Progressive Era 1890-1920

1. Chapter 31: Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt (1901-1912) Progressive Era 1890-1920

2. DVDs • Freedom: A History of US • Disc 3 • Yearning to Breathe Free • The Presidents • Disc 2 • McKinley to Wilson

3. The Presidents William McKinley 1897-1901 Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909 William Howard Taft 1909-1913 Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921

4. Presidents 1896-1920 William McKinley (R) 1897-1901 Theodore Roosevelt (R) 1901-1909 William Howard Taft (R) 1909-1913 Woodrow Wilson (D) 1913-1921

5. William McKinley1897-1901 • Republican from Ohio • Last president to have fought in the Civil War • Believed in the gold standard • Defeated William Jennings Bryan twice for the presidency • Spanish-American War 1898 • Assassinated September 1901 at • Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo

6. Teddy Roosevelt • Youngest • president

7. Theodore Roosevelt1901-1909 • Progressive Republican from New York with a difference • An original • Didn’t think in terms of pure political party • Represented the people • Complicated man • Conservative—Wanted reform • Hunter—Started conservation movement • Hawk—Won Nobel Peace Prize • Most electrifying politician of his generation • Shrewd, energetic, charismatic • Spanish-American war hero—Rough Riders • Nobel Peace Prize • Big Stick • Square Deal • Trust buster, Conservationist • Conservation—his most enduring achievement

8. Rough Riders 1898

9. William Howard Taft1909-1913 • Republican from Ohio • Personal and political friend of Roosevelt • Governor General of Philippines • Legal mind—not a natural politician • “Politics makes me sick.” • Bigger trust buster than TR • Rift with Roosevelt split the Republican Party • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

10. Woodrow Wilson1913-1921 • Progressive Democrat • From New Jersey • (née Virginia) • President Princeton University • Governor of New Jersey • New Freedom—“triple wall of privilege” • Idealist, visionary • World War I • First president to leave U.S. while in office • Versailles Treaty • League of Nations

11. Problems Facing America Overcrowded Cities Political Corruption Depletion of Natural Resources Unequal Distribution of Wealth Muckrakers

12. Problems facing America at theTurn of the 20th Century • Confusion of ethics • Social/economic problems too complex for old set of laws • Rise of big business • Control of natural resources • Exploitation of labor, children, immigrants • Rise of the city • Overcrowding, epidemics, sewage, poverty, schools • Breakdown of political honesty • Gentlemen not in politics • Results not methods • Grossly unequal distribution of wealth • Social and class divisions along economic lines • Denial to Negro of constitutional rights

13. Progressives—Reformers • People who want reform/change • Political • More democracy to put power in the hands of the people not the moneyed interests • Will of the people is sacred • Economic • To cleanse capitalism • Redistribute the wealth • Protect natural resources • Social • Education is a prerequisite for responsible citizenship • Favored free public and universal education through secondary school • Industrial accidents • End child labor • End exploitation of labor and the immigrant • Subjugation of America’s nine million blacks

14. Muckrakers • Exposed inequities that afflicted American life • Stirred public opinion to support reform • Coined by Teddy Roosevelt

15. Muckraker Attack on predatory wealth and conspicuous consumption

16. MuckrakerUpton Sinclair—meat packing

17. Indictment of dirt, disease, vice, misery in city slums • Influenced future governor, Theodore Roosevelt

18. Ida Tarbell • Pioneering woman journalist • The History of Standard Oil • Published 1904 • Devastating and factual • exposé of Standard Oil

22. Poor neighborhood, Philadelphia 1915 Scenes like this in the immigrant wards of America's great cities stirred middle-class reformers to action at the turn of the century.

23. Magazines of Opinion • Popular magazines • Waged circulation wars • Dug deep for the dirt • Muckrakers obliged Ida Tarbell • Charged that 75 of the 90 • senators represented the • railroads not the people • Backed by facts • The Shame of the Cities • Lincoln Steffans • Corrupt alliance between business and • government

24. Political Progressivism • Most progressives were middle class men and women • Sensed pressure from • Giant corporations • Restless immigrants • Aggressive labor unions • Wanted • Government to curb the trusts • Stem the Socialist threat by improving average person’s life

25. Reform Political Social Economic

26. Political ReformState level • Australian ballot • Secret, uniform, private ballot • Locked box • Paid judges of elections • Only eligible voters—only once • 1888 Massachusetts—first • Direct primary elections • People choose candidates in special elections • Replaced party bosses and other officials making the choice • First • 1842 Pennsylvania—county • 1903 Wisconsin—state

27. Political ReformState level • Initiative • Create new legislation • Referendum • Repeal old legislation • Recall • Remove undesirable official from office • Western states –most progressive • California Oregon Wisconsin

28. Robert La Follette • “Fighting Bob” La Follette • Militant progressive • Republican governor from Wisconsin • Regulated • Lumber • Railroads • Public utilities

29. Seventeenth Amendment 1913Direct Popular Election of U.S. Senators • History • U.S. Constitution called for • State legislatures to choose U.S. senators • Framers feared popular rule • Progressives felt indirect election meant selection by powerful business interests • Millionaire’s Club • Pressure for change

30. Nineteenth Amendment 1920Woman Suffrage • Women guaranteed the right to vote • Previously states determined who could vote • Pre Civil War women’s suffrage movement gained momentum after the war • 1890 Wyoming • First state to allow women to vote • 1893 Colorado allowed women to vote Suffragists

31. Suffrage parade Suffrage leaders built support for the cause by using modern advertising and publicity techniques, including automobiles festooned with flags, bunting, banners, posters, and--in this case--smiling little girls.

32. Woman Suffrage Before 1920

34. Woman Suffrage Before 1920 Before Congress passed and the states ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, woman suffrage already existed, but mainly in the West. Several midwestern states allowed women to vote only in presidential elections, but legislatures in the South and Northeast generally refused such rights until forced to do so by constitutional amendment.

35. Scribner's magazine cover May 1898 Athletics, the bicycle vogue, and colleges for women such as Wellesley helped give middle-class young women a sense of new possibilities at the dawn of the twentieth century.

36. Social IssuesSweatshopsWorkplace Safety • Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911 • 146 female garment workers died or jumped to their deaths • Ladders from fire company did not reach to the ninth and tenth storey • Exits were locked • Worst workplace disaster in New York until 9/11/2001

45. Workplace SafetyReforms • New York and other states passed laws regulating hours and conditions in firetraps like Triangle Shirtwaist Factory • Muller v. Oregon 1908 • Landmark case • Crusading attorney Louis Brandeis (future Supreme Court justice) • Decision • Constitutionality of laws giving special protection to women • Seemed discriminatory by later standards yet • Hailed at the time as a triumph for workers • 1917 Supreme Court • Upheld a ten-hour work day law • Employer has responsibility to society

46. Temperance Movement • Alcohol –demonrum—connected with • Prostitution • Crooked city officials • Drunken voters • New York and San Francisco • One saloon for every 200 people • Organizations that crusaded for reform • Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) • Founded by Frances Willard • Largest women’s organization in the world • Anti-Saloon League • Crusaded to outlaw liquor • States and numerous counties passed • “Dry laws” • Big cities were generally “wet”

48. Eighteenth Amendment 1919National Prohibition • “…Sale, manufacture or transportation of intoxicating liquors…is…prohibited” • 1933 Twenty-first Amendment • Repealed prohibition

49. Square Deal Corporations Consumer Protection Conservation

50. Teddy Roosevelt’sSquare Deal • Domestic policy of having the federal government promote the public-interest by dealing evenhandedly with both labor and business • Control corporations • Consumer protection • Conservation of natural resources