CHAPTER 23 STUDY GUIDE

# 1 DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF

PROGRESSIVISM….

a. Acted out of concern about the effects of industrialization and conditions of industrial life

b. Fundamental optimism about human nature

c. Willing to intervene in people’s lives

d. Used govt to put reforms in place (“There aught to be a law”)

e. Change the environment….change the individual

f. Touched every American in some way whether they were Progressives or not

#2 PROFESSIONS

Law, medicine, religion, business, teaching and social work

Professions attracted young educated men/women

Formed a new middle class that did not get status from birth or inherited wealth

Formed professional societies that governed profession (ex. Am. Medical Association for doctors)

#3 SOCIAL JUSTICE REFORMERS

People interested in freeing individuals from

the crushing impact of cities and factories

Ministers, intellectuals, lawyers, social workers

Different from previous reformers?

Saw problems as endless and inter-related

Interested in social cures not individual charity

#4 WCTU

Women’s Christian Temperance Union

Why founded? Major social problem in cities was drunkenness

Therefore, WCTU sought to solve this social ill

What problems did it address? Workers drinking away wages; violence caused by

drunkenness; lost productivity at work due to alcohol use

Largest women’s organization in US History (up to that time)

Joined with Anti-Saloon League and ultimately got 18th Amendment (Prohibition) passed in 1920

#5 WOMEN’S ROLE IN SOCIAL JUSTICE

Women led out in many of the social justice

movements; they were the instigators

Challenges faced: inferior status in society

which was highlighted by lack of suffrage;

without right to vote, politicians less likely to

take them seriously

#6 PAST PROBS WITH SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT

Fragmentation/Lack of Unity

Attempted to gain the vote one state at a

time

#7 HOW DID SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT CHANGE?

Two major groups unified into the National

American Women Suffrage Association

(NAWSA)

Went after amendment to US Constitution

Argued that women should have the vote in

order to help solve social ills (old argument

had been solely based upon natural right)

# 8 BIGGEST SUCESSES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE

State laws limiting working hrs for women

State laws limiting child labor

State laws prohibiting brothels

Mann Act – prohibited the transportation of

women across state lines for immoral

purposes (i.e. prostitution)

Prohibition (18th Amendment)

Women’s Suffrage (19th Amendment)

#9 PRAGMATISM

Pragmatism – people are shaped by their

environment but also shape it.

Pragmatism became the basis of

Progressivism. Progressive sought to

“shape” their environment to better people’s

lives (social justice)

#10 FIELD CHANGE DURING PROG ERA

Psychology

William James: focus on what individuals could overcome and adapt to psychologically

Education

John Dewey introduced educational reforms that stressed children’s needs and capabilities

Law

Rejected older view of law as unchanging

New view: law is reflection of environment and therefore an instrument of social change

#11 SOCIALISM

Socialism in America changed from an

“overthrow capitalism” group to a

“progressive reform” group

Eugene V. Debs becomes leader of new

Socialist Party of America

Able to elect mayors in 32 cities

Debs able to garner 900,000 votes in prez

election of 1912

#12 PROGRESSIVES VIEW OF GOVT

View of Govt Govt in hands of “special interests”

Change Role/Scope of Govt Make govt follow the “will of the people” and once that is done

then you can accept govt intervention into society b/c it would be the “will of the people”

Drop in voting rates Once “special interests” were no longer a part of politics,

people were less interested in election campaigns

Voter turnout in Election of 1896 (79.3%) vs 1920 (49.2%)

In other words, politics wasn’t as personal anymore. It was no longer totally about Us vs Them (Repub vs Democrat). It was about the personality of the candidate running. By nature, people will go vote against something more easily then they will go vote for something.

#13 CHANGES TO CITY GOVT

Commissioner form of govt

Election of police/fire chief

Took influence/control away from political machines

City managers

Ran daily operations/budget of cities instead of

elected mayor

Took influence/control away from political machines

Regulation/control of Utilities

Kept big business and political machines from

influence/control of city business by controlling public

utilities (water, electricity)

#14 REFORMS TO STATE GOVTS

Initiative New ideas for laws can be started by the people thru

the election process

Referendum Laws dealing with certain issues had to be approved

by the voters in an election.

