The Progressive EraStandard 13 and 14

The Progressive EraFrom 1890 to 1920, reformers tried to

clean up problems (“progress”) created during the Gilded Age: -Cities were plagued by slums, crime,

disease, tenements -City, state, & national gov’ts were

seen as corrupt & unresponsive to the needs of Americans

-Corporate monopolies limited competition & workers’ wages

Social Gospel Movement In the 1880s, many middle-class

Protestant Christians embraced the Social Gospel movement: To honor God, people must put aside their

own desires & help other people, especially the poor

These ideas helped inspire Progressive reform in U.S. cities

One of the earliest progressive reforms was the settlement house movement led by Jane Addams Addams’ Hull

House in Chicago offered baths, cheap food, child care, job training, health care to poor citizens in the slums

Her efforts inspired reformers in other cities to build settlement houses to assist the poor

Urban Progressive Reform

Urban reformers tried to improve the lives of poor workers & childrenYMCA created libraries & gyms for

young men & children The Salvation Army created soup

kitchens & nurseriesFlorence Kelley fought to create

child labor laws & laws limiting work hours for women

Prohibition Many reformers saw

alcohol abuse as serious urban problem: Women’s Christian

Temperance Union worked to end alcohol

Reformers gained prohibition laws in most states & outlawed alcohol throughout the USA with the 18th Amendment in 1919

Hoped prohibition would end corruption, domestic violence, & help “Americanize” immigrants

In addition to the Social Gospel, progressive reformers were aided by a new, investigative journalism: Muckrakers were

journalists who exposed problems like poverty, corruption, monopolization (“Investigate, Educate, Legislate”)

Popular monthly magazines, like McClure’s & Colliers, used investigative journalism & photos

What did Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives (1890) expose?

Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives (1890) exposed urban poverty & life in the slums

What did Ida Tarbell’s The History of Standard Oil (1904) expose?

Ida Tarbell’s The History of Standard Oil (1904) revealed

Rockefeller’s ruthless business practices & called

for the break-up of large monopolies

What did Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906) expose?

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906)

revealed the unsanitary

conditions of slaughterhouses

& led to gov’t regulation of

food industries

ConclusionsThe Progressive movement began as an attempt to fix urban problemsReformers lacked unity & were dedicated to their own causes

But their efforts led to a shift: gov’t began to take responsibility for citizens & intervene in their lives

Unlike the Populists, these reform efforts led to real change

The Women’s MovementIn the Gilded Age, women had more opportunities beyond marriage:New urban jobs as secretaries, store clerks, & telephone operators gave a sense of independence

More girls graduated from high school & attended universities

The Women’s MovementWomen played an important role as Progressive reformers:Jane Addams led the settlement house movement

Muckraker Ida Tarbell exposed monopoly abuses of Standard Oil

Florence Kelley helped bring about child & women labor laws

Carrie Nation & Frances Willard helped push for prohibition

The Women’s MovementWomen reformers began to call

attention to their own lack of rights: In most states, married women could

not divorce or own property Women could not vote, but black,

immigrant, & illiterate men couldWomen workers were paid less than

men for doing the same jobs Middle & upper class women were

expected to serve domestic & child rearing roles in the home

Reform for WomenWomen reformers gained laws that banned prostitution & limited work hours for women to 10 hours

Margaret Sanger promoted birth control for women:Her journals provided contraceptive information for poor & middle-class women

Sanger opened the 1st birth control clinic in the U.S. in 1915

Women’s SuffrageThe most significant

reform for women was voting rights (suffrage)Women demanded

suffrage since Seneca Falls in 1848

Were frustrated in 1870 when the 15th Amendment gave black men the right to vote but not women

In 1890, the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was formed

Women’s SuffrageNAWSA leaders Susan B. Anthony & Carrie

Chapman Catt pressured states to let women vote & called for a national suffrage amendmentBy the early 1900s, most western states

allowed women to voteFinally in 1920, the states ratified the

19th Amendment giving women to right to vote

Women’s Suffrage Before 1900

19th Amendment:The right of the citizens of the United States to

vote shall not be denied or abridged by the

United States or by any State on account of sex.

