The Progressives The Progressives Confront Industrial Confront Industrial

CapitalismCapitalism

The American PeopleThe American People, 6, 6thth ed. ed.

I. Who were the Progressives?I. Who were the Progressives?

Progressives focused on the Progressives focused on the problems that industrial and problems that industrial and urban growth were creating in urban growth were creating in the early 20the early 20thth Century Century

Progressivism was the first Progressivism was the first modern reform movement; modern reform movement; encompassed such diverse encompassed such diverse fields as environmentalism and fields as environmentalism and birth controlbirth control

They included They included MuckrakersMuckrakers

A new kind of journalist: They A new kind of journalist: They were interested revealing were interested revealing injustice and corruption in injustice and corruption in AmericaAmerica

Targeted specific governments Targeted specific governments and businesses such as the and businesses such as the meat-packing industrymeat-packing industry

Example: Upton Example: Upton Sinclair’s Sinclair’s The JungleThe Jungle

TR couldn’t TR couldn’t eat meat for eat meat for a week after a week after reading reading Sinclair’s Sinclair’s book!book!

They included social They included social reformersreformers

Established child-labor Established child-labor legislation Targeted length of legislation Targeted length of workday for women, supported workday for women, supported birth controlbirth control

Endorsed better housing and Endorsed better housing and education in overcrowded citieseducation in overcrowded cities

Crusaded against saloons, Crusaded against saloons, brothels and movie housesbrothels and movie houses

Reformers fought for women’s suf-frage (The brown states were the last to give women the vote)

Some reformers fought for the Some reformers fought for the prohibitionprohibition of alcohol—by 1919, of alcohol—by 1919, only the salmon-colored states only the salmon-colored states did did notnot have statewide prohibition have statewide prohibition

II. Reform in the Cities II. Reform in the Cities and Statesand States

Problems in the citiesProblems in the cities

The continued growth of the The continued growth of the cities in America caused a wide cities in America caused a wide range of social problems range of social problems

The inclusion of large The inclusion of large populations of immigrants was populations of immigrants was the important difference between the important difference between American and European citiesAmerican and European cities

Municipal (city) ReformMunicipal (city) ReformMunicipal reform was chiefly Municipal reform was chiefly concerned with making the concerned with making the operation and administration operation and administration of the city as efficient as of the city as efficient as possible through innovative possible through innovative adaptations of business adaptations of business management techniques to management techniques to governmentgovernment

Reform in the StatesReform in the States

The American The American federalistfederalist system of system of government gave reformers a government gave reformers a chance to “clean up” state chance to “clean up” state governments, as wellgovernments, as well

Most reform came in the form of Most reform came in the form of laws increasing democracy, laws increasing democracy, individual freedoms, social justice, individual freedoms, social justice, and efficiency of governmentand efficiency of government

State reforms included:State reforms included:

Initiative: Initiative: Allowed voters to Allowed voters to introduce billsintroduce bills

Referendum: Referendum: Allowed voters to Allowed voters to vote on proposed lawsvote on proposed laws

Recall: Recall: Allowed voters to “fire” Allowed voters to “fire” elected government officials elected government officials

III. Theodore Roosevelt III. Theodore Roosevelt and the Square Dealand the Square Deal

TrustsTrusts

Foremost on Roosevelt’s Foremost on Roosevelt’s hit list was an attempt to hit list was an attempt to control the actions of large control the actions of large industrial corporations that industrial corporations that were constantly were constantly consolidating, growing consolidating, growing bigger and more powerfulbigger and more powerful

TR directed the TR directed the Justice Justice Department to Department to prosecute some prosecute some of the largest of the largest corporations in corporations in the country the country under the under the Sherman Anti-Sherman Anti-Trust ActTrust Act

Among the Square Deal Among the Square Deal laws you’ll learn about:laws you’ll learn about:

Meat Inspection ActMeat Inspection ActPure Food and Drug ActPure Food and Drug ActElkins and Hepburn Acts Elkins and Hepburn Acts

(regulation of railroads)(regulation of railroads)

ConservationConservation

Roosevelt tripled the land set Roosevelt tripled the land set aside for national forests, aside for national forests, bringing the total to more than bringing the total to more than 150 million acres150 million acres

Worked to increase public Worked to increase public awareness of the limited amount awareness of the limited amount of resources in Americaof resources in America

National Parks created by National Parks created by TRTR

IV. Woodrow Wilson IV. Woodrow Wilson and the New and the New FreedomFreedom

Wilsonian ReformWilsonian Reform

Recommended Recommended reducing thereducing the national national tarifftariff to eliminate favoritism and to eliminate favoritism and restoring competitionrestoring competition in industry in industry

A compromise bill to retool the A compromise bill to retool the banking system resulted in a modest banking system resulted in a modest income taxincome tax and the creation of the and the creation of the Federal Reserve SystemFederal Reserve System

Wilson and TrustsWilson and Trusts

Wilson submitted the Wilson submitted the Clayton Clayton Act to CongressAct to Congress in 1914 and in 1914 and endorsed the Federal trade endorsed the Federal trade Commission embedded with Commission embedded with enough power to stop enough power to stop companies guilty of restricting companies guilty of restricting competitioncompetition

Summary:Summary:

The Progressives were the The Progressives were the founders of modern founders of modern liberalism:liberalism: They didn’t They didn’t opposeoppose capitalism, capitalism, but they did believe that but they did believe that business should be regulated business should be regulated for the good of the people and for the good of the people and they believed in honest they believed in honest government responsive to government responsive to American votersAmerican voters