1890 - 1920

The Progressive Era

ProgressivismMain Idea:Political, economic, and

social change in late 19th century America led to broad Progressive reforms.

Why It Matters Now: Progressive reforms in

areas such as labor and voting rights reinforced democratic principles that continue to exist today.

Identify the four goals of the progressive movement.

Provide examples of each of the 4 goals.Evaluate how the reform improves the lives of

ordinary Americans.At the dawn of the new century, middle class

reformers addressed many of the problems that contributed to the social upheavals of the 1890’s. During the Progressive era, reformists sought to improve various aspects of society. Evaluate whether or not the progressive reforms improved the lives of ordinary Americans.

Learning Objective

Camella Teoli -A Child On StrikeWhat are some societal

problems included in the video?

What are problems in society today?On your own create a list

of as many problems as you can possibly think of that society faces today?

Share your list with a partner.

Make a class list of problems.

Organize problems together and create categories for each group of problems.

Are any of your problems similar to problems during the Progressive Era?

Origins of Progressivism

• Big business ruled America at this time.

• Labor unions were just beginning to form.

• Belief that morality was key to improving lives of the poor.

• Women not yet having voting rights.

Reform

The process of making changes to social, moral, economic, or political institutions or practice in order to change/improve it.

Political attitude favoring changes or reform through governmental actions.

What is Progressivism?

Progressivism

What are some examples of reforms?SADD, MADD,

What are some examples of governmental actions?

Minimum wage, child labor laws, unemployment compensation, workmen’s compensation, drinking age,

1) Social welfare- protecting the health and well being of individuals in society or the society itself.

2) Moral improvement-improving one’s personal behavior for the betterment of society.

3) Economic Reform -changing the way in which the U.S. produces, distributes, and consumes goods and services.

4) Political Reform- making government more responsive to voters and ending political corruption.

Four Goals of Progressivism

Poverty as Effect of Industrialization

Social Gospel and settlement houses – helping the poor through community centers, churches and social services (example: Hull House, founded by Jane Addams)

YMCA – libraries, classes, swimming pools and handball courts

Salvation Army – soup kitchens, took care of children in nurseries, sent “slum brigades” to educate poor immigrants in middle class values of hard work and temperance

Protecting Social Welfare

Classroom in the House of Seven Gables Settlement House. How do settlement homes help ordinary Americans? Founded in 1909 to assist immigrant families settling in Salem, MA.

Protecting Social Welfare

What do the children appear to be doing?

Where might this be?

How does a YMCA improve the lives of ordinary Americans?

YMCA improves the health and well being of individuals in society.

What do you see in the photo?

What might this be?

How do Salvation Armies help improve the lives of individuals in society?

Salvation Army provides free or low cost clothing for individuals or families in need.

Unregulated Businesses (employers felt little responsibility toward their workers)

Protecting Social Welfare

“Why are seals, bears, reindeer, fish wild game in the national parks, buffalo, and migratory birds all found suitable for federal protection, but not children?”- Florence Kelly (1859 – 1932)Helped win a passage of the Illinois Factory Act of 1893 prohibiting child labor and limited women’s working hours

Temperance Movement leads to ProhibitionThe goal of the movement was to promote morality and improve the lives of the poor.

Moral Improvement

Temperance refraining from alcohol consumption

Prohibition the prevention by law of the manufacture and sale of alcohol, esp. in the U.S. between 1920 and 1933

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)Urged saloonkeepers to stop selling alcohol, and by 1911, it became the largest women’s group“Do everything” slogan (children, prison inmates, insane asylums, and women’s causes)

Anti- Saloon League Battled “Demon Rum” among other evilsWorked to pass laws and force people to changeSuccessful alcohol ban in many states

Moral Improvement

Where is the woman in the cartoon located? How can you tell?

What does she have in her hand?

What does she appear to be doing?

Wh0 is she & what social reform movement is she associated with?

Moral Improvement

Carry Nation

Worked for prohibition by walking into saloons, scolding customers, and destroying bottles of liquor with a hatchet.

What specific reasons did WCTU and the Anti-Saloon League have for

advocating a ban on alcohol?

