Progressive movement in SC compared to national Progressive movement

Standard Indicator 8-5.8

Progressive Movement: • Developed at city & state level

• Was response to problems of urban growth & the changing workplace

• Late 19th century

Goals of National Progressive Movement:

• Reform corruption in government

• End Big Business monopolies

• Improve the conditions of the industrial working class

• Address the problems of immigrants & migrants

Supporters of Progressivism:

• “Muckraking” journalists

• Growing middle class

• President Theodore Roosevelt

Major issues of SC Progressives:

• Child labor • Fair treatment for workers & mill village

conditions • Temperance • Women’s suffrage • Improving education • SC Progressives worked within the Democratic

Party like the Populists had • Tillman saw African American disenfranchisement

as Progressive issue

SC Supporters of Progressive Reform (The State newspaper):

Problems:

• Child Labor

• Education & Literacy

• Health Care & Illness

Reform:

• SC set minimum working age at 10 & raised it to 12

• Compulsory attendance law

• Increased funding

• Women’s League built libraries

• Adult school program

• State hospital for tuberculosis patients

Prohibition & Temperance

• Would decrease crime

• Would improve family life

Prohibition & Temperance

South Carolina

• Supported by farmers

• Approved prohibition referendum

• Legislature passed prohibition bill

• Governor Tillman did not support prohibition

• 20th c: Counties became “dry”

• 1915: State Prohibition law

• 1918: 18th Amendment

Governor Tillman

• Controlled state

• Substituted prohibition bill

• Set up Dispensary system

• State controlled distribution of alcohol

• Dispensary system failed due to corruption of officials

• Citizens made, distributed, & drank alcohol illegally

Women & Reforms

South Carolina

• Promoted reforms to improve communities:

• Prohibition

• Civic Responsibility

• education

• SC Women’s Clubs

• Church club established 1st Tuberculosis treatment cent

• African American clubs promoted better health & education

Women’s Suffrage Movement • State Level: SC gave little support to suffrage

• National level: SC women benefit

• WWI national suffragette campaign used marching, picketing, & being arrested

• President Woodrow Wilson recognizes women’s contributions to WWI & supports women’s suffrage amendment

• 19th Amendment: women’s suffrage

• SC passes 19th Amendment in 1967

National Government Reform:

• Purposes: expand democracy & limit power of corrupt political bosses

• Reforms suggested:

• Secret ballot

• Primary elections for candidates

• Direct election of US Senators (17th Amendment)

• Income tax to ensure revenue for government services (16th Amendment)

South Carolina Government Reform:

• Held 1st national primary

• Middle class designed reforms to limit political power of mil workers

• Voting registrars refused to qualify mill workers

• Columbia adopted city commission form of government to dilute mill vote

• Annexed suburbs to dilute mill vote

SC Government Reform Cont…

Governor Cooper

• Supported raising state taxes

• Increased spending on education

• Increased school year to seven months

Governor Manning

• Established income tax for all South Carolinians (fair tax system)

• Established schools

• Improved hospital administration

• Paved SC’s roads