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Progressive Era 1914 book exploring balance between things like traditionalism and progressivism. Could Laissez-Faire be amended? Could the government substitute mastery for drift?
Progressive Era
1914 book exploring balance
between things like traditionalism
and progressivism.
Could Laissez-Faire
be amended?
Could the government
substitute mastery for drift?
What were
the ills that
Progressives wanted to cure?
Popular mags…..increased public awareness!
Broad spectrum – parties, regions, levels of gov’t.....
Steffens – The Shame of the Cities
Tarbell – Standard Oil
Phillips – Senate
Baker – Following the Color Line
Spargo – The Bitter Cry of the Children
Wiley – snake oil
More Awareness More democracy!
Where the country stood at 1900
1. Imperial power with new territories.
2. #1 producer of goods (and from 1900-1910, production increased by 85%!)
3. Civil War bitterness subsided for whites; replaced by patriotism, economic
opportunity, and white supremacy.
4. Increased civil rights, immigration, social work, and feminist activities.
5. Continued technological advancement and transportation development.
6. Increased gap between rich and poor (haves and have-nots).
7. Urban underclass increasingly without hope of advancement and titans of
industry with unprecedented wealth and power.
8. Muckraking increasing resentment.
9. Strikes continuing and often violent.
Muckrackers
Goo
Goos
Temperance
Suffragettes
Populists
Midclass
Women
Labor
Unions
Civil
Rights
Roots
Progressivism was a continuation of efforts
begun by the Greenbacks – the Grange
and especially the Populists.
2nd Great Awakening
Antebellum Reforms[1810s-1850s]
CIVIL
WAR
Populism[1870s-1890s]
Social Gospel
Progressivism[1890s-1920]
1920s Revivalism
New Deal[1930s-1940s]
1950sRevivalism
Great Society
&1960s SocialMovements
ChristianEvangelicalMovement
CONSERVATIVE
REVOLUTION
The “Culture Wars”:The Pendulum of Right v. Left
Progressive Presidents: Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson
Progressives in general: middle class, white collared,
educated, urbanites interested in
curing the ills of society and
encouraging active government
involvement… from both parties and all
regions of country.
A Progressive is a Populist
who shaved his whiskers,
washed his shirt, and put
on a derby hat.
-- William Allen White
…Wage War on Social Injustice by Increasing Democracy
and Avoiding Social Revolution… Preserve American Ideals
While also Changing Expectations of Government… ending
Laissez-Faire…. Targeting:
Women’s suffrage
Monopolies Political corruption
Inefficiency of government Discrimination
Alcohol Immigration
Pornography & Prostitution Working Conditions
Unregulated Business Wages
Commission System – experts running city
ex: Galveston, 1901
City Manager System – elected city council chooses
manager (expert)
Laws/Law Enforcement – decreasing slumlords, juvenile
delinquency, prostitution, corrupt
sale of city services, bribed
police officers
Public Utilities Commissions – government regulation
Primary elections – voters nominating state senators
Initiative – voters propose legislation
Referendum – laws on ballot for voter approval
Recall – voters remove “bad” leaders
Corrupt Practices Acts – limiting $ candidates spend
Australian ballot – secret ballot
Votes for Women – before the 1920,
all but the light red states had some
level of female suffrage
(green had full)
The Wisconsin Example, 1901
Increased government regulation of public utilities
Reducing political power of RR and lumber,
Expert advisors
Robert M. La Follett
“Fighting Bob”
led progressive
change in Wisconsin
as governor .
