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Progressivism in the West, 1890-1920

Progressivism in the West, 1890-1920. Origins of the Progressive Movement. Reaction to “extremes” of modern life Urbanization Industrialization Labor conflict Environmental exploitation Immigration Citizenship and rights Social “problems”. Characteristics of Progressivism.

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Progressivism in the West, 1890-1920

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  1. Progressivism in the West, 1890-1920

  2. Origins of the Progressive Movement • Reaction to “extremes” of modern life • Urbanization • Industrialization • Labor conflict • Environmental exploitation • Immigration • Citizenship and rights • Social “problems”

  3. Characteristics of Progressivism • Middle class morality • “Scientific” expertise and organizational management • Order and modernization • Assimilation • Federal role • Christian action AND humanitarianism • Professionalization of work • Organizational impulse

  4. The Economic Extremes • Corporate control of industry & resources • Rockefeller & Standard Oil (1911) • Carnegie • U.S. Steel • Weyerhauser • “Big Four” Railroads • Political influence • Anti-democratic

  5. Standard Oil, 1906

  6. Railroad Land Grants, 1900

  7. The Economic Extremes • Western Federation of Miners, Butte, MT, 1892 • By 1901: A socialist union • Health, pay, working conditions, daily self-help and community support

  8. International Workers of the World • 1905 in Chicago and West • All workers, free speech, ACLU, justice • Self-Conscious creation of a working class • Ethnic and nationalistic divisions, identities • “Skilled vs. unskilled” workers, mobile vs. fixed

  9. Western Timber Industry • 1917: Idaho and WA • Migrant sedentary workers • World War I • National Guard • Negotiated 8 hr work day • Jailed union leaders • Criminalized unions

  10. Copper Mining • Phelps-Dodge • “Modern generation” of corporations • Ethnic & racial divide and conquer • 1917 strike by unions, Jerome and Bisbee • 1,200 deported

  11. Forced March from Bisbee, AZ

  12. Free Mother Jones • Trinidad, Colorado • 1914 strike against Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation • Threw Jones in jail • Women protested

  13. Ludlow Massacre • Ludlow, CO 1917 • Rockefeller Coal Mines • Greek, Slavic, Italian miners and women

  14. Continued • Militia attacked tents & killed 39 • 11 women & children died • Survivors deported

  15. Ludlow Refugees

  16. Populism: Agrarian Precursor to Progressivism • Corporate domination • Political apathy • Agrarian discontent • The Grange • Farmers Alliances • Populist Party • Democratic and community oriented

  17. Western Populists • Rural cooperatives • Local control over resources • Silver and tariffs • Jerry Simpson • Mary Elizabeth Lease • Omaha Platform • William Jennings Bryan

  18. Populist Library, KS

  19. Confluence of Trends & Changes • Corporate domination of resources • Control over political life • Political corruption • Economic inequalities • Labor unions and radicalism • Massive immigration • Mexican Revolution • Feeling that country is out of control

  20. Progressive Causes • Statehood • Direct election of Senators • 1913 Income Tax • Referendum, Initiative, Recall • Secret Ballot • Child labor laws • Contracts • Work-hours • Frank Norris, NEB

  21. Women and Progressivism • Western states surpassed eastern states in female voting rights • State laws allowed suffrage in • WY 1869; UT 1870; CO 1893; ID 1896; WA 1910; CA 1911; AZ 1912; KA 1912; NV 1914; MT 1914; OR 1913 • Why? UT wanted more women to gain political influence for Mormons • Middle Class women’s groups such as the WCTU pressed for rights • “Frontier Thesis”

  22. Women’s Suffrage, 1919

  23. Women Progressives • Abigail Scott Duniway (OR): Agrarian reformer in 1870s-1910s. Divorce reforms, property rights, educational reform, working class women, suffrage, publisher • Caroline Church Nichols (CO): Published newspaper Colorado Antelope 1890s • Jeanette Rankin (MT): first woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1917 • Nellie Ross (WY) and Bertha Landes (TX) first female governors in 1925

  24. Women’s Suffrage • Nineteenth Amendment • 1920 passed • Full voting rights accorded to all men • Susan B. Anthony

  25. Progressives in the West • Controlled senate and house seats • Governors • 1910: Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota were dominated by Republican Progressives • Not anti-business; weary of unions • “Efficiency” and “good government” • Ambivalence towards “open” or “closed” shop • California: Union Labor Party, moderates • Dependency on the federal government as counterweight to corporate dominance

  26. Western Progressives • Hiram Johnson: Reforms in California • Referendum, Recall, Initiative • Big Four • Prohibition across the West by 1915 • 18th Amendment in 1920 • Unpredictable voting record on national elections • Oregon System: dozens of political candidates and 126 propositions in 1914 • Seattle: City Manager and Commission

  27. Progressivism & Race • White male sense of chaos & disorganization due to suffrage, immigration, class oppression • Limited rights of non-white groups to create “order” and control resources and politics • South Texas: 1902-1918 poll taxes, white primary, segregated education • Progressive newspapers view of Mexicans in 1913, “a class of foreigners who claim American citizenship but who are as ignorant of things American as a mule.”

  28. Progressivism and the Environment • Natural resources • Exploitation • Public use and access • Conservation • Preservation

  29. Hetch Hetchy, 1913 • John Muir • Gifford Pinchot • Hetch-Hetchy, Yosemite Valley • Preserve or flood & use as reservoir for cities? • Flooded it…

  30. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People • 1908 • Segregation • Voting rights • Lawsuits • Elites • Strong in LA, SF, Seattle, Portland

  31. Society for American Indians • Multi-tribal, national, bi-racial • 1911 established • BIA and employment • Citizenship: 1924 • Peyote • Language • “Traditionalism” • Education • Self-determination

  32. League of United Latin American Citizens • Corpus Christi 1929 • Origins in self-defense against white supremacist groups in Texas • Equal opportunities in business, education • Voting rights and civil rights • Self-help and self-determination • Mexican-American

  33. LULAC Meeting, 1929

  34. Japanese American Citizens League • Established 1929 to combat racism & citizenship laws • Fought the “Sons of the Golden West” and Japanese Exclusion League • Obtained citizenship for 500 Japanese soldiers who fought for the U.S. in WW I

  35. Conclusions • Suffrage was one of the biggest differences • Concentration of corporate power • Federal influence on the west • Less “ethnic politics” • Urban, rural • Mixed relations with parties • Influence of the Populist Party • Environmental aspects of Progressivism

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