Transcript Chapter 20 The Progressive Era
Chapter 19 The Progressive Era
Mrs. Hauber
Who were the Progressives?
Emerging Middle Class Believed in the idea of Progress —growth and advancement of the U.S.
Wanted Reforms that included: Better working conditions Better Pay Less Corruption More government involvement to end abuses
The Gilded Age
Lasted between 1870 and 1890 Wealthy men took advantage of poor immigrants Corruption and dishonesty existed in the government
The Spoils System
Immigrants and other political supporters were granted jobs in exchange for votes.
The wealthy business owners often used bribery to get laws passed that were in their favor.
Big Business had a huge influence over politics
Civil Service Commission
Pendleton Act —created the Civil Service Commission Civil service —a system based on merit to receive government jobs Excluded the judiciary, elected positions, and the military Those who performed highest on a test got the jobs.
Interstate Commerce Act
Was set up to oversee the railroad industry and any trade that crossed state lines.
Forbade rebates Included ferries, buses, bridges, pipelines, etc.
Sherman Anti-trust Act —stopped businesses from trying to destroy competition.
Was not fully enforced
Corruption in the Cities
Party bosses —powerful politicians that controlled the means to production and demanded payoff from businesses.
Handed out free turkeys and coal to the immigrants and poor in exchange for jobs and their votes.
Boss tweed —Most famous party boss that cheated NY out of $100 million; fled to Spain; was caught and died in jail.
TR’s Square Deal
Square Deal —When TR becomes President, he promises everyone equal opportunity.
Progressives —believed in reforms to help the everyday man. Progressives wanted to put an end to economic privilege and corrupt politics.
Death of McKinley
In the 1904 election, McKinley won again.
Assassinated early in his presidency at the Pan-American Conference Leon Czolgosz — anarchist who murdered McKinley TR becomes President
Teddy Roosevelt
Dynamic personality; lots of energy Well-to-do family Poor health Became blind in one eye from boxing Became champion of the everyday man despite his wealth Known as the “trustbuster”
The Coal Strike
Problems for mine workers Poor working conditions Reckless on safety No raises in over 20 years Long work hours John Mitchell —President of the United Mine workers that organized a strike
Coal Strike (continued)
The Mine owners refused to work with the union Coal was necessary for railroads, so TR intervened.
After threatening to send in the army, the mine owners finally agreed to arbitration Coal miners received most of their demands.
The Northern Securities Case
TR defended the public interest against trusts A combination of railroads in the Northwest forced people to pay whatever rates the railroads wanted to charge TR sued them under the Sherman Anti-trust Act The Court ordered the trust to dissolve.
Good Trust vs. Bad Trust
Good Trusts Beat its rival because of better prices Better products Managed more efficiently Should only be regulated Bad Trusts Formed to gouge the public Ends competition Should be broken up or dissolved
Hepburn Bill
TR strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission Hepburn Bill —gave the ICC power over pipelines, express and sleeping car companies, bridges, ferries, and terminals
Other Reform Legislation
Meat Inspection Act —required all meatpackers to meet federal inspection requirements As a result of Upton Sinclair’s book “The Jungle” Pure Food and Drug Act —required proper labeling and safeguards against the testing on new drugs.
Conservation of Natural Resources
Conservation —the movement to conserve resources for future use (such as forests and water) Newlands Reclamation Act —Large dams and canal systems were built to conserve water for irrigation.
Section 2: Middle Class Reformers • Overview: – Reform in the Cities – State Government Reform – Direct Democracy – Women’s Suffrage and Other Changes in Voting – Muckrakers
A. Reform in the Cities • Political bosses—those who controlled the cities by promising jobs for votes.
• City mangers took over in many smaller cities (non-politicians) • Settlement houses—housing for the urban poor
B. State Government Reform • Robert LaFollette—Wisconsin governor who initiated many progressive reforms • TR called Wisconsin a “laboratory for democracy”
C. Progressive Measures • Child labor laws • Direct primary—public chose party candidate • 17 th amendment—direct election of senators • Initiative—initiate a law by petition • Referendum—public votes on a law • Recall—removing an elected official
More Progressive Measures • Workmen’s Compensation Laws • Women’s Suffrage – By 1896, women could vote in 4 states • More Regulation of the Railroads • Heavier tax burden for the rich
D. Muckrakers • Reform journalists and novelists who wrote about the evils of society – Ida Tarbell—attacked the Standard Oil Company – Lincoln Steffens—”Shame of the Cities” – Jacob Riis—”How the other Half Lives”— took pictures showing poor and starving children.
