The Progressive Era

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The Progressive Era 1890-1920
Chapter 21 Section 1 Roosevelt and Progressivism
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What does progressive mean?
Forward thinking people who wanted to improve
American life.To make progress.
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Many Groups
Forward Thinking
Progressives (reformers)...
Inspired by Religion Science
Public Interest Should Guide Government
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What problems in the U.S. needed reform in the
late 1800s?
Political Corruption
Power of Big Business
Conditions of American Society
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Progressives wanted to change America
Expand Democracy (political reform)
Create Economic Reform
Promote Social Reform
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Gilded Age Politics 1870s-1890s
Elections often close
Highest voter turnout for Presidential elections
in US history
Neither party could keep control of Congress
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Political Concerns of Americans during the Gilded
Age
Growing power of special interest groups
(bankers, wealthy industrialists- lobbyists).
Political Corruption (bribery, voter fraud)
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Muckrakers Journalists who exposed corruption
problems of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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Some Important Reformers and Muckrakers
Ida Tarbell Trusts Big Business. (Wrote a book
about the Standard Oil Trust.)
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Upton Sinclair (Meatpacking Industry)
Wrote The Jungle to expose the plight of
immigrant workers but created an outrage over
meat packing practices.
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Jacob Riis (Tenement Slums). Wrote a book, How
the Other Half Lives
John Dewey (Progressive Education Reform
democratic ideals, problem solving).
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Lewis Hine (Child Labor). Published photos and
stories to show condition of children working.
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Expanding Democracy

• Ending the Spoils System.
• Elected official giving out government jobs to
  loyal supporters (patronage).

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Baltimore-Washington Station, 1881.
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Charles Guiteau assassinates Garfield,
1881 Washington, DC train station.
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1883 Congress passes the Pendleton Civil Service
Act. Civil Service Commission Created.
Exams for government jobs (based on merit, not
patronage).
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Political Reform at the State and National level
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The Will of the People...
Primaries (to pick Candidates)
Initiative (voters propose laws)
Referendum (people to vote a bill into law)
Recall (voters can remove elected officials from
office)
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Robert LaFollette (Wisconsin Idea)
Governor of Wisconsin. First state-wide
progressive plan for reforms.
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Reforming City Governments
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• GRAFT form of political corruption defined as an
  unscrupulous use of a politician's authority for
  personal gain.
• Examples
• Exchange a political donation for political
  favor.
• Skim money directly from government funds
• Commit acts like insider trading

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GRAFT form of political corruption defined as an
unscrupulous use of a politician's authority for
personal gain. Examples 4. Politician buying
land that he/she knows will soon be needed for
government development. 5. Bribery by another for
personal gain (often difficult to prove).
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William Boss Tweed
Leader of the Tammany Hall Tweed Ring.
Controlled politics and cheated New York City out
of millions. 1860s 1870s
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Thomas Nast First real political cartoonist in
US. Credited with getting Boss Tweed cronies
the elephant and donkey as political symbols.
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Thomas Nast Also is credited for the familiar
image we know as Santa Clause in the red suit
(from the poem Twas the Night Before
Christmas).
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The Brains that achieved the Tammany Victory at
the Rochester Democratic Convention.
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A Thomas Nast cartoon lampoons New York City
political boss William Marcy Tweed and his
cronies as vultures.
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Wholesale and Retail. (Who is the bigger
thief?)
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William Tweed
After serving 1 year in jail, he was charged with
other crimes, sued by NYC. Fled to Spain. Sent
back to U.S. and sent to prison. Died in Jail in
1878