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The Progressive Era 1890-1920 The Reformers of the Progressive Era • What was the Progressive Era? • Most historians consider the thirty year time period between 1890-1920 to be the period of the Progressive Era. • Progressivism: The political orientation of those who favor progress toward better conditions in government and society. • A period in United States history when American reformers tried to fix the political, social, and economic problems in America, and create a better society for all Americans. The Reformers of the Progressive Era • What did the Progressives want to change? • Progressive reformers wanted to end corruption in government. • Many national (i.e., senators, congressmen), state (i.e., governors), and local (mayors) politicians were corrupt. • They lied, cheated, and took bribes from robber barons who wanted to control government policies. • Robber barons bribed U.S. politicians to keep them from passing laws to protect American workers and the environment. • Political machines: A group of individuals (the machine) that control the activities of a political party. • Political machines rigged elections by bribing voters (i.e., giving people gifts, jobs, and favors in exchange for votes.) • In exchange for favors, many politicians received kickbacks, A kickback is a illegal payment of money made in return for a favor or service. • The most famous of these institutions was the Democratic political machine of New York City, led by Boss Tweed. The Reformers of the Progressive Era • Progressive reformers wanted to regulate and control big business (Robber Barons). • Reformers wanted the government to break up trusts and end corrupt business practices. • Reformers wanted the government to pass laws to • Ensure that big business owners provided safe working conditions • Limit the amount of hours a person can work in one day, • Provide compensation for workers injured at a factory or other business. • Reformers wanted the government to pass laws to ensure that Americans were eating clean food and taking safe medications. The Reformers of the Progressive Era • Progressive reformers wanted to help the poor and improve their living conditions. • In 1900, 1.7 million children were working full time jobs. • Reformers wanted the government to pass laws to improve the health conditions in poor neighborhoods. • Reformers wanted the government to pass laws to help educate the poor. • Reformers wanted to ensure that the poor in America’s cities were living in safe buildings. The Muckrakers The Muckrakers • How did reformers spread their message for change during the Progressive Era? • By media sources, including books, newspapers, and magazines. • Reformers who used the media to spread their views became known as muckrakers. • Muckraker: Progressive investigative journalists who exposed the unpleasant side of American life at the turn of the twentieth century. • Muckrakers wrote books, and newspaper and magazine articles about America’s political, social, and economic problems. The Muckrakers Author Jacob Riis Literary Work Purpose How the Other • Exposed the awful and often dangerous living Half conditions experienced by New York City’s poor Lives(1890) population on a day-to-day basis. Ida Tarbell The History of the Standard Oil Company (1904) • Exposed the corrupt business practices of John Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company. • Exposed Standard Oil as a monopoly. Lincoln Steffens The Shame of the Cities (1904) • Exposed the corrupt practices of political machines in local government. • Steffens exposed politicians taking bribes from big business owners to allow them to break safety laws. Upton Sinclair The Jungle (1906) •Exposed the unsanitary and unsafe conditions present in the meat packing industry. The Muckrakers • The books and articles written by muckrakers informed millions of Americans of the political, social, and economic problems present in the nation at the turn of the century. • The muckrakers, who risked their personal well-being to expose the corrupt practices of big business and government, uncovered the stories that made the American public demand reform. • Americans wanted their local, state, and national leaders to pass laws to solve the political, economic, and social problems present in American society at the turn of the century. Local, State, & Federal Reform Local, State, & Federal Reform • Local Reform: The Progressives were able to pass laws on the local (city/region) level that improved the living and working conditions of America’s poor. • “Gas & Water Socialism” – Many cities took control of private utility companies (water, gas, etc) and made them public utility companies (departments of the city governments) to end corrupt business practices that affected the public. • New York City, New York: Mayor Seth Low improved the public transportation system, and oversaw the implementation of the Tenement House Law (1901): The tenement house law stated that tenement apartments must have windows, fire escapes, indoor plumbing, fireproofing, and courtyards. • Toledo, Ohio: Mayor Samuel Jones oversaw the establishment of a minimum wage for city employees, built public recreation centers, and reformed the penal code. Local, State, & Federal Reform • State Reform: The Progressives were able to pass laws that allowed the public to have more political power. • “The Wisconsin Idea:” Established by Governor Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin. • A system of honest government that allowed people to have more power in the political process. • States adopted the direct primary system: In which voters, rather than political party bosses, selected candidates to run for office. • The creation of a legislative reference library to help lawmakers create bills. Local, State, & Federal Reform • Other State Reforms: Many states adopted the following legislative procedures during the Progressive Era. • The initiative: By the use of a petition, the citizens of a state could introduce a bill before their state legislature. • The referendum: The citizens of a state have the right to vote on state legislation (laws). The citizens of a state can approve a law or get rid of it. • The recall: Citizens of a state can vote an elected official out of office if they are unhappy with his or her performance. Local, State, & Federal Reform Local, State, & Federal Reform • During the Progressive Era, most state governments adopted • Laws limiting the amount of hours men, women, and children could work in one day. • Child labor laws. • Laws that allowed American workers accident insurance and pensions. • Laws that established a minimum wage for workers. • The