Taft
Characteristics: TR campaigned for his win Very large man; over 300 lbs (actually got stuck in the White House Bath Tub) Very cautious—exact opposite of TR Did not continue to support the Progressive Movement the way TR did Only person to be both President and Supreme Court Judge
Taft Disappoints the Reformers
Reformers wanted a lower tariff Taft promised during his campaign to achieve this Payne-Aldrich tariff—only a minor revision to the existing tariff and disappointed the reformers.
Royal Progress of TR
TR toured through Western Europe Spoke out against Taft when he returned Continued to call for Progressive Reforms
Taft vs. Roosevelt
Many people wanted TR back as President and he loved a good fight.
“New Nationalism”—TR’s Campaign Slogan Called for stricter regulation of larger corporations and a real tariff revision.
Republicans stuck with Taft TR started new Party called the Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party)
Election of 1912
Four candidates included: Taft (R) TR (Progressive) Wilson (D) Debs (Socialist) Wilson won because the Republican vote was split between TR and Taft.
Taft had the least amount of votes ever for an incumbent President
Woodrow Wilson and the New Freedom
Characteristics of Wilson: Like a minister Literary President President of Princeton University Gov. of NJ Writing was wonderful but he was stiff in front of people.
A New Dedication
Tariff Reform Underwood Simmons Bill —reduced the tariff by 11% lower than the Payne-Aldrich tariff Currency and Banking Reforms “Run”—depositors withdrew their money from banks due to panic.
A run could force a bank to close very quickly and cause other runs
Federal Reserve Act
Divided the country into 12 districts providing each with a Federal reserve Bank These banks: Were the bankers banks Lent money to banks to prevent runs Created Federal Reserve Notes Provided a way to mobilize the banking reserves in times of panic.
Regulating Business
Clayton Anti-trust Act Prohibited one company from taking over the stock of another if it created a monopoly Forbade anyone to serve as a director of two ore more corporations when it lessened competition.
Federal trade Commission (FTC) —issued a “cease and desist” order against practices that were unfair or restrained trade.
The Rights of Women
Women Win the Right to Vote
Seneca Falls Convention movement —marked the start of the women’s suffrage Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony started the National Women’s Suffrage Association In the late 1800s, 4 states granted women the right to vote: Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho.
Growing Support
By 1900, many women were working outside the home.
They felt they deserved a say in laws that would affect them.
Suffragists —people who worked for women’s rights to vote
Important Suffragists
Carrie Chapman Catt —won suffrage for women state by state Alice Paul —radical who went on hunger strikes who finally appealed to Wilson for the 19 th Amendment
The 19
th
Amendment
By 1919, Congress made women’s right to vote a constitutional amendment.
This doubled the number of eligible voters
New Opportunities for Women
Higher Education Boston University gave the first PhD to a woman By 1900, the nation had over 1000 women lawyers and 7000 women doctors.
Women Reformers
Florence Kelley — investigated the conditions in sweatshops Was made chief factory inspector for Illinois Organized a boycott of goods from factories that employed children
The Crusade Against Alcohol
Women’s Christian Temperance Movement —organization that campaigned against alcohol abuse.
Frances Willard —President of the WCTU.
Spoke about the evils of alcohol Carrie Nation —stormed into saloons smashing beer kegs.
The 18
th
Amendment
In 1917, the 18 th Amendment — enforced prohibition.
Prohibition- banned the sale or consumption of alcohol.
