The Progressive Era 1900 1920 Road to Progressivism

The Progressive Era 1900 -1920

Road to Progressivism Greenback Labor Party of 1870 s sought to thwart power of "robber barons" ¢ Populism: ideas geared to rural life, many of its ideas appealed to progressives who sought to regulate trusts, reduce power of political machines, and remedy social injustice ¢

Rise of Progressivism ¢ Mugwumps (reform-minded Republicans of late-19 th c. ) desired a return to pre-monopoly America l Protestant/Victorian ideals of hard work = success were now threatened by “nouveau riche”

¢ Emerging middle class sympathized with Mugwump views ("3 rd great awakening") Political reformers, intellectuals, women, journalists, social gospelites l Saw themselves being unrepresented l

The Progressives ¢ Believed efficient gov’t could protect public interest and restore order to society l ¢ Government is an agency of human welfare Specific issues for reform l l l The break-up or regulation of trusts Killing political machines Reduce threat of socialism (by improving workers’ lives) Improve squalid conditions in the cities Improve working conditions for women and end child labor

Continued… l l l l ¢ Consumer protection Voting reform Conservation Banking reform Labor reform (working conditions and unionization) Prohibition of alcohol Female suffrage Thus, Progressive crusaders created a reform movement not seen since the 2 nd Great Awakening

Early Progressive writers and social critics ¢ Henry Demarest Lloyd -- Wealth against Commonwealth (1894) Criticized Standard Oil l Beginning of investigative journalism l ¢ Thorstein Veblen -- Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) l Criticized the nouveau riche for its flaunting of wealth

¢ Jacob A. Riis -- How the Other Half Lives (1890) Photojournalist who exposed the dirt, disease, vice, and misery of rat-infested New York slums l Heavily influenced progressives such as Theodore Roosevelt l

JACOB RIIS: DOCUMENTED POVERTY AND HOPELESSNESS Jacob Riis

Evicted

¢ Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Woman and Economics (1898) Considered a classic of feminist literature l Called on women to abandon their dependent status and work outside the home l

¢ Socialists criticized existing injustices l Many were European immigrants who hated excesses of capitalism

Social Gospel Movement (late 19 th century) ¢ Emphasized role of church in improving life on earth rather than in helping individuals get into heaven l Settlement house movement and Salvation Army

Muckrakers Name coined by Theodore Roosevelt as criticism of their journalism ¢ Journalists who attempted to expose evils of society ¢ l Popular magazines such as Mc. Clure’s, Cosmopolitan (owned by Hearst), Collier’s, and Everybody’s emerged

¢ Lincoln Steffens -- Shame of the Cities (1902) l ¢ Detailed the corrupt alliance between big business and gov’t Ida M. Tarbell: published devastating expose on Standard Oil Co Detailed Rockefeller’s ruthless tactics to crush competition l In 1911, Standard Oil trust was broken up; seen as a “bad trust” l

IDA TARBELL CARTOON SHOWING THE “OCTOPUS” STANDARD OIL SEIZING THE NATION’S OIL BUSINESSES

¢ Upton Sinclair -- The Jungle (1906) Graphic depictions of unsanitary conditions in packing plants sparked a reaction to the meat industry and led to regulation under TR l Inspired Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) l

UPTON SINCLAIR HIS BOOK, THE JUNGLE DESCRIBED THE FILTHY CONDITIONS IN THE MEAT PACKING INDUSTRY AND LED TO THE PASSAGE OF THE FEDERAL MEAT INSPECTION ACT OF 1906

EXCERPT FROM THE JUNGLE “…old sausage that had been rejected, and that was moldy and white – it would be dosed with borax and glycerin, and dumped into the hoppers, and made over again for home consumption. There would be meat that had tumbled out on the floor, in the dirt and sawdust, where the workers had tramped and spit uncounted billions of consumption germs. There would be meat stored in great piles in rooms; and the water from leaky roofs would drip over it, and thousands of rats would race about on it. It was too dark in these storage places to see well, but a man could run his hand over these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats. These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put poisoned bread out for them; they would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together… the meat would be shoveled into carts, and the man who did the shoveling would not trouble to lift out a rat even when he saw one – there were things that went into the sausage in comparison with which a poisoned rat was a tidbit. ”

