Progressives & Reform

Copy the words in YELLOW

Government Reform: Spoils System Spoils System = when a politician gives

someone a government job in return for help getting elected (ex. Their friends)

Problem = unqualified people getting government jobs – stealing $$$$

President Garfield was assassinated by someone who felt they should have had a job so… Civil Service Commission: agency set up by

Congress to fill government jobs, set up tests for government jobs

Muckrakers

Muckrakers = journalists who exposed corruption in government and industry

Goal = to get the government to pass laws to get things changed for the better

EXAMPLES:Upton Sinclair – Wrote

book on the meatpacking industry

Ida Tarbell – Wrote articles about the Standard Oil Company’s unfair business practices

Thomas Nast – Drew political cartoons about corrupt city government

The Progressives/Reformers

Progressives/Reformers = a group of people that tried to change industry, government and cities.

Goal = to get the government to work for the PUBLIC INTEREST instead of the interest of big business

16th Amendment: created federal income taxes 17th Amendment: changed the election of

Senators to popular vote instead of by the state government

The Temperance Movement

Temperance Movement = Ban the sale of liquor in the U.S. (Prohibition)

Carry Nation = husband died from heavy drinking – she fought hard to band “demon rum”

18th Amendment: made liquor illegal to sell (led to underground sale of alcohol – EX. Speak easys)

Suffragists

Women’s Suffrage = the fight to let women vote (only a few western states let women vote)

How? – They staged peaceful demonstrations and marched (EX. Seneca Falls Convention 1848)

19th Amendment: gave all women the right to vote (1920!!!)

Economic Reform

Big business (Carnegie Steel, Rockefeller Oil) was out of control

Late 1800s – business leaders in major industries had formed trusts

1890 – Sherman Antitrust Act made it illegal to gain control of industries by forming trusts.

Government didn’t enforce at first…needed a strong president

Presidents Roosevelt & Taft

Teddy Roosevelt – at 42, our youngest President up until then

Supported by the Progressives Trustbuster = Went after big business

trusts & monopolies (EX. J.P. Morgan, Standard Oil Company, etc)

Broke up big trusts into smaller companies

Roosevelt also… Helped striking coal miners labor union Regulated railroads Started national parks and conservation

(controlling how America’s natural resources were used)

Established Grand Canyon as national park President William H. Taft = did more trust-

busting than Roosevelt during time in office

Presidents Roosevelt & Taft (cont.)

Teddy Roosevelt 26th President

William H. Taft 27th President

Wilson & Progressivism

1912 Election – Democrat Woodrow Wilson beats Taft & Roosevelt

Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 – gave govt. more power to regulate trusts

Federal Reserve Act – created modern banking system

Personally believed in segregation – allowed Southerners to gain federal support

Final Question

Describe what a progressive reformer is and what they worked for. Provide at least one example.