The Progressive Movement

Ch 11, Sec 1-2

• 1890-1920-new reform movement.• Called Progressivism or Progressive

Movement.– Felt that private charities could not do enough to

help poor.– Gov’t must get involved.

• Progressivism not a single party or group.• Overall, had social, moral, economic, political

goals.

Goals of Progressivism

• Government should be more accountable to its’ citizens.

• Government should limit the power of wealthy interests.

• Government should be given expanded powers so that it could become more active in improving citizens’ lives.

• Governments should become more efficient and less corrupt.

Beginnings of Reform• Journalists wrote of conditions in factories and

slums.– Called muckrakers.• Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.

– Brought attention to bad conditions to the people and gov’t.

• Led to reform groups and legislation to correct conditions/abuses.

Reformers and Groups• Labor Movement.– Unions grew to combat low pay and working

conditions.• Owners used courts to prevent strikes (injunctions).

• Socialist Movement.– Gov’t redistributes wealth; gov’t controls property

& income; became popular.– Socialist Party won local gov’t victories, not

successful on national level.

• Women very important/influential in Progressive movement.

• National Consumer’s League inspected factories, demanded minimum wages, factories follow state laws.

• Florence Kelley worked with Jane Addams.– Helped end child labor, regulate sweatshops.

• Mother Jones was a union organizer, famous for organizing mine workers.– Helped found IWW, or Wobblies.

• Rose Schneiderman – Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.– Fire inspectors, fire drills, fire exits unlocked,

automatic sprinklers.

Florence Kelley

Mother Jones

Rose Schneiderman

Progressive Legislation Reforms

• Progressives wanted social welfare programs.– Programs to ensure a minimum standard of living.– Unemployment, health insurance, safety regs.

• Municipal Reforms (local gov’t).– Pushed for home rule-cities have ability to govern

themselves.– Pushed to bring down political machines.– Pushed to take over utilities (electricity, gas,

water).– Welfare services (baths, parks, shelters, relief for

unemployed).

• State Reforms.– More power for voters.• Direct primary-citizens nominate candidates for

election.• Initiative-citizens can put proposed laws on ballots via

petition.• Referendum-citizens approve or reject law passed by

legislature.• Recall-citizens vote to remove public official from

office.

– Workplace reforms.• Health & safety laws (limited hours, worker’s comp).• Establish state labor departments.• Abolished child labor, est. minimum wage.

• Federal Reforms.• Theodore Roosevelt was big Progressive

president.– Forced coal miners & owners to negotiate deal to

end strike.– Filed 42 anti-trust lawsuits; became known as

“trust-buster”, didn’t like monopolies.– Gave power to ICC to regulate railroads’ rates.– Inspired by The Jungle, passed the Pure Food and

Drug Act, Meat Inspection Act.• Required labels of ingredients, sanitary conditions,

rating system for meat.

– Created federal Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, Children’s Bureau.• Laws to protect women, kids.

– TR was big environmentalist; created US Forest Service, set aside 200 million acres for parks.

• New Constitutional Amendments.– 16th – Allowed federal gov’t to tax income.– 17th – Direct election of senators by voters.– 18th – Established Prohibition.