Under Roosevelt
Reclamation Act – oversaw land development for water power, 1902
Department of Commerce and Labor – new executive agencies to
investigate businesses engaged
in interstate commerce, 1903
Elkins Act – strengthened ICC regulation of RR, targeting rebates, 1903
Hepburn Railroad Act – more power to ICC to regulate RR, 1906
Meat Inspection Act – inspection of animals at slaughter, “corral to
can” if interstate commerce, 1906
Pure Food & Drug Act – inspection meat products and open labeling
of medicines/drugs in products, 1906
Aldrich-Vreeland Act – national banks issue emergency $, 1908
Under Taft
Payne-Aldrich Bill – moderately reduced tariffs while raising others, 1909
Underwood-Simmons Tariff, - Lowered Import Duties, 1913
16th Amendment – Graduated Income Tax, 1913
17th Amendment – Direct Election of Senators, 1913
Under Wilson
Underwood Tariff – significantly lowered tariffs, 1913
Federal Reserve Act – national bank #3, 1913
Federal Trade Commission Act – investigate and end unfair business
practices in trusts, 1914
Clayton Anti-Trust Act – strengthened Sherman Act and removed labor
unions as trusts, 1914
Lafollette Seaman Act – better treatment for sailors, 1915
Federal Farm Loan Act – low interest loans for farmers , 1916
Workingmen’s Compensation Act – shot down by Supreme Court but would
have provided help to civil service employees during hard times,1916
18th Amendment – Prohibition, 1918
19th Amendment – Women’s Suffrage, 1920
Warehouse Act – credit for farmers storing crops in federally licensed
warehouses, 1916
Adamson Act – 8 hour workday and overtime pay for RR workers, 1916
Settlement House Movement & Women’s Clubs
provided women with experience , education, and a voice.
“Separate Spheres” Embraced by Women’s
Movement
Women’s place was
in the home… caretaker
and moral compass for
family should have a vote!
Women Tackled:
Child Labor, Disease in tenements, Pensions for
single mothers, Food safety, Temperance, Unsafe working
conditions, etc.
Formed groups such as:
Women’s Trade Union League
National Consumers League
Served on Federal Agencies such as:
Children’s Bureau, 1912
Women’s Bureau, 1920
Florence Kelley Educated at Cornell, former resident/worker at
Hull House, became Illinois’s first chief factory inspector and
founded/led National Consumers League in 1899.
Influenced 1908 Muller vs. Oregon case
The case upheld Oregon state
restrictions on the working hours of
women as justified by the special state
interest in protecting women's health.
Secured 10 hour workday , illustrated
government power over business , but
upheld sexism.
Invalidating Progressives:
Lochner v. New York, 1905Supreme Court ruled law for 10 hour workday for
bakers was "unreasonable, unnecessary and arbitrary
interference with the right and liberty of the
individual to contract."
Partially Validating Progressives:
Muller V. Oregon, 1908Supreme Court upheld special law for women’s
workday citing special needs of women.
Laws protecting
workers were
meaningless if
not enforced…
This tragedy led
to workers
compensation
laws and
stronger laws
and regulations.
Women’s Christian Temperance Union
(WCTU) founded by Frances E. Willard,
became the largest female organization
in the world. They helped reduce alcohol
consumption and pass “dry” laws.
Anti-Saloon League also assisted dry movement and passage of
the 18th Amendment in 1919.
(later reversed with the 21st Amendment in
1933.)
Controlling
corporations,
consumer protection,
conservation of the
United States’ natural
resources.President 1901-1909
1902 Anthracite Coal Strike
T.R. forced arbitration…
threatened to send in troops… did
not take sides…
ending in 10% wage increase and
9 hour workday.
T.R. was the first president to get involved in a strike
WITHOUT taking the side of the employers!
T.R. urges Congress to create the
Department of
Commerce and Labor
1903
--Later split into two
departments
--Head of department is
member of presidential
cabinet
-- aided in trust-busting
TRUST BUSTER?
4,000 businesses swallowed by
trusts … T.R. tried to distinguish
between “good” and “bad “
trusts… brought a few suits… but
really didn’t BUST the trusts.
Didn’t want to punish success, but
did want to assert government
power over business.
(regulating more than
busting up)
Puck was a political magazine.
The image shows T.R. scrubbing
“Flim-Flam Finance” with “honesty
soap.”
T.R. went after the Northern
Securities Company in 1902
(J.P. Morgan and James J. Hill)…
went to Supreme Court, which
ordered it to be dissolved.
Business was angry but progressives
pleased.
1904 Election 56% of vote!
His SQUARE DEAL continues…
Stock Market prices fell 50% from 1906.
Many bank runs and bankruptcies.
