The Progressives 1901 1918 Origins of Progressivism Origins

The Progressives 1901 -1918

Origins of Progressivism ► Origins in the reform movements of the 1890 s -Populists. ► Changes in society badly needed - government the proper agent for correcting social and economic ills. ► Gained national momentum with Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. ► Lasted through the Republican presidencies of Roosevelt (1901 -1909), and William Howard Taft (1909 -1913) and the first term of the Democrat Woodrow Wilson (19131917).

► Attitudes and Motives. § Middle-class increasingly alarmed by: ► The rising power of big business. ► The increasing gap between rich and poor. ► The violent conflict between capital and labor. ► The dominance of corrupt political machines. § Minority groups began to call for the end of: ► Jim Crow laws in the South. ► Women’s suffrage.

► Who were the Progressives? § Middle-class residents of U. S. cities. § Doctors, lawyers, ministers, storekeepers and white-collar office workers and middle management. § Worried about American democracy and morality.

§ The Social Gospel an important element of Protestant response to urban poverty. § Diverse groups – Black Americans, union leaders, feminists etc. § Strong political leaders emerged in contrast to the Gilded Age: ►Theodore Roosevelt ►Robert La Follette ►William Jennings Bryan. ►Woodrow Wilson.

► What was the Progressives’ Philosophy? § Historians see Progressivism as another phase in the reform tradition going back to Jefferson (1800 s), Jackson (1830 s), and the Populists (1890 s). § Committed to democratic values and belief that honest government and just laws could improve the human condition.

§ A revolution in thinking - Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859). § Romantic transcendentalism (all knowledge begins with self-knowledge/Individual) gave way to balanced Pragmatism (practice based on theory). § Leading advocates William James and John Dewey. § Argued that the “good” and the “true” could not be known in the abstract as fixed and changeless ideals.

§ People should take a pragmatic, or practical, approach to morals, ideals, and knowledge. § They should experiment with ideas and laws until they found something that worked for the better ordering of society. § Progressives adopted pragmatism because it allowed them to challenge orthodoxy – ie. laissez-faire and individualism.

► Scientific Management. § Frederick W. Taylor – figured out a way to organize factory work in the most efficient manner – assembly line. § Progressives believed this efficiency could be applied to government if put in hands of experts and scientific managers. § Objected to the corruption of political bosses – antidemocratic and inefficient.

► Muckrakers. § In-depth, investigative reporting to expose scandalous conditions. § Henry Damerest Lloyd in 1881 exposed the practices of Standard Oil. § Mc. Clure’s Magazine – combined careful research with sensationalism. § Jacob Riis – a photojournalist- How the Other Half Lives (1890). § Theodore Dreiser’s novels – The Financier and The Titan.

► Decline of Muckraking: § Hard to top the last story. § Banks and advertisers put pressure on editors to tone it down. § By 1910 corporations had developed the field of public relations.

Political Reforms in Cities and States ► Cornerstone of Progressive ideology was faith in democracy. ► Voter Participation. ►Advocated a number of methods for increasing average citizen participation.

§ Australian, or Secret Ballot. ►By 1910 adopted by all states. § Direct Primaries. ► 1903 Robert La Follette put the nominating process in the hands of voters. ►By 1915 all states had some kind of direct primary. § Direct Election of U. S. Senators. ►Nevada first in 1899. ►Seventeenth Amendment.

► Initiative, Referendum, and Recall. § The Initiative – voters can compel the legislature to consider a bill. § The Referendum – allowed citizens to vote on proposed laws printed on their ballots. § The Recall – enabled voters to remove corrupt or unsatisfactory politicians from office. § Social Welfare – lobbied vigorously for better schools, prisons, safety regulations etc.

► Municipal Reform. § City bosses and their corrupt alliances with local businesses (trolley lines, utility companies), were the first targets of Progressive leaders. § Mayor Samuel M. “Golden Rule” Jones – mayor of Toledo Ohio. ►Free kindergartens. ►Night schools. ►Public playgrounds.

► Controlling Public Utilities. § By 1915 2/3 rds of the nation’s cities owned their own water systems. § Many cities came to own gas lines, electric power plants, and urban transportation systems. ► Commissions and City Managers. § 1900 Galveston, Texas first to adopt commission plan of government.

§ Voters elected – fire, police, and sanitation and the mayor. § 1913, Dayton, Ohio had an elected council who hired an expert manager. § By 1923 - 300 cities had adopted the managercouncil plan of municipal governments.

► State Reform. § Progressive battled against corruption in government and business. ► Temperance and Prohibition. § Urban progressives recognized that saloons were often the center of political machines. § Rural reformers thought they could clean up morals and politics in one strike. § Prohibitionist well organized. § By 1915, they had persuaded the legislatures of 2/3 rds of the states to prohibit the sale of alcohol.

Carrie Nation

Political Reform in the Nation ► Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal. § Believed it was president’s job to set legislative agenda for Congress. ► “Square Deal” for labor. § Anthracite miners struck in 1902. § Threatened to take over mines unless owners agreed to compromise. § Owners finally agreed to 10% wage increase and 9 hour day.

► Trust-busting. § First president to enforce the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. § Roosevelt broke up a railroad combination – Northern Securities Company. § SC upheld Roosevelt’s action in 1904. § Roosevelt took antitrust action against Standard Oil and 40 other corporation. § Made a distinction between “good” trusts and “bad” trusts.

► Railroad Regulation. § Persuaded Congress to strengthen regulatory powers of the Interstate Commerce commission. § Elkins Act (1903) – greater authority to prevent rebates. § Hepburn Act (1906) – Could fix “just and reasonable” rates for railroads.

► Consumer ► The Protection. Jungle – Upton Sinclair. § Led to the passage of: ►The Pure Food and Drug Act – forbade manufacture, sale, and transportation of adulterated or mislabeled foods and drugs. ►Meat Inspection Act – federal inspectors to meet minimum standards of sanitation.

► Conservation. § Made repeated use of the Forest Reserve Act of 1891 to set aside 150 million acres of federal land. § 1902, Roosevelt won passage of the Newlands Reclamation Act – provided money from the sale of public lands for irrigation projects in western states. § National Conservation Commission established under Gifford Pinchot of PA.

Howard Taft ► More trust-busting and conservation. ► Payne –Aldrich Tariff – angered Progressives. ► Pinchot – Ballinger Controversy – Taft fired Pinchot after he protested the opening of public lands in Alaska. ► Taft supported conservative candidates over Progressives.

Rise of the Socialist Party ► More radical reforms than the Progressives. ► Public ownership of railroads, utilities, and major industries such as oil and steel. ► Eugene V. Debs. ► Partnered on some projects but most progressives scared of Socialists. ► Election of 1912 Socialists won 6% of the vote.

Election of 1912 § Taft – Republicans. § Roosevelt – Progressive Republicans (Bull Moose) – New Nationalism. § Woodrow Wilson – Democrats – New Freedom. § Eugene V. Debs – Socialists. ► Republican split vote led to Wilson’s victory.

Woodrow Wilson’s Progressive Program ► Tariff reduction – lowered tariffs for the first time in 50 ► Federal Reserve Act in 1914 – 12 district banks supervised ► Clayton Antitrust Act. Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust ► Federal Trade Commission – empowered to take action years. by a Federal Reserve Board. Act – exempted unions from being categorized as trusts. against any “unfair trade practice” in any business but banking and transportation.