Transcript The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era
Progressive Movement aimed to restore
economic opportunities and correct injustices in
American life
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Protect Social Welfare
Promote Moral Improvement
Create Economic Reform
Foster Efficiency
Social Welfare
 Social Gospel movement 
settlement houses
 YMCA libraries, classes, swimming
pools, ball courts
 Salvation army feed the poor,
childcare, slum brigades
 Florence Kelley- leader (Hull House)
 Women and Children
 Illinois Factory Act (1893)- Chief Inspector
Moral Improvement
 Prohibition-banning of alcohol
 Women’s Christian temperance
movement
 Anti-Saloon League- Pass Laws
Economic Reform (after the Panic
of 1893)
 Socialism (Eugene V. Debs)-want
political change
 Muckrakers-journalists who write
about corruption in society and
politics
Efficiency
 “Bradies Brief” social science-prove
that long hours harm society and
industry
 Scientific management- Ex. Henry Ford
raise pay and lower hours = happier
workers
Reforming Local Government
 Natural disasters force changes
 Hurricane (Galveston, TX)  commission
 Flood (Daytona, OH) city council-manager
 Reform mayors
 Hazen Pingree (Detroit) –Economics
 Fairer taxes
 Decrease Public transportation fairs
 * Unemployment relief
 Tom Johnson (Cleveland-1/19 Socialist mayors)focused on getting rid of greedy private utility
ownerspublic owned
 Held town meetings to people could question
government
Reforming State Government –
Progressives regulate :RR, mines, mills,
phone, etc.
 Reform Governors-Robert LA Follette, James
Hog, and Charles Aycock
 “Fighting Bob” 3x governor senate
 Targeted RR :taxes same as other business and
no free passes
 Protect Working Children
 Worked because of family need
 Prone to accidents
 (Reforming State Gov., Cont…)
 1904-National Child Labor Committee
investigated work places
 Children lower wages for all workers
 Keating-Owen Act (1916)- no
transporting of goods made by child
labor across state lines
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Declared unconstitutional by courts
 Did succeed in banning child labor in
most states and setting maximum
work hours
 Shorter hours for all
 Louis D. Brandeis (brief) Muller v
Oregon $ Bunting v Oregon
 10 hour workday
 Worker compensation