¢ John Spargo: The Bitter Cry of the Children (1906) l ¢ Ray Stannard Baker: Following the Color Line (1908) l ¢ Exposed the abuses of child labor Attacked the subjugation of America’s 9 million blacks, & their illiteracy Frank Norris: The Octopus (1901)and The Pit (1903) l Showed how railroads and corrupt politicians controlled California wheat ranchers

Political Reforms ¢ Robert La Follette & the "Wisconsin Experiment“ l Governor of Wisconsin, 1901: he helped destroy the political machine, take control away from lumber & railroad trusts & establish a progressive gov’t

l Direct primary: In 1903, La Follette pressured the legislature to institute an election open to all voters within a party

¢ Introduced the initiative, referendum, and recall l ¢ Initiative: allowed citizens to introduce a bill referendum: voters cast ballots for or against proposed laws recall: gave citizens right to remove elected officials from office Direct election of Senators l Before, the state legislature chose their senator • In 1913, approved as 17 th Amendment

Adopted a state income tax; first state to do so ¢ Replaced the existing spoils system with state civil service ¢ Other states followed Wisconsin’s lead ¢

Australian Ballot (secret ballot) Introduced to counteract boss rule ¢ Voting now done secretly and bribers unable to monitor voters ¢ Ballot also eliminated illiterate voters as party workers could not help voters mark ballots ¢ l Hundreds of thousands of black and white voters became disenfranchised

Commission System For state, local governments ¢ Galveston, TX destroyed by hurricane, Sept. 1900 - 8, 000 dead ¢ City gov’t too corrupt, inept to rebuild ¢ Galveston Plan- appoint a commission to run the city ¢

Progressive Activists/Crusaders Sought improved living conditions in cities and labor reform for women & children ¢ Jane Addams ("St. Jane"): Hull House ¢ l Settlement House mov’t

¢ Women & Child Labor Reform Child labor most successful of all Progressive social reforms l Florence Kelley l • Investigated and reported on child labor while living at Hull House • As leader of the National Consumers League, helped organize consumer boycotts of goods made by children or by workers in unsanitary or dangerous jobs • As women were primary consumers, boycotts were often effective

¢ Gains in women and child labor reform l Muller v. Oregon, 1906: Supreme Court upheld Oregon law restricting women’s labor to 10 hour workday; case won by Louis Brandeis who argued that women were weaker than men

Many states passed safety and sanitation codes for industry and closed certain harmful trades to juveniles l Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire in 1911 killed 146 women workers, mostly girls l • NYC and other legislatures passed laws regulating the hours and conditions in sweatshops

By 1916, 32 states regulated the hours and ages at which children could work l Some states adopted compulsory education up to the high school level l

THEODORE ROOSEVELT REPUBLICAN 1901 -1909 PROGRESSIVISM ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL: THE PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENTS WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT REPUBLICAN 1909 -1913 WOODROW WILSON DEMOCRAT 1913 -1921

President Theodore Roosevelt - 1 st "modern" president 1 st president to use gov't to directly help public ¢ Saw the presidency as a "bully pulpit“ ¢ Supported progressive reform ¢ l ¢ "middle of the road" politician Often bypassed congressional opposition (like Jackson)

"Square Deal" ¢ TR’s program embraced “Three C’s”: Regulation of Corporations l Consumer protection l Conservation of natural resources l

¢ Regulation of Corporations l Anthracite Coal Strike, 1902: (hard coal used to heat homes) • 140, 000 workers of United Mine Workers union in PA went on strike: • • ¢ demanded 20% pay increase reduction of work day fair weighing of coal better safety conditions George F. Baer, president of company, refused to arbitrate or negotiate

¢ TR threatened to seize mines and operate them with federal troops if owners refused compromise l TR rationalized public in jeopardy of having no coal during winter, duty to intervene

¢ Owners consented to arbitration Miners received a 10% pay boost and 9 -hour work day l Owners got assurances that union would not be officially recognized l ¢ Department of Commerce & Labor: created in 1903 to settle disputes between capital and labor

¢ 1902, Roosevelt attacked the Northern Securities Company l ¢ Holding company owned by J. P. Morgan had monopoly of railroads in northwest Roosevelt now seen as a "trustbuster"

TR THE “TRUSTBUSTER” TR VS WALL STREET ANTI-TRUST CARTOON

THE NORTHERN SECURITIES COMPANY AND OTHER TRUST’S “BALLOON” CRASHES

¢ Elkins Act (1903) l ¢ Heavy fines could now be imposed on both railroads and shippers Hepburn Act (1906) (More effective than Elkins Act) l l Expanded the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission "good trusts" and "bad trusts"

