Problems at the Turn of the Century: Progressivism and Reforms

1. Warm-up • Answer the following questions: • What was 1 political problem that America faced at the turn of the century? • Give 1 problem with business practices at this time • What problems were there in factories? • What other issues did cities face during the turn of the century?

2. Happy Tuesday!!! • I need to do a couple things before we get started: • I need to check your study guides from the test last class • I need to collect your Industrialization stamp sheets • Did you know: There is more real lemon juice in Lemon Pledge furniture polish than in Country Time Lemonade

3. Progressivism Muckrakers and Woman Suffrage

4. Problems at the Turn of the Century • Politically: Political Machines • Business practices: trusts, monopolies • Working conditions: child labor, low pay, long hours • Other stuff: drugs, gangs, drinking, women still can’t vote

5. Enter Progressivism • Progressivism: movement to improve American life in politics, society and the workplace. • Progressives were optimistic and forward looking and accepted the changes industrialization brought forth • Wanted to limit the power of big business, improve democracy and strengthen social justices

6. Where did the movement come from? • New political groups- populists and socialists • Farmers- gained ideas from populists, hurt by the railroads • Labor-unions • Religion- to be a better person • YMCA, YWCA, Salvation Army to improve lives of the poor • Muckrakers- writers, mostly magazines, who wrote about the corrupt side of business and public life • People wont change society unless they know about the conditions and get angry about it • Many magazines started at this time: Cosmo, McClures

7. Muckrakers • Ida M. Tarbell- wrote “The History of the Standard Oil Company” • Exposed the company’s cutthroat methods of eliminating competition • Upton Sinclair- wrote “The Jungle” about stockyard workers and meat packing industry • Jacob Riis, Lincoln Steffens

8. Local Reforms • Cities faced some of the most obvious social problems • 1900, Galveston, TX adopted the “commission” idea as a form of government after a botched hurricane relief • Commission is a group of experts-each takes charge of a different city department • 1913, Dayton, OH- adopted the council-manager form of gov’t • People elect a city council to make laws

9. State Reforms • Gov. Robert M. LaFollette- Rep. Wisconsin • Targeted RR industry- regulated rates, and forbade free passes • Progressives worked to regulate child labor • Keating-Owen Act 1916- prohibited the transportation across state likes of goods produced with child labor (eventually deemed unconstitutional) • Made efforts to limit working hours and workers compensation

10. Election Reform • Adoption of the secret ballot (aka Australian ballot) • Initiatives and referendums- gave citizens the power to create laws • Citizens could petition to place an initiative (a bill originated by the people) on the ballot • Voters instead of legislatures accepted or rejected the initiative by referendum (vote on initiative)

11. Election Reform cont. • The recall enabled voters to remove public officials from elected positions by forcing them to face another election before the end of their term • 17th Amendment- Direct election of Senators • Started with the primary election • Forced Senators to focus more on the people not businesses

12. Women’s Role • At the turn of the century, 1 in 5 women held jobs (25% in manufacturing) • Faced dangerous conditions • 1911 fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory • Women’s clubs popped up and grew into reform groups that addressed issues like temperance and child labor • Women began going to college- separate from men

13. Women in Reform • 1896, African-American women founded the NACW (National Assoc. of Colored Women) led by Josephine Ruffin • Susan B. Anthony led a campaign for woman suffrage (right to vote) • Founded the National Women Suffrage Assoc. (NWSA)

14. Strategy for Suffrage • Tried 3 approaches to achieve objective • Tried to convince state legislatures to grant women the right to vote • Won in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Idaho • Women pursued court cases to test the 14th Amendment- women citizens too! • Supreme Court ruled in 1875 that women were citizens but that that didn’t mean they had the right to vote • Women pushed for a national constitutional amendment to grant women the right to vote • Amendment introduced in CA but it was killed later • For 41 years, women lobbied to have it reintroduced but it continued to be voted down

15. Happy Wednesday!! • Take out your jungle worksheet so I can check it and we can talk about it! • Did you know: In Utah, birds have the right of way on all highways

16. Progressivism Progressive Presidents

17. Political Leaders • Teddy Roosevelt- Republican • William H. Taft- Republican • Woodrow Wilson- Democrat • PROGRESSIVES CAME FROM BOTH PARTIES!!! MOVEMENT WAS BIPARTISAN!

