Progressive Era 1890s 1920 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Who were the Progressives What reforms did they seek How successful were Progressive Era reforms in the period 18901920 Consider political change social change industrial conditions urban life women prohibition ID: 773889
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Progressive Era 1890s - 1920
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Who were the Progressives? What reforms did they seek? How successful were Progressive Era reforms in the period 1890-1920? Consider: political change, social change (industrial conditions, urban life, women, prohibition)
ProgressivismWHO? “Progressives” urban middle-class: managers & professionals; womenWHY? Address the problems arising from:industrialization (big business, labor strife)urbanization (slums, political machines, corruption)immigration (ethnic diversity)inequality & social injustice (women & racism) 1920s 1890s 1901 1917 WHEN? “Progressive Reform Era”
ProgressivismWHAT are their goals? Democracy – government accountable to the people Regulation of corporations & monopolies Social justice – workers, poor, minoritiesEnvironmental protectionHOW?Government Initiative(laws, regulations, programs)
Origins of Progressivism“Muckrakers”Jacob Riis – How the Other Half Lives (1890) Ida Tarbell – “The History of the Standard Oil Co.” (1902)Lincoln Steffens – The Shame of the Cities (1904)Ida Tarbell Lincoln Steffens
Social WelfareThe Social Gospel and Settlement House MovementContinued during the Progressive Era and inspired even more reform activitiesThe Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)The Salvation Army
Settlement HousesSettlement HousesHull-House – Jane Addams Jane Addams (1905) Hull-House Complex in 1906
Social ReformsChild labor lawsTen-hour work days --The “Brandeis brief” --Muller v. Oregon (1908) -- Bunting v. Oregon (1917) Prohibition initiatives Moral Purity campaigns --Mann Act (1910)
Social Reforms (cont.)Minimum safety standards on the jobMinimum standards for housing codes“City Beautification” movement Immigration Restriction Eugenics -- Buck v. Bell (1927)Little Help for Blacks --NAACP (1909) -- “Birth of a Nation”
WOMEN (in social welfare)Women were active in progressivism --Suffragettes like Susan B. AnthonyFlorence Kelley: Became an advocate for improving the lives of women and children. Desire to make society more moral and more just Desire to distribute income more equitably Desire to broaden opportunities for individual advancement Frances Willard (1838-98), leader of the WCTU Susan B. Anthony 1820-1906Florence Kelley1859-1932 Jane Addams180-1935
Promoting Moral ImprovementThese reformers wanted immigrants and poor city dwellers to uplift themselves by improving their personal behavior. Prohibition: The banning of Alcoholic beverages, they feared that alcohol was undermining Americans morals.
WOMEN (in moral improvement)In the 1890s, Cary Nation worked for prohibition by walking into saloons, scolding the customers, and using her hatchet to destroy bottles of liquor
Creating Economic Reform Because of the Panic of 1893 some Americans especially workers, embraced socialism. Big business often received favorable treatment from the government
Eugene V. Debs Debs was a union organizer the Pullman strike of 1894 He was jailed for his actions in the strike. Debs was among the early founders of the Socialist Party. He ran for president five times
Fostering Efficiency As president, Roosevelt advanced aggressive political reforms, including the heavy regulation of business. “trust-buster” first president to us the Sherman Antitrust Act
Progressive Amendments to the ConstitutionProgressive reliance on the law16th Amendment (1913)—federal income tax17th Amendment (1913)—direct election of senators 18 th Amendment (1919)—prohibition 19 th Amendment (1920)—vote for women
The Waning of the Progressive Movement Progressive movement peaks by 1917Success of the movement led to its declineAdvent of World War I also hurt progressive activismProgressives themselves began to weary of their reform zeal—as did the nation as a wholeIronically, voter participation has steadily declined since the election of 1912
Adolescent girls from Bibb, Mfg. Co. in Georgia
Mill workers mending broken threads on bobbins .
"Breaker boys, Hughestown Borough Coal Co. Pittston, Pa."
Mill Girl, Lancaster, S.C., November 30, 1908
Breakerboys – Pennsylvania Coal Company