Consumer Protection ¢ Meat protection l European markets threatened to ban American meat • Upton Sinclair: The Jungle l Meat Inspection Act (1906) • Pushed by TR, Congress passed bill • Preparation of meat shipped over state lines would be subject to federal inspection ¢ Pure Food & Drug Act (1906) • Prevented mislabeling of foods and drugs

MEAT INSPECTION ACT 1906

TR GOES AFTER THE MEAT TRUST

Conservation ¢ TR set aside 125 million acres of forests in federal reserves About 3 X as much as his 3 predecessors l Also earmarked millions of acres of coal deposits, as well as water resources useful for irrigation and power l

Election of 1904 ¢ Roosevelt wins reelection in 1904 Elected "in his own right" by large electoral margin l Made himself a "lame duck" president by announcing after his election that he would not run for a third term l

President William H. Taft ¢ Election of 1908 l Taft d. Bryan 321 -162 • Third time Bryan defeated in 12 years l Socialist party under Eugene Debs received fraction of PV

¢ Taft as trustbuster Brought 90 suits against trusts during four years in office; 2 X that of TR l 1911, Court ordered dissolution of Standard Oil Company l 1911, Taft pressed an anti-trust suit against U. S. Steel Corp l • J. P. Morgan

Taft-Roosevelt split Both Republican ¢ 1911, National Progressive Republican League formed ¢ l TR reasoned that the 3 rd-term tradition applied to three consecutive terms 1912 Republican convention in Chicago gave Taft nomination although Roosevelt clearly had a majority of Republican votes ¢ Progressives left the party to form a third party: TR’s "Bull Moose Party” ¢

Election of 1912 ¢ Woodrow Wilson (D) Platform: antitrust legislation, monetary changes, and tariff reductions l Wilson’s "New Freedom": Favored small enterprise, entrepreneurship, and return to a free competitive economy without monopoly l Regarded social issues as state issues l

¢ Progressive-Republican party (Bull Moose party) l Party consisted largely of cultured, middleclass people: journalists, social workers, settlement house workers, young lawyers

¢ TR’s "New Nationalism": Sought continued consolidation of trusts and labor unions, plus growth of powerful regulatory agencies in Washington; more efficient government l Quintessential Progressive platform: set liberal agenda for next 50 years

¢ Results l Wilson defeated Roosevelt & Taft: 435 -88 -8 • Wilson got only 41% of popular vote l TR’s party fatally split the Republican vote, thus giving Wilson the victory

WOODROW WILSON THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT IS ELECTED

WILSON’S INAUGURATION

WILSON THE PROGRESSIVE "Sometimes people call me an idealist. Well, that is the way I know I am an American. America, my fellow citizens—I do not say it in disparagement of any other great people—America is the only idealistic nation in the world. "

Wilson’s Presidency Serious student of gov’t; professor; later, president of Princeton University ¢ White-supremacist ¢ Very successful in appealing directly to people ¢ l ¢ Not willing to go as far as TR in government activism Moral righteousness made him often uncompromising

¢ Wilson came to office with a clear plan few presidents have rivaled First four years: more positive legislation at any time since Alexander Hamilton l Attacked "triple wall of privilege": the tariff, the banks, and the trusts l

¢ Underwood Tariff Bill, 1913 (Underwood-Simmons Tariff) l Provisions: • Substantially reduced tariff to 29% • Enacted a graduated income tax • Rate of 1% on incomes over $4, 000; 7% on incomes over $500, 000 • By 1917, revenue from income tax exceeded tariff revenues

¢ Federal Reserve Act (1913) Created Federal Reserve System l Nation’s existing National Banking Act (from Civil War) showed weakness during Panic of 1907 l

Republican solution: a huge national bank (in effect, a "third BUS") l Wilson appeared in Congress pushing a sweeping reform of banking system l • Endorsed Democratic proposals for decentralized bank in gov’t hands instead of huge private bank (Republican idea)

¢ Federal Reserve Act of 1913 l Most significant economic legislation between Civil War and New Deal • Carried U. S. through financial crises of WWI l Provisions: • Federal Reserve Board appointed by president oversaw nationwide system of 12 regional reserve districts, each with its own central bank • Federal Reserve Board guaranteed public control • Board empowered to issue paper money "Federal Reserve Notes"