18. Teddy Roosevelt • Roosevelt took office after President McKinley was assassinated • Was the youngest president ever (42 years old) • Saw the presidency as a “bully pit” from which he could influence the news media and shape legislation • Believed the American people deserve a “square deal” from government • Term was used to describe the progressive reforms sponsored by his administration

19. Trust Busting • By 1900, trusts (legal bodies created to hold stock in many companies) controlled about 4/5 of the industries in the US • Sherman Antitrust Act wasn’t working • TR didn’t believe all trusts were harmful, he didn’t want to “bust the trusts” just regulate them • Believed in the 3 C’s: • Controlling corporations • Consumer protection • Conservation

20. TR’s Square Deal • Included 6 items: • Increase Federal Power: to keep society running well and to get rid of corruption the gov’t needed to be more involved • Fed. Gov’t needed to get involved in state problems 2. Mediating Strikes: before TR, the gov’t sided with business not strikers • TR didn’t want to totally change to ALWAYS siding with labor but he believed that gov’t needs to step in when strikes effect the common people • EX: Coal strike in PA 1902- workers want an 8 hr work day, higher wages, workers/owners didn’t agree for months, winter came and people needed coal for heat. TR threatens to seize the mines if a decision isnt made, TR sends the gov’t in to mediate • TR establishes a precedent of saying gov’t can intervene in strikes if the public welfare is involved

21. TR’s Square Deal cont. 3. Regulate Trusts: tries to regulate businesses if they were oppressive to the people • Sometimes the businesses were destroyed, others were guided towards better business practices • Sued the companies 4. Regulating Transportation (mainly RR) • Elkins Act 1902: cant change rates w/o notifying the public • Hepburn Act 1906: Interstate Commerce Commission now sets RR rates

22. TR’s Square Deal cont. 5. Protecting Health: influenced by “The Jungle” • Pure Food and Drug Act 1906: must put ingredients on the label • Meat Inspection Act 1906 6. Conserving Natural Resources: set up state parks, wildlife sanctuaries, national forests; first to recognize the issue of pollution

23. Progressivism Under Taft • TR hand picks William H. Taft (R) as his successor • Taft pursued a cautious progressive agenda • Sought to consolidate rather than expand TR’s reforms • Was able to bust 90 trusts in a 4 year term • Taft runs into a great deal of problems in his presidency

24. Payne-Aldrich Tariff • Taft campaigned on a platform of lowering tariffs • He tries to get the Payne-Aldrich tariff passed, which, when it entered the House was lower. But the Senate, under pressure from big business, actually increased tariffs • Taft signed it thinking it was the initial bill and angered progressives

25. Conservation • Does some good things- Appalachians added to national forests, set aside federal oil lands • BUT…he causes problems: • Begins selling off some land/water conservation areas • Places Richard A. Ballinger as Sec. Of Interior • He starts selling land set aside for parks to corporate developers

26. Problems in the Republican Party • Taft Supported the political boss, “Uncle Joe” Cannon • As Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Cannon often ignored progressive bills • Stripped him of his power • TR returns from Africa promoting “New Nationalism” in which the fed. gov’t exerted its power for the welfare of the people • TR ran for a 3rd term in a new (progressive) party: The Bull Moose Party • Platform called for the direct election of senators and the adoption in all states of the initiative, referendum and recall. • The split gave the Democrats their first chance at the White House since 1892…Woodrow Wilson wins in 1912

27. Wilson’s New Freedom • From Staunton, VA, was the president of Princeton and the polit. machine wanted a candidate they could control • Says that he will attack the Triple Wall of Privilege: tariffs, banks and trusts • Felt as TR did that the President had to play an active role in obtaining change in the country

28. Breaking down the Triple Wall of Privilege: Tariff Reform • Underwood- Simmons Tariff 1913: lowered tariffs down to 29-41% • Did this by telling the people to hold their Congressmen accountable • Changed the revenue of the Fed. Gov’t • US no longer gets the majority of its revenue from tariffs • 16th Amendment: INCOME TAX!! • This is how the US makes up the difference

29. Breaking Down the Triple Wall of Privilege: Banking Reform • Need the gov’t to oversee the actions of the banking industry more • Set up the Federal Reserve Board • Decentralizes the private banking system

30. Breaking Down the Triple Wall of Privilege: Trusts • Establishes the Federal Trade Commission Act: 5 member committee that had the power to investigate unfair business (trade) practices including unlawful competition, fake advertising, mislabeling, bribery • If found unlawful, the commission will tell them to “cease and desist” and turn them over to the courts • Clayton Anti-trust Act: designed to strengthen the Sherman Anti-trust Act • Declared more business practices illegal (Ex: cant but stocks in another company if it will eventually give you a monopoly) • Helped laborers: legal to strike, peacefully picket, boycott and collect strike benefits

31. Other Wilson Acts • LaFollette Seaman’s Act (1915): improves working conditions on American merchant ships • Adamson Act (1916): 8 hr. work day for RR • Federal Farm Loan Act (1916): low interest loans for farmers • Warehouse Act (1916): loans on the security of staple crops • Workingman’s Compensation Act (1916) grant assistance to federal civil service employees during disability

32. Woman Suffrage and African Americans • The movement gained strength with college-educated women • Carrie Chapman Catt took over the NAWSA • The efforts of women in WWI led to the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote • Wilson didn’t make any progressive moves concerning African Americans due to his southern roots