Reform for African-AmericansBy 1900, African-Americans were in need of progressive reform80% of lived in rural areas in the South, most as sharecroppers

Poll taxes & literacy tests limited black voting rights

Lynching & violence were commonPlessy v Ferguson (1896) allowed Jim Crow laws to segregate in restaurants, hotels, schools

Plessy v Ferguson (1896): Segregation does not violate the

14th amendment & can be used as long as separate facilities are equal

(“separate but equal”)

African-American Reforms

But, black leaders were divided on how to address racial problems Booker T Washington was Harvard

educated, studied black urban culture, & was 1st president of Tuskegee University

His “Atlanta Compromise” stressed black self-improvement & accommodation with whites

WEB DuBois *W.E.B. DuBois was more aggressive

-DuBois led the Niagara Movement in 1905

calling for immediate civil rights, integrated schools, & promotion of the “Talented 10th” to be the next generation of black civil rights

leaders

The NAACP In 1909, reformers formed the National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight for black equality DuBois was put in charge of The Crisis

publication to call attention to the cause The NAACP used lawsuits to fight

segregation laws & voting restrictions

Reforms for African-AmericansUnlike women, African-Americans did not see significant changes:Black reformers failed to convince state or national politicians to offer equality

By the end of the Progressive Era, segregation & lynching were common throughout the South & in many parts of the U.S.

Government ReformCity, state, & national governments were in need of reform:Corrupt political machines controlled city governments

Monopolists used their wealth to influence politicians, encourage monopolies, & fight labor laws

Political positions were gained based on patronage not merit

Corruption scandals plagued the national government

Urban Government Reform In the 1880s, reformers began to demand change in city gov’ts:Reformers tried to end patronage (appointment based on loyalty) by passing the Pendleton Act which required merit-based exams

Reformers tried to make gov’t more efficient & break the power of machines by shifting power to city commissions & managers

Progressive Reform in the StatesProgressive reformers impacted state governments too:Most states created commissions to oversee state spending

States began regulating railroads & other big businesses to help workers & promote competition

States passed laws limiting work hours for children & women

Progressive Reform in the States The most significant

state reform was governor Robert La Follette’s “Wisconsin Idea”: Used academic

“experts” from the University of Wisconsin to help create state laws

Wisconsin was the 1st state to create an income tax, form industrial commissions, & regulate railroads

Progressives helped make state governments more democratic

Referendum: Citizens vote to

increase taxes for new programs

State of Texas

Initiative: Citizens can put an

issue on a state ballot & vote to

make it a law

Recall:Citizens

can vote to remove an

elected official

Progressive Reform in the States Progressives helped make state governments

more democratic: Most states had direct primary elections to

allow voters to choose candidates, not parties In 1912, the 17th Amendment was ratified which

allowed for the direct election of Senators by the people

Direct Primary Elections

Increased Democracy in America during the Progressive Era: Pictionary ReviewIn groups of 6, play Pictionary to test your

knowledge of progressive reforms that increased democracy in America

One student per group will be “it”; Get a vocabulary term from the teacher & draw the idea on paper (1 minute limit)

Students in each group guess the term by writing down their answer & delivering it to the teacher; First 3 correct guesses per team wins

A new “it” receives a topic for Round 2

For Teachers: Pictionary Terms1. Pendleton Act: Political

appointments made by merit-based exam (not patronage)

2. City Commission Gov’t: City gov’t with a board of commissioners not a mayor

3. Wisconsin Idea: Governor Bob LaFollette’s agenda of an income tax & agencies to regulate industry & railroads

4. City Manager Gov’t: Hired a trained manager to handle the day-to-day details of running a city government

5. Referendum: Citizens get to vote on tax increases to pay for gov’t programs

6. Initiative: Citizens can put an issue on a state ballot and vote to make it a law

7. Recall: Citizens can vote to remove an elected official & replace him with a more qualified candidate

8. 17th Amendment: Citizens (not state gov’ts) can directly elect U.S. Senators

President Theodore RooseveltVP Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901

TR was a different kind of presidentHe thought the gov’t ought to take responsibility for the welfare of the American people

His agenda of progressive reform was called the “Square Deal”

Theodore Roosevelt: A “Modern” President

“It is the duty of the president to act upon the

theory that he is the steward of the people, and…to assume that he has the legal right to do

whatever the needs of the people demand, unless the Constitution or the

laws explicitly forbid him to do it”

TR was committed to a series of reforms:Breaking up harmful

monopolies (called “trustbusting”)

Regulating businesses such as railroads & the meat industry

Conservation of natural resources

Trustbusting During the Gilded Age, Congress passed a

series of laws designed to keep big business in check: The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was

formed in 1886 to regulate railroads The Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1890 made it illegal

for companies to restrict trade But neither of these laws were strict enough to

control monopolies

Trustbusting Roosevelt saw the benefit of efficient monopolies, but wanted to control bad trusts: In 1902, the gov’t ordered

the Northern Securities Company (a giant railroad monopoly) broken up because it violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

