The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era

• According to Merriam Webster, the definition of Progress:

– the process of improving or developing something over a period of time.

• In 1876, America celebrated its first century of Independence.

1776 - 1876

• This was seen as many as a time to reflect on where we have come as a nation and what we wanted our second century to look like.

• In 1859, England, France & Germany each, by itself, produced more goods than America did.

• But by 1900, America would produce more goods than England, France and Germany combined!

• And why not? We had all the advantages:

– Growing population (many of whom came from England, France and Germany)

– Unlimited natural resources– A nation of people who believed the growth was our

right and responsibility– A rapidly declining population of Native Americans to

slow us down

With the end of the Civil War, America dealt with Reconstruction, Economic Crisis, and the creation of Civil Rights it was time to turn our attention to something new…

The West

• In the late 19th century, a common American attitude towards western settlement could be summed up as follows

If we were going to claim as ours, the land we took from the British, bought from the French and won

from the Mexicans, then the Indians would simply have to get out of the way!

The West• If we were going to claim as ours, the land we took from the British,

bought from the French and won from the Mexicans, then the Indians would simply have to get out of the way!

The West

• The end of the Mexican War in 1848 had opened up a west coast for America when California was ceded by Mexico.

The West

• The next year, California became even better when Gold was found there.

The West

• Miners, Ranchers & Farmers went west and settled the area.

The West

• California was certainly good, the gold was even better but what was even better than that was the access to the Pacific Ocean and the trading opportunities that were now available!

The West

• With business opportunities now available in the west, it was time to gain better control over the west.

The West

• In return for building the Railroads, the government gave the Railroads huge amounts of land throughout the west.

• Which put Railroad companies in an extremely powerful position.

• And Steel companies who made the track, the manufactures of trains and railroad cars.

• Basically, any company that manufactured almost anything made a LOT of money!

• And that meant America made money!

U.S. Employment %

An excess of workers (who by their sheer numbers drove down salaries) unlimited resources in the west and manufactured goods that required skill to make and could be sold for a higher price all helped business grow.

Inventions

• A rise in manufacturing led to new inventions and products that reshaped America.

Inventions

And that meant, big business And that meant, big business dominated America!dominated America!

• Dominance like that needed some help however, and that help came in the form of an economic theory.

Laissez-Faire

• A policy that allows businesses to operate with very little interference from the government

Crash Course

• The Industrial Economy

Turn & Talk

• Turn and talk to the people near you and discuss the key points of the video clip and write a quick summary.

Definitions

• You now have five minutes to define the following terms and write the definitions in your notes. Divide and conquer this work with the people near you!

Definitions

• The nation was changing. We were turning to new western frontiers and manufacturing. We went from the Atlantic to the Pacific and with trade in the Pacific, we were, for the first time beginning to take our place on the world stage.

• Tying all of this together, was…

As the only effective way to move people, crops and merchandise from one coast to the other, the railroads were in a very powerful position.

Railroads

• One of many problems of this monopoly of power was felt by farmers in California.

California

• Farmers in California were in a difficult financial spot.

Crop Prices

• Increased competition in farming, and falling prices in general for crops.

• In 1881 corn sold for ¢63 a bushel

Crop Prices

• In 1890, corn sold for ¢28 a bushel!

• Most other crop prices dropped as well.

Crop Prices

• Wheat dropped from ¢95 a bushel in 1881 to ¢60 in 1890.

• Cotton dropped from $10.30 a pound in 1881, to $7.50 in 1890 and by 1894 had dropped to just under $2.00 a pound.

Crop Prices

• Transportation costs however did not reflect this drop in crop prices and it was difficult for farmers to make any kind of profit.

Farmers Alliance

• Farmers formed a political alliance to join together and fight for laws to benefit farmers.

Populist Party

• This became known as the Populist Party

• The Populist party, was organized in 1892 to represent the common folk—especially farmers—against the entrenched interests of railroads, bankers, corporations, and the politicians who supported the wealthy.

Presidential Election of 1892

Populist Party

• Populist candidates for Governor won in Kansas and North Dakota– 10 Congressmen– 5 Senators– 1,500 State Representatives

Depression of 1893

• And that’s when the economy crashed…

Depression of 1893

• Serious economic depression beginning in 1893. Began due to rail road companies over-extending themselves, causing bank failures. Was the worst economic collapse in the history of the country until that point, and, some say, as bad as the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Depression of 1893

• 1,000,000 people unemployed in 1893• 2,000,000 people unemployed in Jan. 1894• 3,000,000 people unemployed in July 1894

• Eventually, unemployment would hit 25%

Definitions

• You now have five minutes to define the following terms and write the definitions in your notes. Divide and conquer this work with the people near you!

Definitions

Depression of 1893

• During the depression, business owners cut costs by letting go of the most expensive workers and replacing them with cheaper employees.

Depression of 1893

• Poverty was everywhere, unemployment reached 25% and many men couldn’t find work because children and women were cheaper to hire.

• The wealthy, comfortable in their belief in Social Darwinism, saw no need to act to help the poor.

• So it sucked to be poor…

• But then three things happened…

Thing #1

• Journalists started writing about the lives of the poor in America and showing how unfair large corporations had become in their quest to dominate the U.S. economy, often at the expense of workers.

Thing #2

• Progressive reformers, largely urban and middle class and often women, started to work to bring change to the lives of the poor.

Thing #3

• President McKinley got shot.

President McKinley

• Now for the record, President McKinley was a very nice man who certainly didn’t deserve to be shot and killed.

President Roosevelt

• But his Vice-President was Theodore Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt

• And President Roosevelt was a man who got things done!

• And he had no patience for businesses who abused their power.

Crash Course

• The Progressive Era

Turn & Talk

• Turn and talk to the people near you and discuss the key points of the video clip and write a quick summary.

Definitions

• You now have five minutes to define the following terms and write the definitions in your notes. Divide and conquer this work with the people near you!

Definitions