Recall Voters can remove an elected official from office

through the election process.

Gave people opportunity to vote out bad govt officials before normal election time

#15 REGULATIONS MOVEMENT

Started in NY (1905) when a corrupt & systematic alliance between politicians and business leaders in gas, electricity and insurance industries was discovered.

Called for state level regulatory agencies that could investigate corporate books and hold public hearings.

Public hearings would help regulatory agency determine maximum rates that could be charged by certain industries (RR, electricity, gas, insurance)

#16 WHY PROGRESSIVES LOOK TO FED GOVT

FOR HELP

Teddy Roosevelt was prez (see #17 for

more)

Many issues they wanted fixed were multi-

state issues

#17 TEDDY ROOSEVELT

Youngest pres at 42 (up to that time)

He was open, aggressive and high spirited

Personally he was persuasive and charming

He was widely read and had an opinion on

every issue

#18 TR’S IDEA OF ROLE OF PRESIDENT

He ended the idea of a president being isolated from the people. Made many public appearances.

“bully pulpit” – TR’s belief that president had unique opportunity to speak on issues of the day and therefore control the outcome

Invited Booker T. Washington to White House and denounced lynchings while at the same time having a belief in African-American inferiority

# 19 TR ON BUSINESS/TRUSTS

TR believed that their were “good” trusts and

“bad” trusts

“Good” trusts should be left alone

“Bad” trusts should be regulated or

eliminated

TR asked Congress to create a Dept of

Commerce and Labor to oversee trusts

#20 NORTHERN SECURITIES COMPANY

TR saw as a “bad” trust and ordered Justice Dept to sue NSC for violating of Sherman Anti-Trust Act

“Bad” trust because it controlled (monopolized) many of the most prominent RR networks

Supreme Court (5-4 vote) ruled against NCS and dissolved the company

TR 1 Trusts 0

#21 WAS TR REALLY A TRUST BUSTER?

NO

He attempted to bust half as many trusts as

his successor (Taft) would.

He also received much support from big

business in his campaign for prez in 1904.

Allowed US Steel to buy a competitor in 1907

to avert the threat of a financial panic

#22 TR & THE COAL MINERS STRIKE

Background: United Mine Workers in NE PA demand 8 hr work day

and recognition of union; coal companies refuse

May 1902 140,000 workers strike and close the mines

Coal is primary source of heat for Americans as well as the source of fuel for American factories

Price of coal rises as strike continues and winter is coming

Public opinion turns against the coal companies

One company leader goes Gospel of Wealth and declares it is up to the “Christian men whom God…..has given the control of property” to protect the rights of labor not “labor agitators”.

(continued on next slide)

#22 TR & THE COAL MINERS STRIKE (CONT)

TR Response: TR is furious and complains of the coal companies

arrogance

He invites both sides to White House to mediate dispute

Union willing to negotiate; owners were not

TR orders Army to prepare to take over the mines and lets owners know they will get no $ from mined coal

TR threat was leaked to Wall Street financiers who put pressure on coal mine owners

Coal mine owners give in

TR calls his actions part of his “Square Deal” for Americans in 1904 campaign

CHART

Problem – Condition Law/Year Results

RR were giving rebates to big

customers.

Elkins Act

1903

Prohibits RR rebates and

increased power of ICC to

regulate rates and rebates

Same as above Hepburn Act

1906

Increased power of ICC to set

rates; broadened jurisdiction to

include oil pipelines and made

ICC decisions binding unless

overturned in court

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Chapter in book described meat

packing plant in Chicago.

Disgusting!!!!!

Meat

Inspection

Act

1906

TR orders investigation.

Threatens to publish results if

Congress fails to act. Meat

packers backed law because

meat sales had dropped. Law

tougher than they wanted. Set

rules for sanitation and govt

inspection of meat products.

CHART (CONT)

Problem-Condition Law/Year Results

Muckraker Samuel Hopkins

Adams exposed dangers of

patent medicines. Dept of

Agriculture tested several of the

medicines with their “poison

squad”

Pure Food

& Drug Act

1906

Due to evidence from Dept of Ag,

Congress easily passed law. Law

required that certain ingredients

(like alcohol) be listed on label of

medicines.

