Progressive Era

John MuirWhat’s wrong in America?

•The wilderness is being destroyed•Loggers are destroying the nation’s forests•Miners are scarring mountains and polluting rivers•Many species of birds and animals are nearly extinct.

Reforms achieved

• Influenced President Roosevelt to increase the amount of land set aside for national forests

• Influenced President Roosevelt to double the number of national parks and to outlaw logging and ranching in national parks

W.E.B. DuBois

What is wrong in America?• Racism is everywhere• The south has segregated schools,

trains and parks• African Americans can not vote in

the South• In the North, African Americans are

discriminated against in housing and jobs.

• Africans Americans are often lynched

Reforms Achieved

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Upton Sinclair

What’s wrong in America?• Few safety measures are in place for

workers• Meat is packed under very

unsanitary conditions

Reforms Achieved

• Meat Inspection Act• Pure Food and Drug Act

Alice Paul

What is wrong in America?• Women cannot vote

Reforms Achieved

• 19th Amendment passed• Giving women the right to vote

Mother Jones

What’s wrong in America?• Young children work long hours in

factories under unsafe conditions.• Adult workers have terrible working

conditions

Reforms Achieved

• Child Labor outlawed• Oregon law to limit women workers

to ten hour work day• Maryland program to assist injured

workers• 56 New York worker protection laws

Robert La Follette

What’s wrong in America?Political bosses choose candidates for

officeBosses bribe voters and stuff ballot

boxes

Reforms Achieved

• Direct Primaries that allow voters to chose candidates

• Initiatives that allow voters to enact laws by popular vote

• Referendum that allows voting to overturn existing laws

• Recall that allows voters to remove elected officials from office.

Theodore Roosevelt

What’s wrong in America?Business monopolies are using unfair

business practices to drive out competition.

Reforms Achieved

The government began enforcing the Sherman

Antitrust Act.

Andrew Carnegie

• What’s right in America?Railroads link the towns and cities of

the nationNew industries have been establishedThere are more jobs for immigrantsOrdinary Americans can afford new

productsCompetition provides for the survival

of the most fit.

Contribution to America’s Prosperity

• Established a $250 million steel company

• Used wealth to build concert halls, universities and hospitals

• Built libraries

John D. Rockefeller

• What’s right in America?Railroads link the towns and cities of

the nationNew industries have been establishedThere are more jobs for immigrantsOrdinary Americans can afford new

products

Contributions

• Started the Rockefeller Foundation to promote the well being of mankind throughout the world.

• Funded universities, medical research, the arts and education.