Age of Reform in Texas 1880 1920 Vocabulary

Age of Reform in Texas 1880 -1920

Vocabulary • • • reform poll tax prohibition temperance suffrage primary trust monopoly antitrust • • populism graduated income tax progressivism blacklist scrip impeach segregate

Important Vocab MEANINGS: • Reform-changes made to improve something • Poll tax-A tax that each person must pay in order to vote • Prohibition-a national movement to ban all alcohol • Temperance- avoidance of alcohol • Suffrage-the right to vote • Primary- election to determine a political party’s candidate • Trust- a group of similar companies who set prices and reduce competition • Monopoly- one company’s complete control over a type of product or service • Antitrust- opposition to a trust

Important Vocab MEANINGS: • Populism- a political movement created to look out for the interests of the average rural citizen • Graduated income tax- a tax set according to how much each person earns • Progressivism- social reform movement to improve society through government • Blacklist- a list of persons to be boycotted or punished • Impeach- bring charges against a public official to remove her/him from office • Scrip- form of payment to workers that had to be spent in a company store • Segregate- to separate people according to their race

Early Reforms in Texas

A Time of Changes • Industry and technology caused rapid growth in Texas in the late 1800 s. • Texans felt that the state government needed to change to keep pace/keep up. • The citizens began to demand REFORMS. • The most important issue to Texans was to limit state government. • Other issues: education, alcohol, suffrage.

Improving Education • During the Republic Era, land was set aside for public schools. • 1854 Permanent School Fund • Poll Tax- Collected to fund schools. • 1884 - Counties allowed to form school districts. • 1870 s-1880 s- Several state universities established. (University of Texas and Texas A&M)

Prohibition • During the 1870 s, citizens began to voice concerns about the effects of alcohol on society. • The TEMPERANCE movement began. • Most counties became “dry” (alcohol free). • 1918 Texas ratified (accepted) the Eighteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, outlawing all alcohol.

Women’s Suffrage • The Texas Constitution 1876 denied women suffrage. • Texas women created the Texas Woman Suffrage Association. • After many years of trying and failing, women were able to vote for the first time in Texas state primaries in 1918. • In June, 1919, Texas ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, giving all women the right to vote.

James Hogg and the Populists

The Call for Reform • During the late 1800 s to early 1900 s, business and industry controlled Texas politics. • Texas citizens demanded political reform.

Railroad Abuses • Railroad companies were following unfair business practices, and had become corrupt. • Texas citizens demanded reform of the railroads. • They found their champion for reform in James Hogg.

Hogg’s Fight for Reform • 1866 James Hogg was elected state attorney general. • He led the fight to: -- reform of large corporations. -- to make monopolies illegal by passing a state antitrust law. • Hogg was elected governor in 1890, and formed the Texas Railroad Commission.

Hogg and the Populists • Hogg’s reform appealed to Populists. • Populists demanded government regulation of businesses and utility companies. • They also campaigned for a graduated income tax and direct election of U. S. Senators. • In 1896, populism faded away, being replaced by the Democratic Party, which held many populist values.

Populism After Hogg • The new governor, Charles Culberson, took over and continued Hogg’s Populist agenda. • He improved educational opportunities for African Americans and Mexican Americans. • When his term ended, the Populist movement died.

Progressivism and James Ferguson

Reform Spreads to the Cities • The thoughts, beliefs and desires about social, economic, and political reform came to be known as Progressivism. • Those who supported the movement were called Progressives.

Disaster Leads to Change • The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 created a basic ideal of Progressivism. • After the city’s destruction, the surviving citizens decided that they needed a new form of local govt. to help with the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding. • They created the city commission; each commissioner had specific experience and knowledge in areas to help the city. This new commission became a model for many U. S. cities.

Progressives Push for Change • Progressives pushed for reform to labor laws. Companies could no longer use blacklists. • Companies could no longer issue scrip (credit) instead of money for wages. • Child labor laws were enacted. No child under age 12 could work in industrial plants. Children under 16 could no longer work in • breweries, mines, or distilleries.

Progressives Continue to Push for Change • Progressives improved prison conditions. • Created a fairer way to tax property. • Passed new laws to safely inspect food and drugs before they could be sold to the public.

“Farmer Jim” Takes Office • 1915 James Ferguson becomes governor. • He concentrated on helping the poor tenant farmers, giving him the nickname “Farmer Jim”. • He was very productive. He reformed tenant farming as promised, created the State Department of Forestry, improved rural schools, and increased funding to Texas colleges.

Farmer Jim, cont. • He also made some very powerful enemies! • Governor Ferguson was impeached after a dispute with the University of Texas Board of Regents. • He was banned from ever again holding public office in Texas.

Jim Crow Laws • After the Civil War, those in the South were still very much against freedom for African American slaves. • Those states decided to pass the Jim Crow Laws, which discriminated against African Americans. • This included: segregation of schools; use of public facilities; access to theaters, restaurants, etc.

African Americans Seek Reform • Many African American Texans found themselves powerless after Reconstruction. • Democratic leaders harassed and t threatened them if they tried to vote. • In 1902, the poll tax was enacted, requiring voters to pay a tax to be able to vote. • Most minorities and many whites were too poor to pay the tax, and therefore could not vote. • Segregation was widespread as a result of the Jim Crow Laws. • In 1912, some Houston residents formed an NAACP chapter.

Hispanic Texans • Many Mexican American citizens faced similar challenges. • They were also victims of the Jim Crow Laws. • Hispanics joined in the fight for better living and working conditions. • A bigger challenge for all Texans was forming elsewhere in the world…