Taft backs bill to allow ICC to set

MAXIMUM rates for RRs. He also

wanted to create a Commerce

Court to hear the appeals of ICC

rulings. Progressives didn’t like

Commerce Court idea b/c

traditionally judges had sided with

RR freedom to set rates.

Mann-

Elikins Act

1910

Gave ICC power to set the rates,

stiffened long and short haul

regulations; placed telephone and

telegraph companies under ICC

jurisdiction. Commerce Court also

created.

FYI-Repubs backed admission of

AZ and NM as states to get

Commerce Court vote from Dems

#23 TR CONSERVATIONIST?

Increased amount of public land from 45 mil

acres to 195 mil acres over his presidency

Worked with Forest Service head, Glifford

Pinchot, to create first comprehensive

national conservation policy

Created Federal Reclamation Service

Major supporter of National Park system; set

aside millions of acres for this purpose

#24 TR INVOLVMENT IN TAFT ELECTION 1908

TR handpicked Taft to be his successor

Taft was chosen by Repubs at national convention but the party was split

Progressive Repubs backed Taft but Conservative Repubs were able to choose his VP running mate

This split in 1908 would be worse in 1912 and cost Repubs the White House

Taft defeated Wm. Jennings Bryan (3rd loss)

#25 TAFT PERSONALITY AND EARLY CAREER

Yale law graduate; Ohio judge, Solicitor General of the US, federal judge, Governor of Phillippines; Secretary of War (under TR)

Personality:

Worked quietly behind the scenes

Hated politics and the limelight; compared to TR he was considered lazy

Personally charming and humorous; honest, kindly and amiable

Weighed 300 lbs and NO HE DID NOT GET STUCK IN A WHITE HOUSE BATHTUB!

#26 PAYNE-ALDRICH TARIFF/REPUB SPLIT

Repubs in Congress were divided over a new tariff; Progressives wanted to lower and conservatives wanted to raise

House passes lower tariff but Senate introduces a revised bill that added over 800 changes to original house bill

Progressives asked Taft to back lower tariff but he sided with conservatives and the higher tariff

Payne-Aldrich Tariff had higher rates than original House bill but lower than Tariff of 1897

Progressives started taking jabs at Taft and slowly drove him to the conservative wing of the party

Progressives began to talk openly about a TR return to the White House in 1912

# 27 BALLINGER-PINCHOT CONFLICT

Sec of Interior Ballinger puts million acres of public land up for sale and Chief Forester Pinchot had them removed from sale (Taft had kept Pinchot on in same capacity that TR had used him; see #23)

Taft backed Ballinger; Pinchot spoke to the press and made Taft look bad

Taft fired Pinchot (appropriate move)

Taft was vilified in the press for giving in to the wealthy

Irony is that Taft was even more of a conservationist than TR. Got Congress to give him power to remove lands from sale and used that power to conserve millions of acres of public land…..even more than TR.

#28 TAFT/PROG REPUBS SPLIT 1910

See Mann-Elkins Act (chart) for start of feud

After Mann-Elkins issues, Taft actively

campaigns against progressive Repubs who

are up for re-election in the House of Reps

Unfortunately, the feud leads to the Dems

taking over both House and Senate (1st time

since 1894) and several states in the north

elected Democratic governors

#29 ELEMENTS OF TAFT/TR SPLIT

Taft was a real trust buster; he promised to enforce the Sherman Anti Trust Act

As part of that, he went after US Steel for its purchase of a Tennessee competitor (TR had approved this…see # 21.

This move infuriated TR. He felt Taft was undermining his actions as pres.

Taft accused TR of undermining the conservative tradition of the nation.

TR declares his candidacy for the Repub nomination in Feb 1912

#30 TR’S “NEW NATIONALISM”

New Nationalism was the name of TR’s progressive vision for America (if he was elected)

Key component was higher federal govt involvement in peoples lives

Elements of New Nationalism

Federal regulation of all interstate business

Laws ending child labor

Minimum wages for women

A nationwide primary system for choosing presidential candidates

A national system of old-age pensions

Woman’s suffrage (this represented the first time a major party had advocated nationwide woman’s suffrage)

#31 WILSON’S NEW FREEDOM

Wilson’s counter to TR’s New Nationalism

Main Elements:

Lowering the protective tariff

Creating a better banking system

Strengthening antitrust laws

Wilson believed that under his plan control by monopolies would end and freedom would be restored.

