Progressivism

1. Progressivism

2. The Progressive Era • By the late 1800’s the U.S. faced many economical, political, and social problems. • These Problems included: • Economic inequities • Environmental issues • Social welfare • Working conditions • Rights for women and children • Because of these problems the U.S. saw a variety of these reforms from 1890 to 1920

3. Four Goals of Reformers • Protect social welfare • Promote moral development • Secure economic reform • Foster efficiency

4. Urbanization • During the late 1800’s cities were booming with population growth. • This growth led to an urban poverty and poor living conditions for many city dwellers • Immigrants usually saw the worse of these poor living conditions .

5. Jacob Riis • A progressive and former immigrant who wanted to show people living conditions of the people living in poverty • When magazines and newspapers wouldn’t publish his pictures he published them in a book called How the Other Half Lives

6. Muckrakers • Muckrake- Tool used to clean manure and hay out of animal stables • Journalist like Riis, who wrote about the poor living conditions became known as muckrakers. • “The visitor [to St Louis] is told of the wealth resident, of the financial strength of the banks, and of the growing importance of the industries, yet he sees poorly paved, refuse burdened streets, and dusty or mud-covered alleys; he passes a ramshackle firetrap crowded with the sick and learns that is the city hospital….Finally he turns a tap in the hotel to see liquid mud flow into [the] wash basin or bath tub.”

7. Society Reforms • Many reformers thought Christianity should be the basis of social reform. • Walter Rauschenbusch wrote in his book Christianity and the Social Crisis which outlined the Social Gospel.

8. Settlement Houses • An important goal of many Progressives were to improve the lives of the poor in the cities. • One approach was a settlement house, a community center that provided social services to urban poor • Taught English to immigrants • Gave mothers classes in child care • Ran nursery schools and kindergartens • Provided theatre, dance and art programs for adults

14. Jane Adams

15. Industrial Reform • In early 1900s, U.S. had the highest rate of industrial accidents in the world. • Long Hours • Poor ventilation • Hazardous Fumes • Unsafe Machinery • 30,000 deaths/yr 500,000 injuries/yr • Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire March 1911

16. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the largest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York, causing the death of 146 garment workers who either died in the fire or jumped to their deaths. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop workers in that industry.

17. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company, owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, occupied the top three floors of the ten-story Asch building in New York City at the intersection of Greene Street and Washington Place, just east of Washington Square. The company employed approximately 500 workers, mostly young immigrantwomen from Italy and Eastern Europe. Some of the women were as young as twelve or thirteen and worked fourteen-hour shifts during a 60-hour to 72-hour workweek, sewing clothes for a wage of $1.50 per week (approximately $31 per week in 2006 dollars).

18. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company had already become well-known outside the garment industry by 1911: the massive strike by women's shirtwaist makers in 1909, known as the Uprising of 20,000, began with a spontaneous walkout at the Triangle Company.

19. While the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union negotiated a collective bargaining agreement covering most of those workers after a four-month strike, Triangle Shirtwaist refused to sign the agreement.

20. The conditions of the factory were typical of the time. Flammabletextiles were stored throughout the factory, scraps of fabric littered the floors, patterns and designs on sheets of tissue paper hung above the tables, smoking was common, illumination was provided by open gas lighting, and there were no fire extinguishers.

21. In the afternoon of March 25, 1911, a fire began on the eighth floor, possibly sparked by a lighted match or a cigarette. A New York Times article also theorized that the fire may have been started by the engines running the sewing machines in the building. To this day, no one knows whether it was accidental or intentional. Most of the workers who were alerted on the tenth and eighth floors were able to evacuate. However the warning about the fire did not reach the ninth floor in time.

22. The ninth floor had only two doors leading out. One stairwell was already filling with smoke and flames by the time the seamstresses realized the building was ablaze. The other door had been locked, ostensibly to prevent workers from stealing materials or taking breaks and to keep out union organizers.

