Fighting for

ChangeThe Progressive

Movement

Basic Problems of the Gilded Age:• poor working conditions

• unfair labor practices

• political corruption

• environmental destruction

• monopolies

• discrimination and legal segregation for women, African Americans, and immigrants

• unstable economy

• social divide between rich and poor

Causes of Problems:• Industrialization

• Immigration

• Urbanization

• Bank Instability

• Lack of Government Regulation

The Progressive Movement

• Why this name? – The Progressives want change– To some, change is bad

• For example, the factory owners may see new regulations (lots of fire exits, for example) as a drain on their profitability

– The Progressives are making the point that change is… you guessed it… • Progress!

Origins of Progressives:• Farmers

-railroads had monopolies could charge farmers high prices to ship crops

- Result farmers work harder each year and make less money

-Farmers form Grangers a sort of farmer’s union that fought to regulate railroads

-succeeded with the Interstate Commerce Act

• Labor Unions

Origins of Progressives: (cont.)

• Populists- Labor Unions and Grangers formed a new political party (the Populists) to challenge a gov which seemed to only care about the rich and powerful

• Populists never won the presidency, but did cause other parties to adopt some popular ideas

Other Reformers• Social Gospel Movement

– Salvation through charity – Help the poor and the weak – Settlement Houses

• Set up in slums to take care of those in need and new immigrants

• Run mostly by educated women

• Muckrackers

TheMuckrakersOriginally considered a negative term, but eventually these journalists helped

inspire others to fight for progressive change – including

President Teddy Roosevelt

Who and What are the Muckrakers?

• investigative reporters attempting to uncover corruption in American society

• primarily wrote articles for newspapers, magazines, and journals

• some published entire books

Focused on raking the muck of society and

making it public knowledge.

Famous Muckrakers:Ida Tarbell

(focused on monopolies like Rockefeller’s Oil Monopoly)

Lincoln Steffens(focused on government

corruption like political machines)

Upton Sinclair(focused on immigrant’s experience)

The Jungle