The Origins of Progressivism

1. The Origins of Progressivism Mr. Baugh

2. Project • Students will be responsible for doing research on a current-day reform organization (it can be a woman’s organization, but not required).  What is this organization doing?  What is their mission?  Is the organization similar to one of the women’s clubs from the Progressive Era?  How do they receive their funding?  How are they reaching the public? Are they meeting their goals?  Is the organization at a local, state or national level (or all three)?  Students will be required to write a short report on the organization they research and will present their findings to their classmates in a class-presentation. • Due Monday 10/26/2009. Must be at least 2 pages, double spaced

3. Four Goals of Progressivism • Progressive movement: Aimed to restore economic opportunities • Protecting social Welfare • Promoting moral improvement • Creating economic Reform • Fostering efficiency

4. Protecting Social Welfare • Worked to “soften” harsh conditions of industrialization • Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) opened libraries, sponsored classes and built recreation areas • Salvation Army: fed poor people, cared for children and sent “slum brigades” to instruct poor immigrants on hard work and temperance

5. Florence Kelley • Advocate for improving the lives of woman and children • Chief inspector of factories in Illinois • Helped pass Illinois factory act in 1893 • Prohibited child labor and limited woman's working hours, other states would copy

6. Questions • What are some groups today like those mentioned? • Who is another minority or woman who has brought about big changes? • What do you think is one of the best social welfare changes in American history?

7. Promoting Moral Improvement • Focused on morality not the workplace • Wanted to improve personal behavior • Prohibition: banning of alcoholic beverages (1919-1933) • Woman's Christian Temperance Union 1874 led the crusade for prohibition • Would go into saloons (bars) singing and praying urging no alcohol

8. Promoting Moral Improvement • WCTU became largest woman's group in nation’s history by 1911 • Opened kindergartens for immigrants, visited prisons and asylums and worked for suffrage • Read “historical spotlight” page 308 • Carry Nation used hatchets to destroy bottles of liquor

9. Questions • Do we have a ban on things today considered immoral? • What would you do if something you enjoyed doing was banned? • Should the government ever ban anything/outlaw things?

10. Creating Economic Reform • Focused on economic problems • Many workers began to embrace socialism • Eugene V. Debs a labor leader helped organize the American Socialist Party in 1901 • Commented on the uneven balance among big business, government and ordinary people under free market (capitalism)

12. Creating Economic Reform • Most progressives distanced themselves from socialism but saw the truth in Debs criticisms • Muckrakers wrote about the corrupt side of business and public life

13. Political Cartoon

14. Questions • What kind of economic reform do we have today? • Is socialism really a bad thing? • Where do you think the US rank compared to others in amount of socialism? • Would universal healthcare make the US go from capitalistic country to socialist?

15. Fostering Efficiency • Louis D. Brandeis focused on data that showed the cost of long hours for both individual and society • Frederick Winslow Taylor applied scientific management studies to see how quickly each task could be preformed • High worker turnover due to injuries suffered from fatigue

16. Fostering Efficiency • Ford reduced work day to 8 hours and paid workers five dollars a day • Attracted more workers but they still exhausted themselves • Targeted industry and government

17. Questions • Do longer days/more work make you more efficient? • What is a modern day inefficient task? • Is inefficiency specific to just the government or one industry, or is it more of a common thing?

18. Cleaning Up Local Government • Political bosses had become to corrupt and inefficient • Disasters often showed the inefficiency of city officials and their greed • More mayors began introducing progressive reforms • Encouraged citizens to play a more active role in city government

19. Questions • Was Hurricane Katrina due to inefficiency of the mayor of New Orleans or the national government or both? • What are some things in your city that the government runs inefficiently?

20. Reform at State Level • Robert M. La Follette helped lead way in regulating business • Did not want to destroy business rather get them out of politics • Focused on the unfair practices that big business got away with

21. Protecting Children • Children were hired because of lower wages and small hands made handling small parts easier • Many immigrants and rural migrants sent children to work • Almost everyone in family needed to work • Many children suffered health problems including stunted growth

22. Protecting Children • 1904 National Child Labor Committee sent investigators to gather information on children working conditions • Joined by labor unions who said child labor lowered wages • Keating-Owen Act 1916 prohibited transporting goods across state lines made by child labor • 2 years later Supreme Court overthrew • Almost every state banned child labor or set maximum hours

23. Questions • Does child labor still exist today? • What are your personal opinions about child labor? • This is America and we want to be the most competitive, why should we not use kids? They are cheaper!

