The Age of Reform: The Progressive Era

1. The Age of Reform: The Progressive Era APUSH UHS Barnett

2. I. The Progressive Era • End of 19th C until WWI • “Tending towards change,” “improvement” or just attitude of mind • New? • America becoming more: Urban, industrial, mechanized and centralized • Thus, needed to be more carefully organized

3. II. The Roots of Progressivism • A. Against patronage, special interest & political machine corruption • -Liberal Republicans / Mugwumps / Goo-Goos

4. B. Efforts to regulate and control big business • C. Concern for welfare of the urban poor – Imp of Women • D. Religious Social Gospel

5. E. Salubrious Climate • 1. Post 1896 prosperity • 2. Guilt & sense of importance/standing of middle class • 3. Middle Class – Radical Support?

6. III. The Muckrakers • A. Authors that exposed abuse, corruption, and danger. • B. 1902 “McClure's Magazine" • 1. Ida Tarbell expose on Standard Oil • 2. Lincoln Steffens on Political Machines • 3. Editor McClure’s editorial • Something wrong with the “American character…there is no one left; none but all of us…we have to pay in the end.” • E. Muckraking became vogue and topics from child labor, drug abuse, prostitution, and dangerous working conditions covered the print media

7. IV. Progressive Mind • A. Progressives aroused the conscience of the people to be more humane with the goal of purifying American life. • 1. Believed in innate goodness • 2. Problem was structure of institutions…not system itself • B. Often Diverse & Contradictory • C. Laissez-faire obsolete and Social Darwinism not an excuse • D. Need to protect weaker members of society (women, children, infirm, poor) from abuse & exploitation • F. Often guilty of oversimplification & paternalistic rhetoric • 1. Moderate – Never threatened capitalism or democracy • 2. Saw personal values as standards of truth and morality

8. V. Radical Progressives • A. Eugene V. Debs ran for president in 1900 & 1904 on Socialist ticket • B. New radical union: The Industrial Workers of the World-IWW (aka Wobbleys) – • 1. Created by Debs, William Haywood, Daniel De Leon • 2. Anti-Capitalist • 3. Against craft organization of AFL. Wanted to organize rank-and-file • “The working class and the employing class have nothing in common”

9. C. Revolution of Manners and Morals • 1. Influence of Sigmund Freud • 2. Challenged Victorian standards • Margaret Sanger - advocate of female autonomy and birth control • Emma Goldman – Anarchist • “The kind of patriotism we represent is the kind…which loves America with open eyes” • “Bohemian” thought centered in Greenwich Village in New York • Middle-Class background • Creative and an “innocent rebellion”

10. VI. Political Reform – Cities First • A. Boss corruption and other vices in urban areas unified progressive • B. Late 1890’s pushback • 1. “Home Rule” charters • 2. Created research bureaus • 3. Creation of city manager system – professional & non-partisan • C. Post-Corruption – Internal improvements • 1. "gas and water socialism" (city controlled utilities) • 2. minimum wages for city employees, playgrounds, golf courses, public transportation

11. VII. Political Reform – The States • A. Corruption riddled state legislatures • B. Wisconsin under the Leadership of Republican Robert La Follette-"Fighting Bob" led the nation in progressive state reform. • 1. Used grassroots campaigning to defeated Republican political machine • 2. Fought RR's and Lumber interests and ended lobbying but he himself used boss tactics like patronage. • 3. Development of the Direct Primary, regulation of railroads, regulatory commissions, and tax reform • 4. Academics (UW) helped usher in substantive reforms that became known nationally as the Wisconsin Idea. • C. Reforms spread and personnel went trained in WI • D. Some states went further • Oregon Championed bills in Initiative (petition), Referendum (vote), and Recall (remove official)

12. VIII. State Social Legislation • A. Limiting of working hours before 1900 was fragmented. • B. Conservative judges used 14th amendment to stop any binding legislation • 1905 Lochner v. New York • 1918 Hammer v. Dagenhart • C. However, by 1917 most states limited women to 10 hour days • D. By 1910 most states modified the principle that a worker accepted risks of the job • 1. 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (NY)

14. D. Conservatives turn to Supreme Court bc of social legislation • 1. 1908 Muller v. Oregon – 10 hr. limit to women laundry workers • 2. Supported by The Consumer’s League • Slogan: “investigate, agitate, legislate” • Gets Louis Brandeis to defend the statute • 3. "Brandies Brief" used sociological and economic research to “justify special legislation” • Applied in other cases thereafter • E. Spate of state regulatory legislation

15. IX. Political Reform in Washington: Women’s Suffrage • A. Failure of 14th and 15th Amendments split feminists • B. Lack of Unity & Victorian Stereotypes • 1. Contraception • 2. Female “purity” • 3. Darwinian stereotypes • C. Logic Trap – Women morally superior so… • D. 1890 – Two groups combine: National American Women's Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

16. E. Carrie Chapman Catt • 1. organizational & political skills • 2. State by State Approach • 2. Grassroots movement inWyoming; full women's suffrage - 1869

17. G. Alice Paul – Congressional Union • 1. National approach - Amendment • 2. Militant response to picket with Wilson refused support • 3. Arrested but pressure mounted • 4. Congressional approval in 1919 – 1920 ¾ of states ratified 19th Amendment

