THE PROGRESSIVE ERA POPULISM AND PROGRESSIVISM BELLRINGER ANSWER

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA POPULISM AND PROGRESSIVISM

BELLRINGER – ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN YOUR NOTES • How did the Second Industrial Revolution affect farming and agriculture? (Hint: Mc. Cormick Reaper) • Who were the business leaders during the Gilded Age? (Hint: Standard Oil) • What was the purpose of labor unions?

FARMING IN 1900 • Machines had increased production and lowered the price of crops (supply/demand) • Number of farmers decrease by 23% but size of farms increase. • Many farmers borrowed money for more land equipment.

ISSUES FOR FARMERS • The price of farm goods drop due to advances of Second Industrial Revolution • Railroads charged high fees to ship farmers crops • Big business charged high prices for fertilizer and farm machines.

FARMERS BAND TOGETHER • Like workers, farmers band together to solve these issues. • Most famous group was the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, known as The Grange

THESE FARMERS WILL FORM THE POPULIST PARTY AND ATTEMPT TO UNITE VOTERS IN THE WEST AND SOUTH

POPULIST PARTY PLATFORM • Print more paper money; farmers can charge more for their products and pay their bills (No more Gold Standard) • Force government to regulate railroad rates • Greater regulation for banks and protection for mortgage holders

THE GOLD STANDARD • US paper money was backed by gold • You could trade paper money in for gold at the US treasury • The US could only print as much money as they had gold

WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN • The Populist Party will support the Democrat, William Jennings Bryan, in the Election of 1896. • Bryan is famous for his “Cross of Gold Speech” • Bryan loses but the Populists are able to make some lasting changes

IMPACT OF THE POPULIST MOVEMENT • Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 • This law allowed the government to regulate railroad rates and prevent discrimination against farmers. • First US government attempt to regulate an industry.

MARY LEASE PRIMARY SOURCE • As we read, answer the following questions: 1. Who wrote this? When? 2. What was going on for farmers at the time? 3. Lease is a woman, speaking to women. What does this say about women’s

PROGRESSIVES URBAN POPULISTS

A CALL FOR CHANGE PROGRESSIVISM • Attempted to change society politically and socially • They were anti-monopoly 1. Monopolies removed competition and gave companies too much power. 2. Government should be involved.

WHO WERE THE PROGRESSIVES? • Progressive movement was an urban movement; mainly in big cities. • Urban version of populism. • Fought against threats to society

WHAT WERE THREATS? • Income inequality – money controlled by too few • Poor working conditions and child labor • Bad living conditions for poor in cities • Little or no standards for businesses

MUCKRAKERS • Journalists who looked for corruption and exposed it to the public. • Got their name from President Teddy Roosevelt

JACOB RIIS – HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES • Riis photographed the working poor and child laborers in Americas industrial cities • Showed the awful living conditions

IDA TARBELL – EXPOSING STANDARD OIL • Wrote an article about John D. Rockefeller in Mc. Clure’s Magazine • Told how he put smaller companies out of business unfair practices

UPTON SINCLAIR • Exposed the filth of the American meatpacking industry • Collected his findings in a book called The Jungle.

EXCERPT FROM THE JUNGLE 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…

EXIT SLIP, QUESTION #4 • How does this quote relate to the topic that we discussed today. “I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. Then I realized that I was somebody”

MUCKRAKERS AND REFORM • Sinclair and other muckrackers convince Americans to demand reform • Progressives want government to get involved; end laissez-faire politics • The Jungle, for example, convinces Congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act creating a federal inspection program in the meatpacking industry

PROGRESSIVES CLEAN UP BIG CITIES • Tenement Act of 1901; tenements had to have lights in the hallway and one bathroom per two apartments • Garbage collection in cities • Funding for community hospitals • Better police and fire protection

BEFORE PROGRESSIVES TWO YEARS LATER

BEFORE PROGRESSIVES TWO YEARS LATER

DO YOU REMEMBER? • Which photographer helped to show the poor conditions of New York's tenements? • What name is given to the rapid growth of cities that helped to create the overcrowding problems?

REFORMING THE WORKPLACE • Worked with labor unions to improve working conditions • Accomplishments: –Minimum wage for some workers in 12 states –Worker's Compensation laws in 30 states –Child labor laws in some states

TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE, 1911

TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FIRE, 1911 • The fire kills 146 women. • Locked doors and inadequate fire escapes helped to contribute to the high death toll • Outrages many progressives and average citizens

AFTER THE FIRE • New York passes laws for workplace safety, wages, and working conditions. • Becomes the model for progressive labor reform

WHAT DO YOU THINK? • Many of you have part time jobs. How have the reforms from the Triangle Fire effected the modern workplace?

REFORMING GOVERNMENT • Progressives work to make government more accountable to voters • Introduced three radical ideas: –Initiative – public proposes legislation –Referendum – public votes directly on laws –Recall – public can force corrupt politicians out of office

BIGGEST CHANGES TO GOVERNMENT • Use of the secret ballot in elections; crooked politicians could no longer know how people vote • 17 th Amendment – direct election of senators by voters, instead of state legislators

ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR. . . • Why was it important for Progressives to make government more accountable to voters?