Chapter 5- The Progressive Movement
Unit 2
Progressivism
•Goals of Progressivism
–Fix problems caused by industrialization andurbanization
–End the corruption in local and state governments
–Give democracy back to the people
Muckrakers
•Muckrakers-Writers who investigated socialproblems and exposed them to the Americanpublic
–Ida Tarbell’s A History of Standard Oil-attacked the Standard Oil Co.
–Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives-portrayed poverty, disease and crime inimmigrant neighborhoods
–Lincoln Steffens’ Shame of the Cities-exposed the corruption of local govts.
–Robert La Follette’s “Laboratory ofDemocracy”- looked to political corruption
How the Other Half Lives
How the Other Half Lives
How the Other Half Lives
Progressivism Promotes Democracy
Direct Primaries- allow members ofpolitical parties to pick candidatesfor general elections
Initiative and Referendum- allowedvoters to put forth and vote onlegislation.
Recall Elections- special election toremove govt. officials before theirterm is up
2. 17th Amendment (1913)
Allowed Americans to vote forsenators; limited the
power of political machinesand thwarted corruption
3. Women’s Suffrage
N.A.W.S.A.-organization ofwomen that fought for
suffrage in the early 1900s
19th Amendment (1920)-gavewomen the right to vote
Signing of the 19th Amendment
C. Social Welfare Progressivism
1. Campaign Against Child Labor
John Spargo’s The Bitter Cry ofthe Children
Children’s Bureau -investigated children in thework-
place and made suggestionto govt. on how to end
child labor
2. Health and Safety Codes
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire(1911)-devastating workplace
fire that led to investigationson worker safety and new laws to
protect workers
Workers Compensation
Zoning and Building Codes
3. Temperance Movement
18th Amendment (1920)-endedthe manufacturing,
selling or drinking of alcohol inAmerica
Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Section 2 -4: The Progressive Presidents
A.Roosevelt’s Square Deal (the 3 C’s)
1. Corporations
TR believed that some trusts were toogreedy and hurt competition in theeconomy
TR utilized the Sherman Anti-Trust Act tobreak up bad monopolies
Earned the nickname “The Trustbuster”
TR became the first president tosupport labor unions; supported theUnited Mine Workers strike in 1902
Passed the Hepburn Act to strengthenthe power of the Interstate CommerceCommission in regulating the railroads
A.2. Consumer Protection
Influenced by Upton Sinclair’s bookThe Jungle
TR passed the Meat Inspection Actand the Pure Food and Drug Act toprotect consumers against tainted
products
3. Conservation
TR and Gifford Pinchot (head of theUS Forest Service)
urged Americans to conserveAmerica’s resources
Established 5 National Parks and 51federal wildlife
reservations
Excerpt from the Jungle
•“There would come all the way back fromEurope old sausage that had been rejected,and that was moldy and white- it would bedoused with borax and glycerine, and dumpedinto the hoppers and made over again forhome consumption… There would be meatstored in great piles in rooms; an dthe waterfrom leaky roofs would drip over it, andthousands of rats would race about upon it.”– from the Jungle.
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Man with the Muck Rake
Daily Check forUnderstanding
Tuesday: Describethe political cartoon.What does this sayabout how PresidentRoosevelt was viewedby the public?
Political Cartoons on the Trusts
B. President Taft’s Progressive Reforms
1. The “Real” Trust Buster and CorporateRegulation
Filed twice as many anti-trust lawsuitsthan TR
Passed the Mann-Elkins Act to increasethe powers of the ICC
2. Children’s Bureau
Investigated and publicized problems withchild labor
3. Conservation Continued
Created the Bureau of Mines to regulatemining companies
Expanded the National Forests
Protected waterpower sources from privatedevelopment
C. Election of 1912
1. Republican Party Splits
TR unhappy with Taft’s policiesdecides to challenge him for theRepublican nomination
Taft’s supporters lock TR out ofRepublican National Conventionand nominate Taft
2. TR and the Progressive Party
TR starts his own political partybased on the ideals ofprogressivism
Nicknamed the Bull MooseParty
3. New Nationalism vs. New Freedom
Democrats nominate WoodrowWilson
TR develops a progressiveagenda that he calls New
Nationalism
Woodrow Wilson also promoteshis own progressive
agenda called the New Freedom
With the Republican Party votessplit between Taft and TR,
Woodrow Wilson and theDemocrats take the White House
D. Wilson’s Progressive Agenda: Attacking theTriple Wall of Privilege
1. Tariff Reform
Passed the Underwood Tariff
lowered the tax on imports by half
Led to the passage of the 16thAmendment which created a permanentfederal income tax
2. Trusts
Passed the Clayton Antitrust Act tostrengthen the Sherman Antitrust Act
Protected the rights of workers toform labor unions
Samuel Gompers referred to it asthe “Magna Carta of Labor”
Created the Federal Trade Commissionto regulate American businesses andtake to court companies that hurtcompetition
3. Treasury System
US had not had a central bank since the 1830s
Wilson signed into law the Federal Reserve Actto provide stability through controllinginterest rates and the amount of $ incirculation
12 regional banks
Issued $
Loaned $
Helped failing banks
E. The Legacy of Progressivism
1. Responsibility and Role ofGovt.
Americans came to expectthe government to play a
more active role in the economy and in solving social problems
2. Failures of Progressivism
Did not address civil rights orcivil liberties
-NAACP created topromote African
American civil rightsissues
-Anti DefamationLeague created to
end discriminationagainst Jews