low-cost lodginglodging

Jane AddamsJane Addams 1860 – 19351860 – 1935 Founded Hull House, a Founded Hull House, a

settlement house in settlement house in ChicagoChicago

First woman to win the First woman to win the Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace Prize

Supported the idea Supported the idea that Christians have a that Christians have a moral responsibility to moral responsibility to fix society’s problems fix society’s problems & help the less & help the less fortunatefortunate

Settlement HousesSettlement Houses Most famous Most famous

settlement house = settlement house = Chicago’s Hull HouseChicago’s Hull House

Middle class “settlers” Middle class “settlers” moved into working moved into working class neighborhoods to class neighborhoods to help provide help provide education, meals, education, meals, childcare, medical childcare, medical care, and general care, and general advice to immigrants advice to immigrants and poor workersand poor workers

Public EducationPublic Education Industrialization Industrialization

increased demand for increased demand for a trained, educated a trained, educated workforceworkforce

Schools were also Schools were also necessary for necessary for Americanizing Americanizing immigrants’ children: immigrants’ children: they learned English, they learned English, US History, patriotism, US History, patriotism, responsibilities of responsibilities of citizenshipcitizenship

School to Work School to Work PipelinePipeline

Schools were used to Schools were used to teach the traits teach the traits necessary to succeed necessary to succeed in the industrial in the industrial workforce: punctuality, workforce: punctuality, attendance, neatness, attendance, neatness, efficiency, attention to efficiency, attention to detail, obedience to detail, obedience to authorityauthority

High schools offered a High schools offered a variety of technical variety of technical and vocational skillsand vocational skills

Public UniversitiesPublic Universities Due to the Morrill Land Due to the Morrill Land

Grant Act, the number Grant Act, the number of public universities of public universities rose dramaticallyrose dramatically

Between 1870 and Between 1870 and 1890, the number of 1890, the number of American students in American students in college tripledcollege tripled

New colleges opened New colleges opened aimed specifically at aimed specifically at educating female and educating female and black studentsblack students