24. Work and Work • 1908 case of Muller v. Oregon confirmed women required the states protection against powerful employers • Brandeis convinced the court to uphold the law limiting women to a ten hour workday • Bunting v. Oregon in 1917 limited 10 hour workday for men

25. Reforming Elections • Initiative a bill originated by the people rather then the lawmakers • Referendum a vote on the initiative • Recall enabled voters to remove public officials from elected positions by making them face another election • 1920 20 states had adopted at least one of these • Statewide primary system enabled voters to elect candidates not the political machine

26. 17th Amendment • The success of direct primary helped pave way • 1912 Congress approved and in 1913 ratified which made direct election of senators the law of the land • Renewed efforts for suffrage

27. Questions • How did these encourage more involvement by the people? • How do these new laws/policies help Americans hold government officials accountable? • What is a recent law started by people? • What type of law would you start?

28. Women in Public Life • Dangerous conditions, low wages, and long hours led females to push reform • Women’s colleges began appearing • Women began going to college and playing a role in faculty • 1896 NACW or National Association for Colored Women

29. Women Lead Reform • Susan B. Anthony a leader in woman suffrage was upset that black men could vote but not women • 1869 Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton founded the National Women Suffrage Association would join another group and add American to name

30. Women Strike Fear • Many in liquor business and textile industry feared women would vote to change these • Many men feared women period • Women were gaining influence in all areas

31. Three Part Strategy For Suffrage • First convince state legislators to let them vote • Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Idaho granted it • Second pursue court cases to test 14th amendment • Third constitutional amendment on national level 1920 finally become law

32. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal Section 3

33. A Rough Riding President • Became president due to McKinley’s assignation • Was thought to be too hard to control • Served in NY assemble for 3 terms, NY police commissioner and assistant secretary of navy • Became more famous because of battle of San Juan Hill during war against Spain

34. Modern Presidency • Dominated the news • Acted boldly as he did in sports • Saw presidency as a place from which he could influence the news media and shape legislation • Square deal- various progressive reforms sponsored by Roosevelt administration

35. Using Federal Power • Trusts- legal bodies created to hold stocks in many companies controlled about 4/5 of the industries in the US • Filed suits under Sherman Anti Trust Act • 1904 Supreme Court broke up a company that Roosevelt had complained against • 44 antitrust suits filed by Roosevelt administration

36. 1902 Coal Strike • Workers demanded better conditions and a raise • Five months in nation coal supply running low • Roosevelt intervened calling both sides to talk • Threatened to take over mines • From there on out if strike threatened public welfare, federal government should intervene

37. Railroad Regulation • Elkins Act in 1903 which made it illegal for railroad officials to give, and shippers to receive, rebates for using particular railroads • Also specified railroads could not change set rates without notifying public • Hepburn Act 1906 limited the distribution of free railroad passes and gave Interstate Commerce Commission power to set maximum rates

38. Health and Environment • Meat Inspection Act in 1906 dictated the cleanliness requirements for meatpackers and created the program of federal meat inspection • Government had to pay and did not require label date of processing • Could appeal negative decisions in court

39. Health and Environment • Food and drugs use to claim they cured cancer and grew hair • Many children drugs had cocaine, opium or alcohol in it • Dr. Harvey raised many of the issues with our current food processing conditions • 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling

40. Conservation and Natural Resources • Government paid little attention to environment at the time • Roosevelt set aside 148 million acres of forest reserves, 1.5 million of water power sites and 80 million to explore • Also established more then 50 wildlife sanctuaries and several national parks • Newlands act set how to manage water in west

41. Roosevelt and Civil Rights • Appointed African American as head of custom house in South Carolina • Angered many African Americans in 1906 when he dismissed an entire regiment of African Americans without questions for conspiracy in protecting others • Invited Booker T Washington as a symbolic gesture to White House

42. Roosevelt and Civil Rights • Du Bois criticized Booker for dealing with segregationists • 1909 NAACP founded • Over 6,000 members by 1914 aimed for full equality • Found little support in progressive movement which focused on middle class whites needs