Promoting Moral Improvement

Do you think prohibition was effective? Why or why not?

Alcohol Prohibition, 18th Amendment Video

Moral Improvement

• Many immigrants reacted against Prohibition

• Claimed alcohol an integrated part of their culture and customs

• Saloons provided other services like cashing paychecks and serving food.

Did America need economic reform?

“Competition was natural enough at one time, but do you think you are competing

today? Many of you think you are competing. Against whom? Against [oil magnate John D.]

Rockefeller? About as I would if I had a wheelbarrow and competed with the Santa Fe

[railroad] from here to Kansas City.”- Eugene Debs (His Life, Writings, and

Speeches)

Economic Reform

The Panic of 1893 caused many to question their capitalist economic system

Many workers embraced socialism (Eugene V. Debs, became a prominent socialist supporter)

Economic Reform

Capitalism an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Socialism a political and economic theory in which the government controls the means of production, distribution, and exchange

Who exposed corrupt business practices?Muckrakers: Journalists uncovered the corrupt side of business and public life by writing detailed and sometimes sensationalized exposes in magazines.

Examples: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, and History of the Standard Oil Company by Ida M. Tarbell

Whom can we consider muckrakers of today?

Economic Reform

Use of experts and scientific principles to make society and workplace more efficient

Scientific Management Studies or “Taylorism”

Named after Frederick Winslow Taylor

Using time and motion studies to improve efficiency

How quickly could a task be completed?

Manufacturing tasks were brokeninto smaller simpler parts (assembly lines)

Many workers called for reforms due to continued fatigue and Injury

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzLBSBzPII Love Lucy Chocolate Factory

Louis Brandeis, an attorney worked on social progressive reforms

Focused on information produced by social scientists documenting the high costs of long hours for the individual and society

Successfully argued Muller v. Oregon that women required protection against powerful employers (women couldn’t work more then 10 hours a day)

Louis Brandeis

Why reform local government?

1. Desire to make government more efficient and responsive to citizens

2. Some Americans wanted to limit immigrants influence in local governments (eliminate corrupt political machines)

Political Reform

Natural Disasters Played a role in prompting reformIn 1900 - hurricane

in Galveston, TX (appointed commission of 5 men to take over rebuilding)

In 1913 - flood in Dayton, OH (adoption of the council-manager form of government)

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

New York, on March 25, 1911

Video clip from New York Documentary

Man Made Disaster

Robert La Follette, WI governor (“Fighting Bob”)

Targeted railroad industry

Set up commission to regulate rates

Forbade railroads to issue free passes to state officials

Political Reform

Secret Ballot (Australian ballot)

Initiative – a bill originated by the people to create laws. Citizens can petition their government to place an initiative.

Referendum – method of accepting or rejecting the initiative. A vote on the initiative.

Recall – Enabled voters to remove public officials from office before the end of the term by forcing them to face another election before the term if enough voters ask for it.

Political Reform

Seventeenth Amendment

Amendment to the Constitution allowing for the direct election of U.S. senators by the people

Before this, each state’s legislature chose the senators which put even more power in the hands of wealthy bosses and heads of corporation

American citizens had more of a voice in electing their government officials and creating laws

Political Reform

Child labor

Businesses opted to hire children due to their small hands

Immigrant families saw children as a part of the family workforce

Harsh conditions and low wages for child laborers (serious health problems and stunted growth)

National Child Labor Committee (1904)

Sent investigators to gather evidence of harsh conditions

New evidence available and public support of labor unions

Keating-Owen Act of 1916 stated that goods made through child labor were no longer allowed across state borders

Limiting Working Hours

Muller v. Oregon (1908): argued for the plight of poor working women. Women were then limited to a 10-hr workday

Bunting v. Oregon (1917): upheld a 10-hr workday for men

Progressives also won workers’ compensation to aid families who suffered and work- related injury or death

American Stories

A Child On StrikeA Testimony of Camella Teoli, Mill Girl

Answer the following:1.How did mill owners in Massachusetts react to the new rules about shorter work week?

2.Do you think the labor strike that followed was the appropriate response by labor unions? Why or why not?