How PROGRESSive was the PROGRESSIVE ERA???

November 3, 2014

How PROGRESSive was the PROGRESSIVE ERA???• Progressive Era was PROGRESSIVE for WHITES

– But…NOT MINORITIES (African, Native, Mexican, & Asian Americans)

– Progressives encouraged everyone to follow WHITE, MIDDLE CLASS Way of Life

• Americanization: attempt to have immigrants drop their culture & adopt “American way of life”– Food; English language; clothing; drop cultural

customs; ex: no drinking (European custom)1896: Plessy v. Ferguson • Separate but Equal is OKAYAfrican American PROGRESSIVES demand CHANGE1. Booker T. Washington: Move slowly toward racial

progress2. W.E.B. Dubois: Harvard Graduate who claimed that

African Americans should DEMAND change IMMEDIATELY

Niagara Movement: denounced the idea of GRADUAL progress

• Met in Canada because NY denied hotel stay for African Americans

• Led by Dubois• Claimed that African Americans need to learn more than

trade skills (need history, literature, philosophy, etc.)• In 1909 – becomes NAACP (National Assoc. for

Advancement of Colored People)PROGESSIVE PRESIDENTS1. TEDDY ROOSEVELT• GREW UP WEALTHY/ VERY SMART– HARVARD GRADUATE

• WIFE DIED (22 YRS OLD/ KIDNEY DISEASE)– MOVED WEST (LOVED THE WILDERNESS)

• MOVE BACK EAST/ ENTER POLITICS• FOUGHT CORRUPTION IN NYC POLICE DEPT.• SEC. OF NAVY

Teddy Roosevelt: Spanish American War and

his PresidencyNovember 5, 2014

• 1895: SPANISH AMERICAN WAR BREAKS OUT– CUBA WAS A COLONY OF SPAIN– WAR WAS FOUGHT BETWEEN SPAIN & CUBA FOR

CUBA’S INDEPENDENCE• AMERICAN BATTLESHIP OFF COAST OF CUBA

– PROTECTING U.S. INVESTMENTS (HERSHEY)• 1898: U.S.S. MAINE EXPLODES

– 266 U.S. SAILORS DIE– U.S. BLAMES SPAIN– BUT…

• U.S. IN WAR FOR 5 MONTHS (APR. – AUG.)• ROOSEVELT FORMS THE ROUGH RIDERS

– VOLUNTEER MILITIA GROUP• AUG. 1898: SPAIN SURRENDERS

1. CUBA GETS INDEPENDENCE2. U.S. GETS PUERTO RICO, GUAM, & PHILLIPINES

• END OF WAR: ROOSEVELT ELECTED NY GOV.

ELECTION OF 1900• MCKINLEY WINS REELECTION (ROOSEVELT IS VP)• 1901: MCKINLEY ASSASSINATED

– SHOT BY ANARCHIST IN ABDOMEN– DIED FROM INFECTION FROM BULLETS WEEK LATER

• ROOSEVELT SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT– YOUNGEST PRESIDENT EVER

• ROOSEVELT PUSHES FOR CHANGE– CALLED “SQUARE DEAL”

• GOAL: KEEP WEALTHY FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF POOR/ SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

1902 COAL MINE STRIKE IN NEPA• MINERS STRIKE FOR PAY RAISE/ SHORTER WORKDAY• COAL NEEDED FOR: ______________________• ROOSEVELT THREATENS TO SEND IN FEDERAL TROOPS• OWNERS GIVE IN TO MINERS• 1ST TIME IN HISTORY THAT GOV’T HELPED LABORERS

• SHERMAN ANTI-TRUST ACT: BREAK UP LARGE COMPANIES– ROOSEVELT DID NOT HATE ALL COMPANIES

• FOCUS: COMPANIES THAT BULLIED SMALLER BUSINESSES/ CHEATED CONSUMERS• PRESERVE LAND: SAVED OVER 230,000 ACRES OF LAND

– CREATED THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (I.E. GETTYSBURG)• ROOSEVELT IS PRESIDENT UNTIL 1908• IN 1908: ROOSEVELT CLAIMS HE WANTS TO RETIRE• ROOSEVELT HELPS SEC. OF WAR WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT BECOME PRESIDENT

– THINKS TAFT WILL CARRY OUT ROOSEVELT’S PROGRESSIVE POLIICIES• ROOSEVELT CLASHES WITH TAFT

– TAFT EASY ON TRUSTS (LIKE TR)– TAFT Proposed INCOME TAX (TR AGAINST)– TAFT DOES NOT FOCUS ON CONSERVATION (LIKE TR)

• 1912 ELECTION: ROOSEVELT RUNS FOR RE-ELECTION AGAINST TAFT• DEMOCRAT: WOODROW WILSON (42%) • REPUBLICAN:TAFT (23%)• PROGRESSIVE: ROOSEVELT (27%)• WHO WINS??? WILSON

Woodrow Wilson•Only president with PhD•Historian/ Professor•President of Princeton University•Governor from New Jersey•Did NOT win popular vote (42%)Once in office…•Attacks the “Triple Wall of Privilege”1.Tariffs•Tariff: Tax on a FOREIGN good (ex: BMW)•To prevent BIG BUSINESS from charging HIGH prices

– LOWER Tariffs on imported goods

•RESULT: If U.S. prices too HIGH; Americans will just buy FOREIGN (more affordable)2.Banks•PROBLEM: no authority to supervise banks

• Banks give out $$$ with no track of reserves (what is being held)• RESULT: no $$$ if people want to WITHDRAW from their savings• Wilson creates the Federal Reserve Act (1913)

– Regional banks hold onto reserves & manage funds– Enough reserves to cover withdrawals– Still in effect today

3. Trusts• Wilson creates the Federal Trade Commission to:

– Watch TRUSTS– FALSE ADVERTISING– DISHONEST LABELING

• Clayton Anti-trust Act: Strengthen Sherman Anti-trust ActOther things Wilson did…• 1913: 16th Amendment: Income tax• 1913: 17th Amendment: election of Senators by people of the state