Was it caused by Progressive policies? NO but public
likes to blame Presidents so T.R. was blamed.
Did conservatives blame progressive policies? YES
The government still couldn’t regulate
economy.
There is no national bank.
J.P. Morgan and wealthy bankers bailed
out failing businesses in exchange from
promise from T.R. not to bust his new
trust. (Taft later does)
Upton Sinclair’s book exposing the
filth of the meat packing industry and
plight of factory workers motivated T.R.
to investigate… and then support the
Meat Inspection Act of 1906.
1864 – Yosemite Grant creates the first park for
public use under Lincoln
1872 – Yellowstone established under Grant
1877 Desert Land Act – unsuccessful
1891 Forest Reserve Act – authorized president to
set aside land to be protected by national parks
1902 Newlands Act
– irrigation projects in west
1905-1911 – Roosevelt Dam
T.R. and Gifford
Pinchot, head of
the federal
Division of
Forestry
T.R. was one of the greatest
environmental advocates.
Muir Woods National Monument, 1905
… and 5 National Parks, 148 million
acres of National Forests,
Pelican Island animal refuge, and
23 monuments in his 8 years as
President!
T.R. and John Muir, author of
Our National Parks, 1901 and co-
founder of the Sierra Club
Boy Scouts of America founded in 1910
celebrates the outdoors.
Sierra Club est. by
Jon Muir fights to
conserve natural
resources.
Call of the Wild
written by Jack
London raised
awareness and
concern for nature.
Hetch Hetch Valley in
Yosemite National Park was
destroyed when a reservoir
was created in 1913.
This was a blow to
Conservationism, but
illustrates the conflict between
nature and civilization.
Roosevelt voluntarily steps down, as
was tradition after two terms.
He was a popular, energetic,
president who restored power
of executive and tamed
industry.
He hand selected his
successor, William Howard Taft,
to replace him… but Taft didn’t do
things the Roosevelt Way… DRAMA!
WJB lost to McKinley in 1896 & 1900
Third loss to Taft in 1908
He remained popular among liberal,
progressive/populist democrats,
carried the South, but lost with his
43% to Taft’s 52% of the vote.
Eugene Debs ran as a Socialist in the 1908
election and received 420,794 votes.
Debs ran for president in 1900, 1904
receiving a similar amount of votes.
He ran again in 1912 and earned more than
900,000 votes.
In 1920, he ran from his prison cell… and
earned a record 913,693 votes… Socialist
Party hasn’t received that many votes since.
After Taft took office, T.R. went
hunting in Africa.
Strengthen Executive
Tamed Industry
Balanced dramatically different interests
with skill (Employer-Employee,
Business-Government, Conservation-
Industry, Individualism-Paternalism)
Square Deal was the grandfather to his
5th cousin’s New Deal
Opened America’s eyes to the world and
their responsibility in it
Taft was expected to continue Roosevelt’s
policies, but he had none of the skill and
charm that enabled T.R. to lead.
His Dollar Diplomacy replaced the Big Stick,
and his trust busting exceeded what T.R.
thought was right.
T.R. re-enters politics in the next election to
stop Taft.
Encouraged investment in Panama,
Honduras, Haiti, and China to increase
American security and prevent Europeans
from doing so.
Tried to buy the Manchurian RR from
Japan/Russia… was laughed at.
1912 – forced to use force… Nicaragua
revolution threatens completion of Panama
Canal… Taft sends in troops.
Exchanging Dollars for Bullets… with limited success…
T.R. doesn’t like Taft’s aggressive Trust
Busting…
90 suits in 4 years compared to 40 in 8.
1911 – Standard Oil Company broken
Tried to break up U.S. Steel, which
infuriated T.R. since he approved some
of the mergers following the panic of
1907.
T.R. & Taft
Reasons T.R. tried to replace Taft:
1. Payne-Aldrich… raised some tariffs while
lowering others… anti-progressive
2. Trust busting too aggressively
3. Ballinger-Pinchot conflict of 1910… Pinchot
criticized Ballinger… Taft fires Pinchot…
Pinchot buddy of T.R.