The Roosevelt administration “busted” 25 trusts in 7 years

Supporting Workers In 1902, the United

Mine Workers went on strike to demand higher pay & an eight-hour work day The anthracite

coal strike lasted 11 months & threatened the nation as winter approached

Supporting WorkersUnlike the Gilded Age presidents, TR did not side with the owners & break up the strikeTR forced both sides to arbitrate or face gov’t seizure of the coal mine

The result was a “square deal” for both sides

Supporting WorkersUnlike the Gilded Age presidents, TR did not side with the owners & break up the strikeTR forced both sides to arbitrate or face gov’t seizure of the coal mine

The result was a “square deal” for both sides

Regulating Business When muckraker Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle was

published, Roosevelt pushed for regulation of the meat packing industry Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act in 1906 To ban harmful products & end false medicine

claims, the Pure Food & Drug Act passed in 1906

Unregulated Food & Medicines:The Need for the Pure Food & Drug Act

Conservation of the EnvironmentDuring the Gilded Age, corporations clear-cut forests & viewed America’s natural resources as endless

Roosevelt began the 1st national environmental conservation programThe gov’t protected 195 million acres as off limits to businesses

The Reclamation Service to place natural resources (oil, trees, coal) under federal protection

The Legacy of Theodore Roosevelt In 1908, Roosevelt

decided not to run for re-election as president

TR’s presidency was important because for the first time, the national government: Regulated big business Protected the

environment Assumed responsibility

for the welfare of workers & consumers

The Presidency of Taft Like TR, Taft believed that the U.S. needed

progressive reform: In his 4 years as president, Taft helped break up

twice as many monopolies as Roosevelt Created the Children’s Bureau & pushed for

child labor laws Helped create safety codes for coal miners &

railroad workers

The Presidency of TaftBut, Taft did not always trust the gov’t to solve problems & often sided with conservative RepublicansHe angered progressives when he supported a high tariff which helped monopolies

He allowed a cabinet secretary to sell 1 million acres of conservation land to businesses

Progressive politicians hoped that TR would run for president again

Progressives (& Roosevelt) began to view Taft as having made a mess of TR’s reforms

The Election of 1912TR decided to run for president in 1912 but the Republican Party picked Taft as their candidateTR created the Progressive (“Bull Moose”) Party

Taft was the Republican nominee & the Democrats ran a reform governor, Woodrow Wilson

Republican voters were divided in whom to support: Roosevelt or Taft

The Election of 1912 & the Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party)

I’m feeling as fit as a “bull moose”

The Election of 1912With the Republicans divided, Democrat

Woodrow Wilson won the election of 1912

Republicans divided by a Bull moose equals a Democratic victory!

President Woodrow Wilson President Wilson oversaw a great wave of

progressive reforms: 16th Amendment created the

1st income tax in U.S. history 17th Amendment allowed for the direct-election of

U.S. Senators 18th Amendment outlawed alcohol (prohibition) 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote

(suffrage)

“Pro

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Am

endm

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”

President Woodrow WilsonPresident Wilson oversaw a great wave of progressive reforms:Created the Federal Reserve to regulate the economy by adjusting the money supply & interest rates

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act limited the ability of companies to form monopolies & protected workers’ right to strike

The Federal Trade Commission monitored unfair business

practices

The End of Progressive Reform The Progressive Era (1890-1920) brought major

changes: Gov’t regulation of big business Improvements in U.S. cities More democracy for the people

But, the outbreak of World War I in Europe distracted Americans & brought an end to the Progressive Era

America’s Changing Role in the World

From 1790 to 1900, the U.S. expanded its role in world affairs: In 1796, George Washington promoted a policy

of neutrality & warned against alliances with foreign nations (especially Europe)

“The Great rule of conduct for [the U.S.], in regard to foreign Nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them

as little political connection as possible...'Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent

alliances, with any portion of the foreign world”—George Washington, Farewell Address (1796)

America’s Changing Role in the World

From 1790 to 1900, the U.S. expanded its role in world affairs: In 1823, the Monroe Doctrine asserted neutrality

but proclaimed that the U.S. would protect the western hemisphere from European influence

“The American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future

colonization by any European powers. We should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion

of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety”

—The Monroe Doctrine (1823)

America’s Changing Role in the World

From 1790 to 1900, the U.S. expanded its role in world affairs: In 1845, the U.S.

used treaties & wars to pursue its “Manifest Destiny” & expand to the Pacific Ocean

