Chapter 6 Progressivism What Was Progressivism Progressivism- address the social problems that industrialization created Improve living conditions, question business practices, improve/fix government Muckrakers- exposed social ills in newspapers or books Focus on business and political corruption, insurance and stock manipulation, exploitation of child labor, slum conditions and racial discrimination Jacob Riis becomes famous for his book How the Other Half Lives 1
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Reforming Society 1920 s 50% of population living in cities Activists want to expand public health services Tenement Act 1901- landlords must install lights in hallways and at least 1 toilet for every 2 families NAACP- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Fight for the rights of African Americans ADL- Anti-defamation League Fight anti-semitism or hostilities towards Jews Reforming the Workplace 1904 Florence Kelley founder of National Child Labor Committee Goal: persuade state legislatures to ban child labor Progressives want to limit women s workdays Some success- Oregon ( 10 hrs), Utah (8hrs) Unskilled workers paid low 1983- national minimum wage law Business fought labor laws in court One worker victory- 1908 Muller v. Oregon, upheld 10 hr. workday in women s laundries and factories Long workdays bad for women s health Triangle shirtwaist Company Fire 3
Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire New York 1911 500 Workers on a Saturday Fire breaks out on the 8 th floor, then 2 others Doors locked, Flimsy fire escape 140+ women and men died Turning point for working conditions Unions- international ladies garment workers Union- unskilled workers Industrial workers of the world- unskilled workers Reforming Government Progressives want to end corruption and make government run better Set up new ways to run local government Commission plan- have a panel of people (hopefully experts) run the city Professional plan- hire professional politicians to run the city. Moved to state governments also Regulated business and focused on change 4
Direct primaries- make elections more fair and politicians accountable to the people 17 th amendment- U.S. Senators are voted on by the people, not state legislature Secret ballots States adopt 3 measures: Initiative- allows voters to propose laws and put them on the ballot Referendum- can put recently passed laws on the ballot Recall- can remove elected officials from office WOMEN AND PUBLIC LIFE Opportunities for Women Women being admitted to colleges (Upper/middle class women) Jobs like teachers, nurses, bookkeepers, typists, secretaries, a few journalists and artists. For the less educated there were factory jobs Left a lot of educated women with not much to do 5
Gaining Political Experience Focus of women s movements Child welfare- want to end child labor, improve health and education Prohibition- do away with alcohol (the source of all problems) 18 th Amendment- ratified 1919 Ending poverty Suffrage (right to vote) Civil Rights women s movement Same goals as above Anti-lynching Anti- Jim Crow Anti-segregation Rise of Women s Suffrage Seneca Falls Convention 1848 15 th Amendment- African Americans time- women take a back seat, support them Susan B Anthony-a leader in suffrage movement Arrested for voting 1875 Supreme court- women are citizens, but that doesn t mean they get to vote Arguments from men: Not educated/experience Women don t really want the vote Women s place is at home Family represented by the man Section 3 THEODORE ROOSEVELT S SQUARE DEAL 6
Roosevelt s View of the Presidency 1898- Roosevelt is New York Governor Angered Republicans Plan: make him the V.P.- he wont have power!! Sept. 14, 1901 President McKinley shot Roosevelt is now President and only at 42!! Used office as a bully pulpit Roosevelt throws his weight around 1902 in a coal miners strike, sides couldn t agree, Roosevelt threatened to nationalize the Coal mines Arbitration: workers got a shorter work day, higher pay, but their union not recognized Square deal Balance between workers, consumers and business Limiting big business, looking out for consumers and improving working conditions Won re-election Regulating Big Business Roosevelt saw the benefit of big business but thought it should be limited 1901-3 major railroad companies merge to create Northern Securities Company Monopolize shipping Sued in 1902 for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act 1904- Northern Securities Company is broken up Trust busting based on the good of the American people 7
Regulations- a rule or law designed to control conduct Railroad companies were giving benefits to valued customers and charging them less Congress passes the Elkins Act to regulate shipping rates Hepburn Act will give power to the Interstate Commerce Commission- they can regulate all interstate commerce Food and Drugs Chemicals and tricks are used to fool customers Child cough syrup- heroin, pneumonia cureopium, eggs-formaldehyde, coke- cocaine The Jungle brings attention to the food industry 1906 Meat Inspection Act- meat inspection across state lines Pure food and drug act- can t sell harmful food or drugs (duh?) 8
Environment Roosevelt believes the earth is finite, we need to protect it 1905 U.S. Forest Service is created, headed by Gifford Pinchot 150 million acres will be designated national forests 18 national monuments will be created too 9