The Republican Party split… Old Guard
supporting Taft… progressive wing
supporting T.R. and his
New Nationalism, which led to
Democratic take over of Legislature in 1910
elections and the 1911 creation of the
Progressive Party.
T.R. enthusiastically re-enters
politics in 1911.
Donkey and Elephant were symbols of Democratic and Republican parties,
thanks to Nast, and the new Progressive Party had the Moose… because T.R.
was called a Bull-Moose.
The Progressive Party &Former President
Theodore Roosevelt
People should riseabove their sectarianinterests to promote the general good.
Women’s suffrage.
Graduated income tax.
Inheritance tax for the rich.
Lower tariffs.
Limits on campaign spending.
Currency reform.
Minimum wage laws.
Social insurance.
Abolition of child labor.
Workmen’s compensation.
The Democratic Party &Governor Woodrow Wilson (NJ)
Could he rescue the Democratic Party from “Bryanism”??
Government control of the monopolies
trusts in general were bad
eliminate them!!
Tariff reduction.
One-term President.
Direct election of Senators.
Create a Department of Labor.
Strengthen the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
Did NOT support women’s suffrage.
Opposed to a central bank.
Keepthe
WhistleBlowing
Taft was determined to defeat TR and preserve the conservative heart of the Republican Party.
High import tariffs.
Put limitations on female and child labor.
Workman’s Compensation Laws.
Against initiative, referendum, and recall.
Against “bad” trusts.
Creation of a Federal Trade Commission.
Stay on the gold standard.
Conservation of natural resources because they are
finite.
The Socialist Party & Eugene V. Debs
The issue is Socialism versus Capitalism. I am for Socialism because I am for humanity.
Government ownership of railroads and utilities.
Guaranteed income tax.
No tariffs.
8-hour work day.
Better housing.
Government inspection of factories.
Women’s suffrage.
The key issues in the
campaign were …
Progressive = Roosevelt 88 electoral votes
Democrat = Wilson 435 electoral votes
Republican = Taft 8 electoral votes
Socialist = Debs 0
With Taft’s 23% popular vote and Roosevelt’s 27% popular
vote… a united Republican Party would have won the election.
Wilson received 41% and was a minority president… fewer
people voted for Wilson than voted for William Jennings Bryan
in earlier elections!
Tariff
Underwood Tariff of 1913
Banks
Federal Reserve Act, 1913
Trusts
Federal Trade Commission Act, 1914
Clayton Anti-Trust Act, 1914
Panama Canal Tolls Act
repealed…
Great Britain was upset with
this Act, as it went against the
1901 Hay-Pauncefote Treaty
which promised to keep the
canal free and open to all.
Wilson repealed it as a matter
of “good faith.”
Jones Act, 1916
Full territorial status to Philippines and
promised independence as soon as
they were stable. Wilson believed in
self-determination of
nations.
California – Japan
California was prohibiting Japanese from owning land.
Wilson sent WJB to get CA to back off. Japan threatened
force in Pacific in retaliation.
Haiti, 1915 Dominican Republic, 1916
Marines sent in to
protect Americans
during riots and
violence.
They stay for 19 years.
Continued Roosevelt’s plan
to handle finances and
manage their police… a lot
of violence here… marines
sent in to stop riots. They
stay for 8 years.
Wilson was a very hesitant imperialist… he acted against his own
beliefs with these two interventions. He believed they were so unstable…
leaving them alone would cruel.
Wilson buys the
Virgin Islands from
Denmark.
Latin Americans call
the Caribbean
YANKEE LAKE.
A Mexican Revolution in 1913 ended
badly when General Huerta became
president after murdering the
revolutionary leader.
Mexicans flooded into America.
Mexicans asked for help but Wilson
didn’t intervene, because the motive
was financial not moral.
1914, Wilson supports arming
Huerta’s rival, Carranza and Villa.Huerta Carranza
Wilson threatens to use force
after the Tampico Incident
(American sailors arrested) and
ordered the navy to Vera Cruz.
Huerta and Carranza are now
upset with Wilson… and Pancho
Villa attacks Americans in Mexico
and in New Mexico.
John J. Pershing was sent to
capture Villa… didn’t get him.