“The American claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence

has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated

self-government entrusted to us”—John O’Sullivan, New York Morning News (1845)

America’s Changing Role in the World

From 1790 to 1900, the U.S. expanded its role in world affairs: By the 1890s,

the U.S. gained newoverseas colonies & developed a more active foreign policy

“American factories are making more than the American people can use; American soil is producing more than they can consume. Fate has written our policy for us; the trade of the

world must and shall be ours.”—Senator Albert Beveridge (1898)

Reasons for U.S. ImperialismIn the late 1800s, the United States emerged as an imperialist nation:Imperialism is the act of strong nations exerting their power over weaker nations, often by gaining new colonies

From 1867 to 1904, the U.S, annexed Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Philippines & built the Panama Canal

Reasons for U.S. ImperialismAmericans were motivated by a variety of factors to imperialize:In 1890, the U.S. census declared that the frontier was closed & there were no new lands in the “west” for Americans to expand into

During the Gilded Age, American industry grew so large that new overseas markets & new sources of raw materials were needed

European powers had acquired colonies & many Americans believed that the USA had to imperialize in order to keep up

Reasons for U.S. ImperialismAt the urging of Admiral Alfred Mahan, the USA developed a modern navy, allowing the U.S. to compete with other powerful nations

Many believed that Social Darwinism gave Americans a duty to “civilize” the “inferior races” of the world by introducing medicine, technology, Christianity, & democracy

The White Man’s Burden

Superstition

Oppression

Ignorance

Barbarism

Vice

Civilization

U.S. Imperialism: HAWAIIFrom 1820 to 1890, Americans moved

to Hawaii as missionaries & fruit plantation owners

In 1891, Queen Liliuokalani came to

power & tried to reduce the power of Americans

living in Hawaii

Americans overthrew Queen Liliuokalani in 1893 & Hawaii was annexed by the USA in 1898

U.S. Imperialism: CHINABy the 1890s, European imperial powers carved China into spheres of influence, giving them exclusive trade rights in Chinese ports

In 1899, the USA declared an Open Door Policy in China to allow free trade by any nation in any port

U.S. Imperialism: CUBAIn 1895, Cubans declared their independence

from Spain; To put down the revolution, Spain used brutal tactics (like starvation)

U.S. newspapers sensationalized the events in Cuba (known as “yellow journalism”) MAJOR CAUSE

In 1898, the U.S. sent the USS Maine to Cuba to protect American interests there;

After the ship mysteriously exploded, Americans declared war on Spain

The Spanish-American War was fought to liberate Cuba & the Philippines from Spanish control; The war lasted only 113 days

Teddy Roosevelt & the Rough Riders

As a result of the Spanish-American War, Cuba was liberated & the USA annexed the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico

The US recognized Cuba’s newly formed government. The US forced Cuba to add provisions, known as the Platt Amendment, to their Constitution.

Under the Platt Amendment, Cuba became a US Protectorate, a

country whose affairs are partially controlled by a stronger power.

U.S. Imperialism: PUERTO RICO

After the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico was placed under military control and then became a territory of the US. The people of Puerto Rico are US citizens. Puerto Rico is still a U.S. territory; Lots of poverty & unemployment.

U.S. Imperialism: PHILIPPINESWhen the Philippines were annexed by the USA & not granted independence after the Spanish-American War, the Filipino-American War began in 1898

The Filipino-American War lasted 3 years & cost more in money & American lives

than the Spanish-American War

U.S. Imperialism: DOMINICAN REPUBLICWhen Theodore Roosevelt became

president, he used “Big Stick Diplomacy”: Develop an active U.S. foreign policy with a

strong navy to accomplish goals

TR added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, giving the United States “police powers” to protect Latin America

from European imperialism

Taft used Dollar Diplomacy to give bank loans to foreign countries to keep European powers out of the Caribbean.

U.S. Imperialism: PANAMATR used “Big Stick Diplomacy” to build the Panama Canal by encouraging the

Panamanians to rebel from Colombia

Panamanians declared their independence from Columbia with the support of more that a dozen

American Warships.

The Debate over American ImperialismNot all Americans supported

imperialism:The Anti-Imperialist League formed

in 1899 to fight U.S. annexation of the Philippines

Many argued that the U.S. had no right to force American culture upon others

The U.S. Becomes a World PowerBy the 20th century, the USA was a world power:Built the world’s 3rd largest navy Annexed Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, many Pacific islands

Asserted itself in Latin America (Spanish-American War, Panama Canal, & Roosevelt Corollary

Influenced Asia (Open Door

Policy)