Expansion and Reform The Progressive Era and Imperialism The Progressive Era The progress of business and industry inspired reformers to fight for important improvements in Americas political and social environment. These reformers were called Progressives Progressive reforms strengthened American democracy and still exist in todays society Muckrakers Journalists who investigated and exposed political corruption, child labor, slum conditions, and other social issues They caused many reforms to come about as they increased public awareness of these problems Upton Sinclair Muckraker novelists who wrote The Jungle in 1906 A story about European immigrants working in Chicagos meat packing industry Exposed poor labor practices and unsanitary conditions in the industry Congress was pressured to pass the Meat Inspection Act (that required routine inspections of meat) and the Pure Food and Drug Act (that required accurate labeling of foods and medicines) Ida Tarbell Wrote a series of muckraker articles exposing the political corruption in New York, Chicago, and other large cities for McClures magazine Most famous for her articles criticizing the unfair business practices of the Standard Oil trust which angered the public and led the government to break up the company Progressives supported: New ideas and policies to improve peoples lives Increased government regulation of business and industry Protection for consumers and workers Conservation of natural resources Progressives fought for laws to: Improve living conditions for the urban poor End child labor Require government inspections of workplaces Decrease the power of political bosses Increase the voters direct control of government Jane Addams established Hull House in Chicago as a settlement house for the poor factory workers in the city (a British idea) It was a social service agency that provided home economics training, basic medical care, English language classes, legal rights education, child care, and many other services to low-income urban residents. Laws Passed by Progressives Initiative petition process by which voters can initiate laws in state legislatures Referendum petition process by which voters are allowed to vote on proposed laws Recall petition process by which voters may remove elected officials from office These prevent the government from ignoring the will of the people 17 th Amendment Provides for the direct election of state senators by the voters They were previously selected by state legislatures Passed in 1913 African American Problems Not helped much by the Progressive reforms Still denied their basic rights as citizens especially in the south Discrimination and segregation worsened Jim Crow Laws Segregation laws passed in many states Resulted in separate public facilities and businesses for different races Resulted in inferior education, health care, and transportation systems for African Americans Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Jim Crow laws were challenged in the Supreme Court The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of segregation if public accommodations were equal for both races Known as the separate but equal doctrine Later overturned by the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954 Two Ways to Oppose Segregation Booker T. Washington - Wanted economic equality which he believed would lead to social equality Supported vocational education for African Americans to increase their wealth Established the Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama Two Ways to Oppose Segregation W.E.B. DuBois Supported immediate social equality for African Americans Helped to organize the NAACP to seek full civil rights and fight discrimination through the court system after Plessy v. Ferguson Continues this same work today