African Americans
• Discrimination – Often refused to rent homes – Restricted to the worst housing – Had the poorest jobs
Booker T. Washington
• Booker T. Washington – Born into Slavery – Taught himself to read – Worked in the coal mines – Believed in earning respect from whites
over time
– Wrote the book “Up From Slavery” – Believed in Patience
W.E.B. DuBois
– First African-American to receive a PhD
from Harvard
– Believed in fighting for your rights – Started the NAACP (National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People)
– Did not believe in patience
Campaign Against Lynching
• Lynching—murder by a mob (usually
by hanging)
• Ida Wells urged Blacks to protest
lynchings by using boycotts
Setbacks and Successes
• Wilson ordered civil service jobs be
segregated
• Despite this, a few Black Americans
prevailed:
– George Washington Carver—discovered
hundreds of new uses for peanuts
– Sarah Walker—created hair care
products for African-American Women (she became the 1 st woman millionaire)
Mexican Americans
• Mexicans also
faced segregation
• In 1920, Thousands
of Mexicans fled to the US because of famine and a revolution.
• They were paid
lest than white workers and denied skilled jobs
Mexican Americans (continued)
• Created barrios—an
ethnic Mexican American neighborhood
– Largest one was
located in Los Angelos
• Mutualists—mutual
aid groups which pooled their money together to help pay for the sick and needy
Asian Americans
• Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 kept
Chinese from settling in the US
• In the 1900s, over 100,000 Japanese
immigrated to the US
– Most worked as farmers – Lived mostly in Hawaii and California – Farms became very profitable
Gentlemen’s Agreement
• Prejudice against Asians was high • Forced to attend separate schools • Gentlemen's Agreement—Japan
would stop more workers from coming to the US if the US would allow Japanese wives to join their husbands.
• In 1913, California banned Asians
who were not American citizens from owning land
Religious Minorities
• Anti-Catholic feelings arose in public
schools
• As a result, parochial school (schools
sponsored by the church) arose.
• Anti-Semitism—prejudice against
Jews.
• Anti-Defamation League—
worked to promote understanding and fight prejudice against Jews.
Section 5: Seeking A World Role
TR Taft Wilson
A. TR and Foreign Affairs
Motto: Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick Loved power for the US and himself US became the 2 nd largest navy in the World
B. The US and the Far East
Russia went after Manchuria Was Against Open-Door Policy Japan fought them because of their interest in that area.
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) — armed conflict between Russia and Japan over Manchuria
C. Roosevelt’s Role
Wanted to keep a balance of power between the two countries (so that US influence could be maintained) TR offered arbitration
D. Root-Takahira Agreement (Treaty of Portmouth)
Ended the Russo-Japanese War with the following conditions: Russia had to withdraw troops from Manchuria Japan had to follow Open-Door Policy in Manchuria Japanese dominance in Korea US dominance in the Philippines TR won Nobel Peace Prize
E. The Panama Canal
US wanted to buy Panama from Columbia —we could move our navy from one ocean to another US made an offer, but Columbia wanted more.
Panama Canal (continued)
A Revolution broke out in Columbia (some historians say we started it) Insurgents prevailed New “independent” republic of Panama leased the Canal to the US for 99 years.
Building the Canal
Work began in 1904, but stopped because of yellow fever.
Dr. Gorgas —destroyed breeding grounds Cost of building the canal: $50 mill and $25 mill in reparations to Panama.
F. Roosevelt Corollary
Addendum to the Monroe Doctrine Us would intervene in Latin America if there was any chronic wrong doings.
G. Foreign Affairs Under Taft
Dollar Diplomacy —using US forces and US ambassadors to promote business overseas Urged Americans to invest abroad to build American Influence Our government would protect US investors.
H. Wilson’s Moral Foreign Policy
First test came in Mexico Huerta —Overthrew the Mexican Government President de Facto-Foreign governments recognize someone in control without it being legal.
US refused to recognize Huerta
Wilson (continued)
Wilson asked Congress to assist the Mexican government by sending in troops US intercepted arms sent to Huerta and fighting ensued.
Huerta stepped down to a provisional government.
I. Chasing Pancho Villa
Villa —bandit that began a new revolt in Mexico.
He burned Columbus, NM and many US citizens were killed.
Gen. John Pershing —sent by Wilson (along with 15,000 troops) to bring Pancho Villa back Dead or Alive.
US gave up with the threats of WWI.