federal government did not always support the Progressive laws passed by state legislatures. • Lochner v. New York: In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a state law limiting the workday for bakers to ten hours violated the 14th Amendment. • Muller v. Oregon: In 1908, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Oregon state law limiting the amount of hours women could work in the laundry industry. President Theodore Roosevelt President Theodore Roosevelt • In September 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist named Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. • Theodore Roosevelt, McKinley’s vice-president, became the 26th President of the United States. • Theodore Roosevelt, to the dismay of the Republican Party, supported many Progressive ideas. President Theodore Roosevelt • As President, Theodore Roosevelt would: • Increase the executive power of the United States by issuing executive orders rather than overseeing the passage of a bill through Congress. • Pass laws to control big business. • Pass laws to conserve America’s natural resources. • President Roosevelt’s first successes: • The Newlands Act (1902): A law that stated money earned by the government through public land sales would be used to fund federal irrigation projects. • The Elkins Act (1903): Strengthened the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission. • Rebates were made illegal. • Railroad corporations had to adhere to their published (shipment) rates. President Theodore Roosevelt • President Roosevelt believed the best way to solve problems associated with big business was through regulation. • In 1901, J.P. Morgan and James J Hill created a trust known as the Northern Securities Company. The trust controlled all of the railroad corporations in the American West. • The American public was angered and feared the power held by Morgan and Hill by the formation of the Northern Securities Company. • Roosevelt ordered his Attorney General, Philander C. Knox to bring a case against the Northern Securities Company. • In 1904, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Northern Securities Company was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890), and the company was dissolved. • President Roosevelt became known as the “trustbuster.” • President Roosevelt oversaw the filing of 44 antitrust suits during his two terms as President. President Theodore Roosevelt • The “Square Deal:” • Up until this point in U.S. history, the government always sided with big business during labor disputes. • IN 1902, members of the United Mine Workers (UMW) union went on strike in the Anthracite coal fields of Eastern Pennsylvania. The strike became known as the anthracite coal strike of 1902. The union wanted • An eight-hour work day. • Higher wages. • Recognition of their union by mine owners. President Theodore Roosevelt • The anthracite coal strike, started in June 1902, continued through the summer and fall months. • With winter approaching, Americans, including President Roosevelt, feared there would be a coal shortage in the country. • President Roosevelt told mine owners that unless they negotiated with the union, he would order federal troops to seize and operate the anthracite coal fields. • The anthracite mine owners agreed to negotiate with the miners, and in March of 1903 the miners gained a 10% raise, and a nine-hour work day. • Following the strike, Roosevelt declared that both sides received a “square deal.” • Fair business practices in America. President Theodore Roosevelt • In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt was elected to a second term as president by the American people. • Roosevelt declared he would continue to reform American society through his powers as President of the United States of America. • The Hepburn Bill (1906): At the insistence of President Roosevelt, Congress passed the Hepburn Bill, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to: • Inspect the financial records of railroad corporations. • Set maximum shipping rates for railroad corporations. • Control other businesses associated with transportation. President Theodore Roosevelt • In 1906, Upton Sinclair published the The Jungle, a book that exposed the unsanitary conditions present in Chicago slaughterhouses. • The American public was outraged to learn of what was happening in the slaughterhouses. • In response, President Roosevelt pressured Congress to pass two laws that would improve sanitary and safety conditions for Americans. • The Meat Inspection Act (1906): The United States government was given the power to inspect all meat produced in factories before it could be sold to consumers. • The Pure Food and Drug Act (1906): Prevented the manufacture, sale, or transportation of food or medicine that was poisonous, contaminated, or mislabeled. President Theodore Roosevelt • President Roosevelt & Conservationism: • Conservation: The preservation and careful management of the environment and natural resources. • President Roosevelt placed 150 million acres of forest land under protection of the federal government during his presidency. • In total, President Roosevelt protected 230 million acres of land while in office. That equals 84,000 acres a day during the 7 ½ years that he was the President of the United States. • At the end of his second term, President Roosevelt requested that his Secretary of War, William Howard Taft, should succeed him and become the next “Progressive” President of the United States. President William Howard Taft President William Howard Taft • In the 1908 presidential election, William Howard Taft defeated William Jennings Bryan to become the 27th President of the United States. • Taft was a supporter of many of Roosevelt’s progressive policies, including the “square deal,” trust-busting, and conservation. • However, Taft did not share his predecessors skills in the realm of physical stamina, extreme dedication to the office, and the ability to communicate with many different individuals with different ideas. President William Howard Taft • However, during his one term as President, Taft passed important progressive measures to help American Society. • The Mann-Elkins Act (1910): Granted the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to suspend rate increases made by railroads or telephone companies. The Act also established a Commerce Court. • Taft also oversaw the passage of several laws to help American workers including: • An eight-hour work day for all people employed under government contracts. • Mine safety laws. President William Howard Taft • President Taft was very successful in breaking up trusts under the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890). • Oversaw