Progressivism in Washington

Pacific Northwest HistoryMay 12, 2011

Progressivism With the growth of industries at the beginning of

the twentieth century the nation saw many problems. Cities were crowded, no one picked up the garbage,

cities lacked sewage programs, etc. During this period there is also wide spread

political corruption and factories, towns and cities were extremely dangerous.

During this period, people wanted to clean up the cities and reform government.

This all will occur during the Progressive Movement and will radically change the future of America

Some Notable Progressive Ideas

Prohibition Legislative ReformRegulating BusinessThe Suffrage Movement

Prohibition People, especially women, attempted to make the

production, selling, & buying of all alcoholic drinks illegal.

For women this idea revolves around the modern temperance movement which found alcohol, tobacco and drugs immoral and dangerous to society.

Many people said alcohol was to blame for the following: The abuse of women and children, Most of the crime in the cities and towns, And money was wasted on booze instead of being spent

on food for families. The 18th Amendment to the United States

Constitution made alcohol illegal across America.

Prohibition in Washington Washington goes “dry” on January 11, 1916 –

four year prior to the rest of the country. Still, the majority of Washington throughout

prohibition was a very “wet” state. This was because liquor was moved through the

border region from British Columbia and smuggled by “ Rumrunners” into the states.

Rumrunners brought the illegal alcohol to private clubs or road houses called “Blind Pigs.”

Millions of Americans seemed okay with breaking the law if it interfered with having a good time.

Violations became so wide spread that local law officials stopped enforcing prohibition in many cities.

Ideas about Prohibition

The Drunkards progress

The End of Prohibition Because of a severe increase in

organized crime and the lack of control, Prohibition under the Volstead Act is a huge failure.

Eventually, on December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment to the Constitution is passed and end Prohibition.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs the Amendment into law.

Legislative Reform in Washington The progressive movement owed much to the

leadership of William U’Ren of Oregon. He encourages Oregon voters to approve new

ways for citizens to make or reject laws. Between 1902 and 1914 Washingtonians also

adopt these measures. These three process are the following:

Initiative – Allowed citizens to pass laws themselves by gaining enough signatures on a petition.

Referendum – Allowed citizens to vote for or against laws already passed by the legislature.

Recall – Allowed for the removal of people from office who people felt were doing a poor job.

Regulating Business Part of the Progressive Movement was to regulate

the way in which companies did business. Congress began to regulate the prices for the

railroads and utilities (power, sewer, water, etc.) Laws were passed to regulate the amount of

hours people could work This eventually makes people better workers and

more productive because they are well rested and they are not getting injured on the job.

Also, the first child labor laws and laws requiring kids to go to school were passed during this period.

Mark Matthews Majority of the Progressive

Movement in WA revolved around Matthews.

He was a powerful speaker and a dynamic leader.

His congregation worked for public hospitals, parks, and playgrounds, as well as juvenile courts.

He also fought against the “moral evils of liquor, gambling, and prostitution.”

He was also incensed by political corruption in city government.

His biggest movement was a campaign to remove a mayor from office because he supported illegal activities.

The Suffrage Movement One of the most significant victories of this

period was the right for Women to vote. Voting is important because it is the only way in

which to participate in the full democratic process. Women were the leaders of the progressive

movement and they understood that they could be more effective if they could vote.

A state constitutional amendment, passed in November 1910, ten years before the rest of the nation, made Washington the fifth state to give full suffrage to women. This allowed all women to vote, hold office, and to

serve on juries.

May Arkwright Hutton A colorful and energetic

campaigner for women’s suffrage in eastern Washington.

She was a former mining camp cook who struck it rich in the Idaho mining fields.

She moved to Spokane after she struck it rich and lost her right to vote which she had in Idaho since 1896.

She hated giving up the right. “Criminals and idiots can’t vote

and either can women.” Unlike other suffragists in

Seattle, Hutton preferred one-on-one lobbying and less demonstrations.

Washington’s Workers As the Pacific Northwest’s economy became

more industrialized, its workers organized into labor unions. Labor unions were established to force employers to

meet the demands for satisfactory working conditions for workers.

Conflicts arise between employers and workers as they, literally, do battle over the question of how workers should be treated.

Around 1900, the majority of workers are seasonal workers that move from job to job and carouse in the saloons and gambling halls in Seattle, Spokane, Portland and other areas.

What did Workers Want? Bread and Butter Unionism

The unions wanted, at a minimum, to attempt to improve each workers standard of living through the following: Higher wages Shorter working hours Safer work conditions

Improved working conditions increased production costs and reduced profits to business owners.

Because of this, owners and management actively opposed the organization and function of the labor unions.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Organized in 1905, the IWW championed the idea of

“One Big Union” and the overthrow of Capitalism. Capitalism is the private ownership of land, property and

business. Capitalists where owners who made money by hiring workers at very low wages.

The IWW welcomed all followers, including African Americans and women.

The union also gave dignity to unskilled workers who were usually barred and shunned by other unions.

IWW workers were referred to as “Wobblies” This group wanted radical change, not just simple

reforms Number one goal of the Wobblies was to be able to freely

speak with bosses and government leaders about change to get safer working conditions and higher wages.

Sabotage

The Everett Massacre Sunday, November 5, 1916 marked the bloodiest

battle in Pacific Northwest labor history. On this day, two steamer ships, the Verona and the

Calista, loaded with 300 Wobblies left Seattle and headed north towards Port Gardner Bay. The Wobblies were planning a public demonstration in

support of shingle weaver already on strike in Everett. Word had reached Everett that a group of

Anarchists were coming to burn the town. 200 citizen deputies met the steamer Verona. No one knows who fired the first shot but in

the end 2 deputies would die along with 20 other deputies being wounded.

5 Wobblies died and 27 were wounded. Although Some believe as many as 12 may have died.

The First World War Fought in Europe between 1914 and 1917. Most Americans were ardently opposed to the war.

However, when German U-boats began to fire on and sink American vessels, Americans became outraged.

With the sinking of the tourist ship, the Lusitania, President Woodrow Wilson, through Congress, declared war.

About 75,000 Washingtonians fought in the war. The IWW opposed the war because they felt it was

simply an effort to make business owners, who produced war materials, even richer than they already were.

The IWW went on strike in 1917 for an 8-hour work day and won because the federal government could not afford another stoppage of work.

Boom during the War The war created many jobs. At the end of the war, there were more than

twenty-five shipbuilding companies where there had been only one before the war.

The federal government sent army men to help the federal lumber industry meet production demands.

Washington crops were being sent over seas and immigrants came to Washington to help increase the production of food for Europe.

Men too old to meet the draft limit, who had had a hard time finding jobs before the war, were now finding good jobs.

From Boom to Bust The economic boom of the war years was

followed by a sharp collapse of farm and lumber prices.

Shipyards suddenly had no orders and laid off their workers.

Lumber mills no longer needed to supply wood for ships and planes so they closed. Many smaller mills went bankrupt and many men

asked how they would feed their families. Weyerhauser lumber sales dropped 50%.

Help from Hydropower Because electricity was essential to run new

inventions, producing hydropower became important.

Since the region was deficient in other energy sources (oils, natural gas, and large coal deposits), the use of hydropower was a necessity.

The major push for a dam was made by farmers because there was a drought in the state and farmers needed a water to produce. Farmers felt this was the only way to bring much needed

irrigation water to the Columbia Basin’s parched lands. A dam across the Columbia River would generate

more than enough electricity to pump irrigation water uphill to reservoirs.

The dam was later approved and would become the largest reclamation project in U.S. history.