The Progressive Era, 1901-1917

The Progressive Movement: Definition and Character

Goals– Political - Revitalize American Democracy

• Make government responsive to people not special interests or bosses

– Economic - Restore equity and opportunity to American capitalism

– Social - Provide social justice to the poor Progressive Philosophy

– Did not believe in radical change (socialism)– But wanted fair competition and worker

regulation Operated on all levels of government Included both democrats and republicans.

Composition

Middle Class White AmericansFarmers and Small BusinessmenSocial ReformersProfessors & Lawyers Not included: Racial Minorities, new

immigrants, Labor Unions

Middle Class White Americans

Wanted to restore honesty and integrity to government– They wanted to end corruption at all levels.

• Elimination of political machines

• Institute civil service reforms

– End special interest lobbyist in legislative bodies

Farmers and Small Business

People who wanted to use the government to regulate the abuses of corporations and trusts– Wanted trusts eliminated– Wanted government controlled railroads rates and

banks– Currency reform

Had some success – but not enforced– Republicans embraced laissez-faire economics – Interstate Commerce Act– Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Social Reformers

Government should alleviate social problems– Slums and tenements

Unsafe working conditions & child laborTreatment of new immigrantsSome small scale success

– Jane Addams (Hull House – Chicago)

Included Professors, Lawyers and Social Gospel Advocates

The industrial revolution brought on the need for corporate lawyers– Law was once a respected profession– Paid well to defend the interests of their company – Lawyers felt they were losing there identity

Intellectuals – Use University professors to make the society more

efficient– Wealthy men – donate to Universities

• in return - donor had expectations for curriculum – Many intellectuals were concerned about this

What Really Got Progressivism Moving?

Teddy Roosevelt’s Assumption of the Presidency in 1901– William McKinley is assassinated in Sept. 1901– Youngest president at 43 years old– Gradually provided a national focus on

Progressivism

Rise of the ‘ Muckrakers”

Muckrakers

“Investigative journalism” Sensationalized Exposes on corporation corruption

– Raised awareness Magazines – McClure’s, Cosmopolitan Ida Tarbell (1902) does and expose in McClure’s on Standard Oil

– Illegal Monopoly Novels

– The Octopus by Frank Norris– The Jungle by Upton Sinclair– How the Other Half Lives - Jacob Riis

The Muckrakers formula is…– Uncover a scandal – Attack it using facts to back up arguments– Has a tremendous impact on readers

Achievements of Progressivism

Many political machines are overthrown– The Shame of the Cities – Lincoln Steffens – said political machines serve

their own interests and that of corporations, not the people– Thomas Nast

Leader of Progressive reform is Wisconsin 1900-01 – Robert LaFollette– Reduce gov’t corruption: Institutes the referendum, recall, primaries– Corrupt political practices acts passed – controls on campaign spending

and lobbying– The universities must aid the state economists - come up with an effective

tax system, highway system.– Child Labor Laws (one of the first states)– Building codes & controlled hours

Thomas Nast & Harper’s Weekly

Amendments to the Constitution

The 16th Amendment – 1913– Constitutional for the government to impose a personal income

tax. The 17th Amendment – 1913

– Senators must be directly elected in a popular election. The 18th Amendment – Jan 1919

– Prohibition – Illegal to buy, sell or distribute hard spirits in the US. The 19th Amendment – 1920

– Prohibited states from denying women the right to vote. • Women did vote in certain states prior to this (In NJ in the late 1700s

for a short time.• Also, some western states allowed women to vote)

Contradictions of Progressivism

Generally oppose political and social equality for racial minorities and recent immigrants

Many Progressives Oppose Women’s Suffrage– Woodrow Wilson was one of these guys. He felt it was a state, not a

national issue. Many Progressives Oppose National Labor Unions

– Concerned about the plight of the working man, but at the same time opposed unions

– Fear of Marxism – union leadership advocated changes that were too radical

– Fear of radical uprisings Many Progressives Support Tighter Immigration Restrictions