Unit 8

Spanish American WarAnd

The Progressive Era

1898 – 1917

Yellow Journalism

• Male Spanish officials strip search an American woman tourist in Cuba looking for messages from rebels

• Front page "yellow journalism" from Hearst

• (artist: Remington)

• Yellow Journalism

• Hearst's treatment was more effective and focused on the enemy who set the bomb—and offered a huge reward to readers

• Yellow Journalism

• Pulitzer's treatment in the World emphasizes horrible explosion

Imperialism

When one country controls another country’s land, politics or economy with no intention of stopping – literally, establishing empires.

• Foreign policy debate– Imperialism vs. Isolationism

Spanish-American War

• Monroe Doctrine (1820)– A policy statement that we would control the

Western Hemisphere (Europeans should stay out)

– To protect our economic interests and national security

• U.S. sugar industry had $50M in Cuban plantations (controlled by Americans)

Spanish-American War

• Newspapers promoted war – drawings– Spain as evil– Cuba as innocent and helpless– Pres. McKinley as a coward– Rallied sympathy for Cuban people– Fueled pro-war feeling in America

• America must intervene

• Joseph Pulitzer– New York World– Pulitzer prize for journalism– Started St. Louis Post

Dispatch

• William Randolph Hearst– New York Journal

Spanish-American War

• U.S. won basically in 2 ways:– Use of the navy by Theodore Roosevelt

• Ordered Commodore Dewey to Philippines to destroy Spanish there (Battle of Manila)

– Rough Riders• 200,000 men enlisted to fight• Teddy Roosevelt resigned as Assistant Secy. Of the Navy so

he could enlist in Rough Riders• TR was in charge of volunteers and led them up San Juan

Hill

Spanish-American War

• Results– Spain left Cuba and also handed over Puerto Rico

and Philippines to U.S.– The Platt Amendment

• Let Cuba form a government• Withdrew some U.S. troops• But put our navy base there and claimed our right to come

back

– Roosevelt Corollary (by 1904)• We will use our police power to control the Western

Hemisphere

Spanish-American War

• Imperialism after the war– American public was divided– Pres. McKinley was an imperialist– Business leaders were imperialists

Progressive Era

• Reformers wanted to improve American life– Pushed for changes to society in a movement called

Progressivism

• Progressivism – 4 main goals– Protect social welfare

• Ease ills of urban society

– Promote moral reform• Prohibitionists

– Reform economy• Industrialists vs. workers• Muckrakers

– Make business more efficient and profitable• Assembly line

Progressive Era

• Reform politics– Reformers wanted to get rid of corruption– Elections

• Secret ballot– Allow voters to remove elected officials from office– 17th Amendment to U.S. Constitution

• Ban child labor

Progressive Era

• Women– Limit number of hours women could work– Garment factories– Office workers– Education became more important for women– Women became reformers– Women’s suffrage

Theodore Roosevelt – 26th President of U.S.

• 1 term: 1901-1909• Republican Party

• Trust buster

• Square Deal

• Labor unions

• Bull Moose

Progressive Era Presidents

• Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt– “Trustbuster”– Square Deal

• Broke monopolies to improve competition

• Regulated railroads• Meat Inspection Act

– The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

• Pure Food and Drug Act• Conservation

William Howard Taft – 27th President of U.S.

• 1 term: 1909 - 1913• Republican Party

Progressive Era Presidents

• William Howard Taft– Hand-picked by T.R.– A more cautious

Progressive than T.R.

Progressive EraElection of 1912

Woodrow Wilson William H. Taft Teddy Roosevelt

Democratic Party Republican Party Progressive Party

(Bull Moose Party)

Progressive Era

Election of 1912• Progressive Party – Bull Moose Party

– Created by a split in the Republican Party– Formed by Teddy Roosevelt

• He lost the Republican nomination

• Result– Republicans split their vote – Woodrow Wilson won– Democrat majority in Congress

Woodrow Wilson – 28th President of U.S.

• 2 terms: 1913 - 1921• Democratic Party

• World War I

Progressive Era Presidents

Woodrow Wilson• Political scientist & author• President of Princeton

• Reformer– Policies known as “New Freedom”

Progressive Era PresidentsWoodrow Wilson• Federal Reserve Act of 1913

– Improved banking practices

• Businesses should be able to compete fairly– Prevent monopolies before they occur– Clayton Anti-Trust Act of 1914

• Strengthened laws against business trusts & workers’ rights

– Federal Trade Act 1914• Created Federal Trade Commission

– Investigate unfair business practices

Progressive Era Presidents

Woodrow Wilson

• Income Tax

• Stayed independent of boss rule

Progressive Era

• Reforming city governments → boss rule– Powerful politicians known as “bosses” came to rule many

cities during the Gilded Age– Bosses

• Corrupt• Influenced elections and office holders• Popular with poor, especially immigrants

– Provided jobs, made loans, gave food

– In return, poor voted for boss or his candidate

– Tweed Ring• NYC Boss William Tweed

Progressive Era

Tweed RingNYC Boss William Tweed

Thomas Nast• Cartoonist

Tweed-le-dee and Tilden-dumA Harper’s Weekly cartoon depicts Tweed as a police officer saying to two boys, "If all the people want is to have somebody arrested, I'll have you plunderers convicted. You will be allowed to escape, nobody will be hurt, and then Tilden will go to the White House and I to Albany as Governor."

Progressive Era Presidents

Woodrow Wilson

• Did not support– Women’s suffrage– Prohibition of child labor– Minority rights

• He did nothing for civil rights

Summary – Progressive Reforms

• Reforms the Progressive movement brought about in government, business, and society

– Reduced corruption in city government– Called public’s attention to social problems– Wanted big business to operate in public interest– Gave more power to voters

Progressive Reforms

• More power to voters

– Initiative• Voters can put a bill before a state legislature

– Referendum• People of a state can vote directly on a bill

– Primary• Election in which voters choose their party’s candidate

– Recall• Voters can remove elected officials from office