18. J. Other amendments • 1. 16th amendment (1913) - Income tax • 2. 17th amendment (1913) - Direct election of senators • 3. 18th Amendment (1919) - Prohibition • K. HoR Reform • Thomas Reed – Joseph G. Cannon

19. X. Theodore Roosevelt: Cowboy in the White House • A. McKinley shot Sept. 6, 1901 • 1. Shooter was anarchist • 2. Secret Service • B. TR – one of most important transitions • 1. Credentials • 2. Good Republican • 3. But…alarmed conservatives

20. C. Incredibly Popular w/ the People • D. True Public Servant & Measured • 1. Elkins RR Act (1903) • 1a. outlawed rebates • made RR's follow published prices. • 2. Newlands Act (1902) - Irrigation

21. E. Trustbuster • 1. Good Trusts & Bad Trusts • 2. Used Sherman Act instead of Congress • 3. 1902 Justice Department vs Northern Securities Company • 1a. Supreme Court disbands NSC (1904) • 2a. Suits vs Standard Oil Trust, American Tobacco & Meat Packers • 4. “Gentlemen’s Agreement” (1905) • 1a. US Steel • 2a. Standard Oil

22. XII. Square Dealing • A. Anthracite Coal Miners Strike of 1902 – new standard • 1. UMW led by John Mitchell – 8hr day, wages, recognition • 2. Price soars • B. TR conference in Oct • 1. Mitchell cooperates • 2. Management refuses to speak to union • 3. TR threatens use of Sherman Act to nationalize • C. The Square Deal • 1. Labor: 9hr workday, 10% wage increase • 2. Firm: Commission rec 10% price increase, no recognition of union • 3. President – Acclaim & Expansion of Power

23. XIII. TR – President in his own right • TR.: President in his own right • A. Election of 1904 • 1. Progressives pleased • 2. Business: Better than Democrats w/ legacy of Bryan

24. B. Mandate for more liberal agenda? • 1. DC, RR Min Wage • 2. Hepburn Act (1906) • G. H. The Jungle (1906) by Upton Sinclair • 1. Pure Food and Drug Act (1904),

25. XIV. Tilting Left • A. TR advanced with progressive movement • B. Conservative Republican Backlash • C. Protected National Domain • 1. 150 acres in federal reserve • 2. Established National Park System w/ John Muir

26. D. Panic of 1907 • 1. Caused by speculation • 2. TR approved deposits of US cash in NY banks • 3. Approved purchase of TN Coal & Iron Co. by US banks • 4. TR blamed • E. TR criticized “malefactors of great wealth”

27. XV. Taft: Listless Progressive • A. TR handpicks Taft • 1. TR campaigns for Taft – 1908 victory • 2. More Conservative • 3. Lack of Political Savvy • B. No distinction b/w good & bad trusts

28. C. Mann-Elkins Act of 1910 • D. Other Progressive Reforms • E. Tariff Reform: Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909)

29. F. Ballinger - Pinchot affair • 1. Waterpower Sites • 2. Alaska coal

30. XVI. Breakup of the Reps • A. Lodge and Pinchot motivate TR to return & fix split • 1. Conservative Old Guard Republicans - Taft • 2. Progressive Republicans - TR • B. TR Comeback - New Nationalism • 1. Expand role of Federal Government • 2. Expansion of liberal legislation • C. Taft litigates US Steel (1911) – Attack of “Gentlemen’s Agreement” • D. Last straw… • D. Taft as president controlled the party

31. E. Progressive Party – Bull Moose Party • 1. Should have waited • 2. Liberal platform • tariff reform • national presidential primaries • abolishment of child labor • workers compensation laws etc.

32. XVII. Election of 1912 • A. Democrats did not want Bryant again and after 46 ballots Woodrow Wilson was selected – Academic & former Gov. NJ • B. Converted progressive - New Freedom • 1. social justice and trusts to be operate by fair rules • 2. Support free enterprise and competition • C. Unique Election • Imp of slogans & new symbols

33. XVII. Election of 1912

34. XVIII. Wilson: New Freedom • A. New Freedom resembled New Nationalism at times • B. The Underwood Tariff (1913) & income tax - 16th Amend. • C. Federal Reserve Act (1913) • D. The Federal Trade Commission (1914) • 1. regulated business and corporation to end unfair practices. • E. The Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) • 1. outlawed holding companies • 2. Price discriminations

35. H. Wilson expanded executive power • 1. State of the Union Speech in person • 2. A dynamic, alive, and personal institution

36. XIX. Progressives and Minority Rights • A. Positive for Most but… • 1. Racism, Nativism (Dillingham Commission, 1913) • 2. 1907 Gentleman's Agreement on Japanese immigration. • 3. Dead Indian Land Act of 1902 making it easier to sell allotted lands • 4. Women still unequal • 5. Blacks in the south faced further segregation • A. Lack of education • B. Booker T. Washington

37. XX. Black Militancy • A. Du Bois – New African American leadership • Higher education • More confrontational • "Beauty is Black“ • Blacks should build their own business, newspapers, colleges and write their own literature. • "talented Tenth" • F. participated in the Niagara Movement in 1905 which set an agenda for Black rights attacking limitations on voting, economic opportunity and segregation • After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world, — a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness, — an American, a Negro; two warring souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, — this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self.

38. B. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 1909 • Du Bois editor of "The Crisis” • Interest group for discriminated minorities C. Presidential Inaction 1. TR - ambivalent 2. Wilson – apathetic C. William Trotter a - delegation to the White House