Chapter 21 The Age of Reform 1880-1920

Section 1: Early Reforms in Texas Section 2: James Hogg & the Populists Section 3: Progressivism & James Ferguson Pages 436-451

Section 1 Early Reforms in Texas

With the development of industry and transportation, life in Texas was changing dramatically. As a result, Texas laws and politics needed to change as well.

•

Reforms

Many people moving to cities….much new industry • – Texas government had to change to keep up with the times…needed

reform Reform: changes made to improve something

• Reforms included 1. limits placed on power of governor 2. State officials had to be elected, not appointed 3.

Reduced taxes…but cuts had to be made

Improving Education

Education • Constitution of 1876 –set aside money for schools from land sales –Set aside money for school taxes, like

Poll Tax

and school tax –

Poll Tax: a tax that each person must pay in order to vote

• In 1884, counties could create own school districts, school population grew rapidly • Emphasis placed on job training in schools • Colleges were created in 1870s-1880s –Texas A & M –University of Texas at Austin

Prohibition

•Prohibition Movement • Started in1866 …closed saloons on Sundays • Thought drinking led to poverty, crime, and family violence • Temperance Movement • Supported total ban on alcohol • Texas women started the Women’s Christian Temperance Union • Keep alcohol out of Texas, dry counties/wet counties •

Prohibition: a national movement to ban manufacture, sale, transportation, or use of alcoholic beverages

•

Temperance: avoidance of alcohol

Prohibition, con’t

• World War I started…worried about effects on soldiers away from home – In 1918, Texas closed all saloons and ratified 18 th amendment to US Constitution •

18 th Amendment

–

Prohibited manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/media_content/m-5252.jpg

http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/prohibition1.htm

Prohibition and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union

http://www.emsah.uq.edu.au/awsr/Act_Centenary/whoiswho.htm

Women’s Suffrage

• Women were becoming very active in Texas politics but still denied

suffrage

–

Suffrage: the right to vote

• In 1903, Texas Equal Right’s Suffrage Association started – Result: in 1918,women could vote in Primaries •

Primary: an election held to determine who will serve as a political party’s candidate in a major election

• In 1919, US voted on 19 th Amendment: –

19 th Amendment gave women right to vote

Section 2 James Hogg & the Populists

After enduring the unfair practices of railroads and other corporations, citizens rose up and demanded that the rights of the average Texas citizen be protected.

Railroad Abuses

• Railroads helped farmers but railroad companies took advantage of farmers by charging high prices and giving favors to politicians, etc • People wanted that stopped – Members of The Grange wanted to stop the abuse • An organized group of farmers • Made of farmers to talk about crops, livestock, etc.

• Also, could purchase farm products in bulk for cheaper • Started putting pressure on railroad leaders to stop unfair practices

Hogg’s Fight for Freedom

•

James S. Hogg

– From Rusk, TX; was district attorney and then became attorney general – Fought for reform of large corporations • Insurance industry: lawsuits if didn’t follow law • Railroad industry: wanted to break up the railroad

trust

that controlled high prices for customers –

Trust: a group of companies in the same industry that set prices and reduce competition

• Hogg thought the railroad trust was a

monopoly

–

Monopoly : one company’s complete control over a type of product or service in a market

• He fought for a state

antitrust

–

business activities

law to make monopolies illegal

Antitrust: opposed to large corporations that control or limit

The Railroad Commission

• Hogg was elected governor in 1890 • Also created reforms (Hogg Laws) – Forcing large corporations to sell land – Limited amount of debt a city could have – Increased school year from 4 to 6 months – Increased funding for schools/colleges – Changed way decisions were made about pardons for prisoners • Established the Texas Railroad Commission – To oversee all railroad activity in state…helped to lower prices, shipping costs, etc. The Railroad Commission also regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas.

•

Hogg and the Populists

Hogg was successful because of people’s belief in

Populism

–

Populism: a political party for the common people that resulted in the formation of the People’s Party or Populists (1892)

• This party helped mainly farmers and ranchers • The Populist Party: – Called for regulation of business – Public ownership of railroads, telephone/telegraph – Elimination of national banking system – Wanted public warehouses for crop storage till prices increased – Wanted labor reform – Wanted direct election of Senators – Wanted a

Graduated Income Tax

•

Graduated Income Tax: a tax set according to how much a person earns

Hogg and the Populists, con’t

• Populist Party never controlled Texas state government – But did have Populist senators, House of Representative members – National Democratic Party started adopting Populist Ideas • State economy did improve after Populist pressure • Read about “Miss Ima Hogg” on page 446

Ima Hogg

The Hogg Family

Governor James Hogg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Jim_hogg.jpg/220px-Jim_hogg.jpg

Section 3 Progressivism and James Ferguson

During the early 1900s, populism expanded into the Progressive movement. Progressives wanted the government to operate more like a business. A number of politicians joined this effort, including controversial governor James E. Ferguson.

• During 1900s, Populist ideas changed into Progressive movement • Progressives wanted government more like a business • Governor James Ferguson supported this idea • Reform began to spread to cities – Between 1890-1930s…cities grew rapidly…businesses grew and generated more taxes for Texas government • Beliefs about social, economic, and political reforms were known as

Progressivism

–

Progressivism: social reform movement based on improving society through power of the government

Disaster Leads to Change

• Hurricane at Galveston in 1900…wiped out most of city (see page 448) • People knew old style of government could not handle rebuilding of Galveston • Started a new style called a

city commission

–

Commission: a group of government officials elected to perform specific duties

• City commissioners made decisions about how to run the city – Very successful and adopted by other cities

Hurricanes and Humans Video

The Galveston Hurricane 1900 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Twisted_house,_Galveston_hurricane,_1900.jpg

http://www.ritainfo.com/1900-galveston-hurricane.html

Progressives Push for Change

• Created state banking system • Better conditions in Texas prisons • Better (more fair) way to tax property • Passed laws to have food/drugs inspected for safety before they could be sold • Texas labor laws changed – Number of hours a person could work in a day – Child Labor Laws • Kids under 12 could not work in industrial plants • Kids under 16 could not work in mines, distilleries, or breweries • Could not use

blacklists

–

boycotted

to discriminate against labor unions

Blacklist: a list of persons who are to be punished or

“Farmer Jim” Takes Office

• 1915…Jim Ferguson elected as governor – Lawyer and banker; no political experience – Campaign for governor focused on helping poor tenant farmers…where nickname came from – Did good things as governor • Limited amount of rent landowner could charge • Create State Dept of Forestry • Improved rural schools and increased funding for Texas colleges • Expanded labor laws and education reforms – But he made powerful enemies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E._Ferguson

Ferguson is Impeached

• 2 nd term as governor, got into verbal fight with University of Texas Board of Regents – They wouldn’t fire some professors who had opposed him in election – Ferguson vetoed university’s funding from state • So,

impeachment

process started – Charges were mainly over misuse of money •

Impeach: to bring formal charges of misconduct against a public official to remove him from office

– He resigned before he could be impeached but he was impeached anyway

African Americans Seek Reform

• Things still weren’t good for many African Americans – Economic conditions were bad for them – Democrats did things to keep them from voting • Poll Tax hurt them because they couldn’t pay tax to vote – New laws were passed in 1910-11 that were unfair • Laws segregated waiting rooms, railroad cars, water fountains, restrooms, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, etc • These laws were known as the

Jim Crow Laws

– To fight back, African Americans joined labor unions and formed the NAACP

Jim Crow Video

Hispanic Texans

• Many Hispanics were victims of Jim Crow Laws • They faced discrimination just like African Americans