Wilson Attacking Trusts ¢ Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 Presidential-appointed commission to monitor industries in interstate commerce (e. g. meat packers) l Cease and desist orders: Commissioners could end unfair trade practices: unlawful competition, false advertising, mislabeling, adulteration, & bribery l Lacked enforcement l

Henry Clayton Representative from Alabama was the driving force behind the Clayton Antitrust Act ¢ Clayton Anti-Trust Act of 1914 Purpose: Implement Sherman Anti-Trust by increasing list of business practices deemed objectionable l Legalized strikes, peaceful picketing l • Samuel Gompers hailed act as the "Magna Carta of labor"

¢ Other progressive reforms during Wilson's presidency: l In order to win election of 1916, Wilson signed other reforms • Keating Owen Child Labor Act, 1916 restricted child labor on products in interstate commerce • Adamson Act of 1916 established an 8 -hr day for all employees on trains in interstate commerce, with extra pay for overtime, & maximum 16 -hr shifts • Minimum wages • Prisons and "reform" schools forced to shift from punishment to rehabilitation

African Americans In the Progressive Era African Americans made few gains ¢ Great African American migration northward resulted in violence ¢ l By 1920, 2 million blacks lived in the North • To escape poverty and discrimination in South

¢ Race riots l Chicago Race Riot: Lasted 5 days • Black workers and returning WWI veterans clashed • 23 blacks & 15 whites dead • Over 1, 000 left homeless • Federal troops called in ¢ Lynchings continued between 1890 and 1920 l Ida B. Wells-Barnett • A leader antilynching movement • 25% decrease in lynchings within 3 years during 1890 s

Organizing for Increased Rights ¢ W. E. B. Du Bois opposed Booker T. Washington’s accommodation policies and demanded immediate social and economic equality for blacks l Differences in backgrounds

¢ His opposition to Washington led to formation of Niagara Movement (1905 -1909) Demanded immediate end to segregation and discrimination in labor unions, courts, and public accommodations l Demanded equality of economic & educational opportunity l

¢ NAACP formed l After Springfield Race Riots in 1909, a group of white progressives including Jane Addams & John Dewey formed NAACP in 1910 • Du Bois: director of publicity & research; editor of their journal, Crisis • By 1914, 50 branches and 6, 000 members

¢ Activism of Washington, Du Bois and others led to some advances Black illiteracy rate cut in half between 1900 and 1910 l Black ownership of land increased 10% l

Women’s Suffrage Seneca Falls, NY, 1848, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott: beginning of women’s suffrage movement ¢ National American Woman Suffrage Association grew from 13 K in 1893 to 75, 000 in 1910 led by Carrie Chapman Catt ¢ l Most effective leader of the new generation of women suffrage proponents

¢ Alice Paul’s Congressional Union used militant tactics to gain attention: picketing White House in 1916 and hunger strikes Put forth Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) after 1920 l 19 th Amendment passed in 1920 granting women full suffrage l • Bill put forth in House by Jeannette Rankin: first women in Congress

NEW SUFFRAGE LEADERSHIP LED BY ALICE PAUL AND CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT BROUGHT NEW TACTICS TO THE FIGHT FOR A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO VOTE. INCORPORATING TECHNIQUES USED BY THE BRITISH SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, THEY ACHIEVED THEIR GOALS WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 19 TH AMENDMENT IN 1920.

NOT ALL WOMEN WERE IN FAVOR OF VOTING

THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP LAUNCHED AN ALL OUT CAMPAIGN TO WIN THE VOTE

ALICE PAUL AND LUCY BURNS ORGANIZED A PROTEST PARADE TO COINCIDE WITH PRESIDENT WILSON’S INAUGURATION IN MARCH 1913

Prohibition of alcohol Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) ¢ Several states and numerous counties passed "dry" laws which controlled, restricted, or abolished alcohol ¢ l By 1914, 1/2 U. S. population lived in "dry" territory

¢ 18 th Amendment (1919) banned sale, transport, manufacturing, or consumption of alcohol l ¢ Volstead Act passed in 1919 to enforce 18 th Amendment Eventually, one of great failures of Progressive era— gone too far in trying to regulate society and personal behavior

Progressive Supreme Court Cases Fill in chart

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