the filing of 90 antitrust suits during his four years as President. • President Taft was also a conservationist, and expanded the acreage of the United States national forest reserves. • President Taft had a falling-out with his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt over the use of executive power to conserve America’s natural resources (The Ballinger-Pinchot Affair). • The conflict between the two former friends would lead to one of the most interesting and studied presidential elections in American history. The Election of 1912 The Election of 1912 The Election of 1912 • At the 1912 Republican Convention, the republican party split its support between Roosevelt and Taft. • The Republicans nominated President Taft as their candidate in the 1912 presidential election. • Roosevelt supporters formed a new political party, the Progressive Party, and choose Theodore Roosevelt to be their candidate in the 1912 presidential election. • The Democratic Party choose Woodrow Wilson, the Governor of New Jersey, to be their candidate in the 1912 presidential election. • The Socialist Party, at its highest membership in United States History, selected Eugene V. Debs as their candidate in the 1912 presidential election. The Election of 1912 • Party Platforms: • Woodrow Wilson (Democrat): • • New Freedom: A policy that would restore competition amongst America’s business class. • The government must break up trusts. • • Establish fair business practices. Create harsh punishments for business owners who violate business laws. Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive): • New Nationalism: A policy that advocated expanding the power of the federal government in order to regulate big business, and passing legislation that would provide Americans with social justice. • • • William Howard Taft (President) (Republican): • “Old Guard” Conservative Republicanism • • Government regulation of corporations. Establishment of a federal minimum wage, child labor laws, worker compensation laws. Progressive, but believed American politicians had to follow the political powers granted to them in the United States Constitution. Eugene V. Debs. (Socialist): • • Campaigned that only the Socialist Party represented the interests of labor in the United States. Claimed that the Republican, Progressive, and Democratic Party were all financed by trusts. The Election of 1912 The Election of 1912 • The Results: Woodrow Wilson won the election, becoming the 28th President of the United States, and the third and final Progressive President. • The Election of 1812: • Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) • 435 electoral votes; 6,286,820 popular votes. • Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive) • 88 electoral votes; 4,126,020 popular votes. • William Howard Taft (Republican) (Incumbent) • 8 electoral votes; 3,483,922 popular votes. • Eugene V. Debs (Socialist) • 0 electoral votes; 897,000 popular votes. President Woodrow Wilson President Woodrow Wilson • President Wilson oversaw the passage of many progressive laws through Congress. • The Underwood Tariff (1913): The First tariff (tax on imports) reduction bill since before the civil war. The bill also included a gradual tax on personal incomes. • The Federal Reserve Act (1913): Created a central banking system in the United States. • Federal supervision of the banking system. • The United States was divided into 12 banking districts. • The Federal Reserve was controlled by a Federal Reserve Board located in Washington D.C. • The Federal Reserve Board is responsible for regulating interest rates and the amount of money in circulation. • The Federal Reserve allowed the United States to have a flexible and safe currency. President Woodrow Wilson • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (1914): • In 1914, Congress created the FTC to investigate unfair business practices conducted by American corporations. • The Clayton Antitrust Act (1914): • Outlawed specific business practices, including price discrimination (a business tactic used by monopolies.) • Exempted unions and agricultural organizations from antitrust legislation. President Woodrow Wilson • The Progressive Amendments: • 16th Amendment (February 1913): Established a graduated income tax. • People are taxed based upon their annual income. • 17th Amendment (April 1913): Direct election of United States Senators. • State legislatures elected U.S. Senators prior to the passage of this amendment, not the people. • 18th Amendment (January 1919): Prohibition. • Outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the United States. • 19th Amendment (August 1920): Women’s Suffrage. • A national suffrage law that allowed American women to vote in local, state, and federal elections. The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement • At the close of the nineteenth century, American women did not have the right to vote in national elections. Many women’s suffrage organizations were formed to help campaign for a national law that would grant women the right to vote. • The National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was the most influential organization in the suffrage movement. • The organization was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Carrie Chapman Catt. • While the passage of a national suffrage amendment remained their goal, they concentrated on gaining the right to vote at the state level. • By 1914, women were allowed to vote in local and state elections in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington. The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement • In 1913, a new “militant” organization, the National Women’s Party (NWP), led by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, took the lead on women’s suffrage. • The NWP held a protest outside the White House from January 1917 till June 1919 to convince President Wilson to support a constitutional amendment for women’s suffrage. • The NWP “silent sentinels” were arrested for protesting outside the White House, and sentenced to sixty days in the Occoquan Workhouse. • Many of the NWP members went on a hunger strike while imprisoned. Public support turned against the actions of the government, and President Wilson pardoned the suffragettes. • By 1919, the suffragettes gained the support of the majority of the American public. Congress passed the 19th Amendment in 1919, and three-fourths of the state legislatures ratified the Amendment by 1920…just in time for the presidential election of 1920. • American women could now vote in national, state, and local elections throughout the United States. The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement The Suffrage Movement