Lecture: Progressives Learning Target: I can describe the political and social changes the United States went through during the Progressive Era
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) A-Republicans had splits 1-Half-Breeds: supported Civil Service reforms and merit appointments to government 2-Stalwarts: opposed Civil Service reforms and supported protective tariffs 3-Mugwumps: Group that left Republican Party and joined Democratic Party A) Favored Civil Service reform 4-Election of 1800 unified the party (Garfield, a Half-breed, and Arthur, Stalwart, ran together)
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) A-Rutherford B. Hayes (disputed election)
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) B-James A. Garfield (Election of 1880) 1-second shortest term-6 months, assassinated by Charles Guiteau
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) C-Chester A. Arthur (Took over after Garfield s death)
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) D-Grover Cleveland (1884) 1-Wabash Case A) Supreme Court Case which challenged Illinois law regulating railroad rates 1) done to appease farmers B) Court ruled Illinois cannot do this since it is interstate trade and Constitution grants that power to Congress
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) D-Grover Cleveland (1884) 3-Dawes Severalty Act A) Law encouraging assimilation of Native Americans into US Society B) Broke up reservations and gave land to individuals C) Gave each family head either 160 acres of farm land or 320 acres of grazing land D) Destroyed reservation system and opened more land for whites E) Catalyst: Helen Hunt Jackson s book: A Century of Dishonor 1) depicted injustices to Natives
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) D-Grover Cleveland (1884) 2-Interstate Commerce Act A) Established ICC in order to regulate discrimination in railroad industry B) prohibited rebates C) required railroads to publish rates D) banned charging more for short hauls than long hauls
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) E-Benjamin Harrison (1888) 1-Grandson of W.H. Harrison
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) E-Benjamin Harrison (1888) 2-Populist Party emerges (about 1890) A) consisted mostly of farmers B) platform 1) Graduated income tax 2) free/unlimited coinage of silver 3) gov t ownership of telephone, telegraph and railroad C) Many ideas taken up by Progressives
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) E-Benjamin Harrison (1888) 3-Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890) A) Based on Congress power to regulate Interstate Commerce B) Declared every contract, combination, or conspiracy in restraint of trade illegal C) Monopolies legal UNLESS doing one of the actions listed in B) 1-can be prosecuted D) Applies to businesses and unions according to Supreme Court
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) F-Grover Cleveland (AGAIN! 1892)
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) G-William McKinley (1896 & 1900) 1-only one elected to two consecutive terms, but assassinated 6 months after beginning second term by Leon Czolgosz
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) G-William McKinley (1896 & 1900) 2-During election of 1896, William Jennings Bryan (D) gave famous speech called Cross of Gold A-Criticized gold standard and urged making coins out of silver B-Popular with farmers C-famous quote: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.
I-Prior to 1900, presidents were not very strong (1877-1900) G-William McKinley (1896 & 1900) 3-Open Door Policy (1898) A) US becomes major trader in Asia after getting Philippines B) Europe & Japan wanted to take over part of China C) McKinley s Sec. of State John Hay sends message to Europe, Japan asking them to state publicly they would not interfere with US trade with China D) All parties agreed
II-People demanded reform in all parts of American life, including politics A-Why? 1-government, especially state and local governments, controlled by political bosses 2-Average citizen had very little say about the National government A) U.S. Senators chosen by State legislators, not elected B) No open primaries C) Electoral Collage elects President
II-People demanded reform in all parts of American life, including politics 3-Many people believed the government was corrupt A) not responsive to needs of the people B) laissez-faire attitude
II-People demanded reform in all parts of American life, including politics 4-Nation keeps growing A) New States (post-civil War) 1) Nebraska (1867) 2) Colorado (1876) 3) North and South Dakota (1889) 4) Montana (1889) 5) Washington (1889) 6) Idaho (1890) 7) Wyoming (1890) 8) Utah (1896) 9) Oklahoma (1907) 10) New Mexico (1912) 11) Arizona (1912)
II-People demanded reform in all parts of American life, including politics 4-Nation keeps growing B) Territories 1) Alaska 2) Hawaii 3) Cuba 4) Philippines 5) Guam 6) Puerto Rico
III-What type of people would most likely be progressives? A-Who Were Progressives? 1-White middle-class 2-city dwellers 3-college educated 4-people who sympathized with the down trodden 5-people who wanted to play an active role in public life 6-vocationally, came from all walks of like 7-politically diverse: came from all political parties
III-What type of people would most likely be progressives? B-Muckrakers 1-Journalists with progressive spirit (first investigative reporters) 2-Named by T. Roosevelt because they were looking for corruption 3-Examples A) Ida Tarbell: History of Standard Oil (1904) B) Upton Sinclair: The Jungle (1906) C) Lincoln Steffens: Shame of the Cities (1904) (exposed corrupt city government) D) John Spargo: The Bitter Cry of Children (1906) (child poverty) E) Nelly Bly: Ten Days in a Mad House (1887)
III-What type of people would most likely be progressives? C-NAACP formed 1-formed to help African Americans gain equal rights 2-founded by William Edward Burghardt DuBois
III-What type of people would most likely be progressives? D-Workers 1-building were old and dilapidated 2-buildings were hot in summer, cold in winter 3-rooms were crowded 4-pay was cheap 5-long hours (12-16 hours per day) 6-worked 6 days a week (Sunday off for church)
III-What type of people would most likely be progressives? D-Workers 7-no sick leave (lost job if called in sick) 8-no overtime 9-no health insurance 10-if you were hurt on the job, it was too bad A) lost job if went to doctor during work! 11-Unions were growing slowly
III-What type of people would most likely be progressives? E-Women 1-held ¼ of all jobs 2-not allowed to vote in national elections until 1920 A) some states allowed women to vote in state & local elections 1) 1890: Wyoming became first state to allow women to vote
III-What type of people would most likely be progressives? F-African American 1-Under rule of Jim Crow Laws (also known as Black Codes ) 2-Plessy v. Ferguson A) Segregation is legal as long as facilities were equal B) Doctrine of Separate but Equal is created C) Problem: How can separate things be equal?
IV-Which states had successful reforms? A-Began in Wisconsin 1-Robert LaFollette ( Battlin Bob ) A) Elected governor in 1900 B) Later elected U.S. Senator C) recruited professionals from University of Wisconsin to help solve state s problems D) Initiated drive for direct primaries in state elections
IV-Which states had successful reforms? B-Other states modeled their reforms after Wisconsin 1-New Jersey: Woodrow Wilson, Governor A) Regulated railroads & Utilities B) Instituted direct primaries C) Created a system of industrial Accident Insurance (We call it Worker s Compensation today)
IV-Which states had successful reforms? 2-California: Hiram Johnson, Governor 3-New York A) Successful Challenge of railroads A) Exposed corruption in Life Insurance Business
V-Political Reforms A-Reform governments were elected all over the nation in 1900, but did not last long 1-Problem: Getting and keeping support B-Elections 1-Prior to reforms: Political machines selected candidates 2-After reforms: candidates had to go through open primaries A) Political machines slowly lost power, however some were still in control of local government into 1930 s
V-Political Reforms C-Initiative Laws 1-Allowed citizens to propose laws by petition. If enough people sign petition, it is then placed on the ballot for all citizen to vote on it. 2-Referendum: Election to decide if something should become a law
V-Political Reforms D-Recall election 1-allows voters to remove an elected official from office before their term expires 2-used only in state and local offices 3-not all states have this