23. The single exterior fire escape, a flimsy, poorly-anchored iron structure, soon twisted and collapsed under the weight of people trying to escape. The elevator also stopped working, cutting off that means of escape, partly because the panicked workers tried to save themselves by jumping down the shaft to land on the roof of the elevator.

24. Realizing there was no other way to avoid the flames, sixty-two of the women broke windows and jumped to the pavement nine floors below. Others pried open the elevator doors and tumbled down the elevator shaft. Of the jumpers, a single survivor was found close to drowning in water collecting in the elevator shaft. The fallen bodies and falling victims made it difficult for the fire department to reach the building.The remainder waited until smoke and fire overcame them. The fire department arrived quickly but was unable to stop the flames, as there were no ladders available that could reach beyond the sixth floor. The death toll was 146.

25. The company's owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, had fled to the building's roof when the fire began and survived. They were later put on trial, at which Max Steuer, counsel for the defendants, managed to destroy the credibility of one of the survivors, Kate Alterman, by asking her to repeat her testimony a number of times — which she did, without altering a single word. Steuer argued to the jury that Alterman and probably other witnesses had memorized their statements and might even have been told what to say by the prosecutors. The defense also stressed that the prosecution had failed to prove that the owners knew the exit doors were locked at the time in question. The jury acquitted the owners. However, they lost a subsequent civil suit in 1913, and plaintiffs won compensation in the amount of $75 per deceased victim.

26. Cartoon pointing out the horrid working conditions at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

27. Cartoon point out the corruption inherent in the inspection of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory by city officials.

28. Firefighters returned the few belongings they could find.

32. Picture taken soon after fire was extinguished on ninth floor.

33. Picture taken after clean up began on the ninth floor.

39. A family member walks out of temporary morgue after viewing remains of victim

40. Women & the Progressive Era • In the early 1900’s a growing number of women wanted more than wives and mother roles. • By 1890’s women’s colleges prepared them for careers as teachers or nurses. • Armed with education and modern ideas, many women began to tackle problems they saw in society

41. Women & the Progressive Era • For most women working outside the home meant long hours low wages and dangerous conditions • Expected to hand over their wages to husbands, fathers, brothers. • Without being able to vote women had little say over the politicians who could expand their rights.

42. The Right to Vote • One of the boldest goals of women was suffrage-the right to vote • In 1890’s the national suffrage effort was reenergized by Carrie Chapman Catt • Catt urged women to join the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) • While some states gave women the right to vote the 19th Amendment gave women the right nation wide in 1920

43. Reformers against Discrimination • Booker T. Washington • Believed African Americans had to achieve economic independence before civil rights • Black people must tolerate discrimination while proving themselves to society

44. Reformers against Discrimination • W.E.B. Du Bois • Believed that black Americans had to demand their social and civil rights or else become victims of racism • African Americans must fight every day for the rights given to them in Constitution

45. Racism limits Progressivism • After Supreme court issued its Plessy v. Ferguson states across North and South had segregation laws. • In 1914 offices of Federal Govt in Washington DC are segregated.

46. Niagara Movement • Du Bois were concerned that in the South, black men were being denied the right to vote. • Summer of 1905 African American thinkers met at Niagara Falls • Had to stay in Canada bc no hotel in NY would give them a room.

48. 1908- White mob in Springfield, Illinois went to city jail to lynch two prisoners, led to killing two innocent and burning 40 homes • 1909- Joined leaders of Niagara Movement formed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

49. Roosevelt’s Approach to the Oval Office • Before TR Politicians took a “hands off” approach to government • Teddy believed in the “bully pulpit” • President has the right to speak out on issues

50. The United Coal Mine Workers Strike • Spring 1902 • 150,000 coal miners went on strike • Wanted higher wages • Mine owners said no! • Washington Gladden • Gets petition signed by workers that asked for Pres. Roosevelt to intervene