Progressive Reforms

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Progressive Reforms

• 1877-1920

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The Progressive Movement

• Many Americans called for reform in the 1800s.
  Progressive reformers focused on urban problems,
  government, and business. The focal point of
  this movement was on political and economic
  reforms.

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Government Reforms

• Political Machines powerful organizations
  linked to political parties that controlled local
  government in many cities. They gained power by
  attending to the needs of immigrants (e.g. jobs,
  housing)
• Controlled by political boss one of the most
  famous was William Boss Tweed. He stole more
  than 100 million from New York City.
• Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, often
  criticized Tweed in his cartoons. He helped
  bring Tweed to justice.

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Spoils System

• Also known as patronage rewarding political
  supporters with jobs and favors
• In 1883 Congress passed the Pendleton Act, which
  established the Civil Service Commission to end
  the negative effects of the spoils system .
• The Civil Service Commission set up competitive
  exams for federal jobs.

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Controlling Business

• During the late 1800s, many Americans came to
  believe that trusts, or combinations of
  companies, were becoming too large and powerful.
• New laws were passed to regulate big business.
  These were -

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• In 1890 Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust
  Act, the first federal law to control trusts and
  monopolies. It also encouraged competition
  amongst businesses.
• In 1887 Congress passed the Interstate Commerce
  Act which required railroads to charge
  reasonable and just rates and to publish those
  rates

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The New Reformers

• In the early 1900s, new ideas for correcting
  injustice and solving social problems emerged
  among Americans. One of those ideas was
  progressivism.
• Progressives were alarmed by the concentration of
  wealth and power in the hands of the few. They
  supported government efforts to regulate industry.

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• Journalists aided the reformers by exposing
  injustices and corruption. These reporters were
  called muckrakers. They exposed dangers in food,
  drugs, and working conditions during the early
  20th century.
• Lincoln Steffens wrote Shame of the Cities
  which exposed corrupt machine politics in New
  York, Chicago, and other cities.

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• Upton Sinclair author of The Jungle, which
  described the horrors of the meatpacking industry
  in Chicago
• Ida Tarbell she described the unfair practices
  of the oil trust. Her book The History of the
  Standard Oil Company warned of the giant
  corporations power.

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Government Reforms

• The Oregon System this gave the people of
  Oregon more power and limited the influence of
  political parties. It consisted of the following
• Initiative allowed citizens to introduce or
  place a measure, law, or issue on the ballot in a
  state election
• Referendum gave voters the opportunity to
  accept or reject laws that the state legislatures
  enacted.
• Recall enabled voters to remove unsatisfactory
  elected officials from their jobs

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• The 17th Amendment
• In 1912, Congress passed the 17th Amendment to
  the Constitution to provide for the direct
  election of senators.
• Ratified in 1913, the amendment gave the people a
  voice in selecting their representatives.

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Womens Suffrage

• Women gained the right to vote with the passage
  of the 19th Amendment.
• Those who pushed for women to get that right
  were known as suffragists.
• One of the leading suffragists was Susan B.
  Anthony.

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Prohibition

• A crusade against alcohol began in New England
  and the Midwest in the early 1800s. This
  movement continued into the late 1800s and the
  early 1900s as well. Known as the Temperance
  Movement, it was supported by groups opposed to
  the making and consuming alcohol.

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• In 1917, Congress passed the 18th Amendment,
  making it illegal to make, transport, or sell
  alcohol in the U.S.
• Also known as the Prohibition Law, it was
  ratified in 1919.

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Progressive Presidents

• Theodore Roosevelt
• Known as a trustbuster
• He promised the people a square deal fair and
  equal treatment for all when he ran for president
  in 1904.
• He supported the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure
  Food and Drug Act
• Has been called Americas first environmental
  president. He believed in the need for
  conservation.

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• William Howard Taft
• Succeeded Theodore Roosevelt
• Supported the 16th Amendment which gave Congress
  the power to tax peoples income to generate
  revenue for the federal government
• Woodrow Wilson
• He supported the Federal Reserve Act which
  regulates banks and banking
• Wilson supported the Federal Trade Commission
  which investigates corporations for unfair trade
  practices

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Struggle for Equal Opportunity

• Booker T. Washington
• believed equality for African Americans could be
  achieved through vocational education and
  accepted social separation
• W.E.B. Du Bois
• Believed in full political, civil, and social
  rights for African Americans. He thought African
  Americans should seek immediate equality in all
  areas.