The Progressive Movement Goal # 33 - The middle class helped reform America
I. Industrialization helped America grow but caused problems too
A. Urban slums B. Child labor
C. Waves of immigrants needing help D. Sweatshops
E. Inequality of wealth 1% of American families owned 88% of nation s wealth 80% of families lived at or below the poverty level
Bathroom in a New York City tenement. 150 people filled each building. Toilets like this, four per floor, were located near the air shaft that was the only source of light and air for the inner apartments.
F. Inequality of Power monopolies & trusts
Government served the rich and powerful
G. Political Corruption Bosses controlled local and state politics. Public officials took bribes and stole the public s money.
II. Culture Change Many people turned away from Social Darwinism the idea that society was based on the survival of the fittest. Replaced by A new idea - A. American Government should work for all the citizens, not just big business and rich people
III. Goals of Progressives Expose wrongdoing Help underprivileged Improve working and living conditions End political corruption Promote moral improvement End child labor Promote voting rights for women
A. Exposure of Wrongdoing 1. Muckrakers wrote books & newspaper articles exposing cut throat business practices and bad working conditions --Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell, and Upton Sinclair
a. The Jungle (1906) revealed the unsanitary conditions in the meat packing industry. It shocked Americans into demanding government regulation of the food industry & cleaner conditions. Reformers also demanded regulation of medicines. Congress passed the b. Pure Food and Drug Act and a Meat Inspection Act in 1906.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair There would be meat stored in great piles in rooms; and the water from leaky roofs would drip over it, and thousands of rats would race about on it. It was too dark in these storage places to see well, but a man could run his hand over these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats. These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put poisoned bread out for them; they would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together.
The Pure Food and Drug Act took medicines with cocaine and other harmful ingredients off the market The Act halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling
B. Breaking up power of ultra wealthy & powerful 1. Trusts controlled 80% of U.S. industries (legal bodies created to hold stock in many companies) 2. Sherman Antitrust Act outlawed trusts - made it illegal for corporation to gain control of entire industry Government filed 44 antitrust suits
3. CLAYTON ANTITRUST ACT 1914 Congress strengthened the Sherman Act The Clayton Act prevented price fixing The Act also supported labor unions
C. Federal Reserve Act, 1913 Government agency created to 1. regulate banks, control money supply and interest rates, and determine monetary policy to help the country s economy
D. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, 1914 Today the FTC has been working on protecting consumers from ID theft FTC formed to serve as a 1. watchdog agency to end unfair business practices FTC protects consumers from business fraud
E. End of Child Labor Nearly every state limited or banned child labor by 1918
F. Ending Political Corruption America s cities now use a 1.council/manager form of government. Voters elect a city council. The council hires a manager. Since the city manager is not elected, he or she can devote full time to conducting city business.
Ending Political Corruption Attempt to make government more democratic- Some states adopted these reforms. 2. Referendum - citizens vote on laws that have been passed by state legislature 3. Initiative - citizens propose laws to their state or local governments 4. A recall election - citizens can vote to remove government officials from office before their terms are finished.
G. Reform of Government, 1913 Congress passed the 1.17 th Amendment voters choose their senators rather than state legislators Attempt to force senators to be more responsive to the public
H. 16 th Amendment (1916) 1.Federal income tax - tax on people s income Spread cost of operating the government among more people
I.Improve moral development Provided aid and education to young, unmarried women away from home. YWCA was a place for instruction in good hygiene, high culture, and better work habits.
IV. LIMITS OF PROGRESSIVISM Although the Progressive era was responsible for many important reforms, it failed to make gains for African- Americans The KKK reached a membership of 4.5 million in the 1920s