Notice there are no provisions for social justice reform

# 32 WOODROW WILSON AS A PERSON

Born in VA as son of a Presbyterian minister; wanted a career in public service

A moralist who reached judgments easily and rarely changed his mind.

Self righteous he turned differences of opinion into bitter quarrels

His aides learned he preferred loyalty and flattery to candid criticism

Graduated from Princeton and U of Va Law school; became bored with being an attorney

Professor at Princeton 1890-1902

President of Princeton 1902 -1910

Governor of New Jersey 1910-1912

# 33 IMPACT OF THE FOLLOWING:

Underwood Tariff Can you say New Freedom??

Lowered tariff for first time in 15 yrs

Included an income tax (on wealthy) to make up lost revenue (legal due to recently ratified 16th amendment)

Wilson had appealed to the people to put pressure on Congress to pass….and it worked

Federal Reserve Act Say New Freedom again…. Go ahead, I dare you!

Designed to provide nation with sound yet flexible currency (that’s why paper money says Federal Reserve Note….just look at the top of a dollar bill)

Established a national banking system to provide a source for this currency

Blended public and private control as a compromise

12 Districts which answered to a Federal Reserve Board appointed by the president.

# 33 IMPACT OF THE FOLLOWING (CONT):

Clayton Anti-Trust Act SAY IT!!!! “YOU CAN TAKE OUR LIFE BUT YOU

CAN’T TAKE OUR NEW FREEEEEDOM!!!!”

House committee investigation discovered “directories” which were a pyramid of power and money controlled by the Morgans and Rockefellers of the world.

1. Act outlawed these “directories”; 2. prohibited unfair trade practices; 3. forbade pricing policies that created monopolies; 4. made corporate officers personally responsible for violation of anti trust laws

Labor unions really liked the part of the law that declared that unions were not a restraint on trade. Unfortunately, the courts still ruled against union activites.

# 33 IMPACT OF THE FOLLOWING (CONT):

Federal Trade Commission

A companion law to Clayton Anti Trust

Set up Fed Trade Commission

FTC could do the following:

Demand reports from corporations

Investigate complaints against corporations

Order corporate compliance, subject to court review

Wilson opposed at first but then saw it as

important to anti trust compliance

Wilson appointed conservatives to the commission to

reassure business leaders

#34 WILSON AND RACE Wilson courted the black vote in 1912; when he entered office he

turned his back on them

Asked to create a commission on race relations by NAACP but

refused b/c he didn’t want to lose southern support

Appointed southerners to important offices and now the south’s

view on race dominated the executive branch

Refused to back a policy making lynching illegal under federal law

Allowed the segregation of workers in federal service; employees

who objected were fired.

Protests by NAACP and clergy surprised Wilson so he backed

off the policy but continued to insist that segregation benefited

blacks.

Also refer to his blunder with the film “Birth of a Nation” You were

to read about this when I was gone last week.

#35 WILSON BECOMES PROGRESSIVE

Wilson adopts many of TR’s New Nationalism ideas in 1916 mostly due to the upcoming presidential election

You have to remember that Wilson only won the election in 1912 b/c of the split of the Repubs. He was a minority elected president (i.e. he didn’t receive a majority of popular vote, therefore he could lose to a unified Repub party in 1916)

Wilson appointed a favorite of Progressives (Louis Brandeis) to the Supreme Court; some in Senate opposed b/c Brandeis was Jewish. Wilson stood firm and earned more pts from Progressives.

# 36 WILSON POPULARITY WITH ORGANIZED

LABOR

Wilson defended union recognition and collective bargaining

Appointed leader of United Mine Workers to be Secretary of Labor

Wilson sent in federal troops to end violence in Ludlow (CO) Strike when national guard troops killed 26 men, women and children

Adamson Act (1916) forced 8 hr workday on RR companies when they refused to accept during a RR strike that Wilson tried to mediate

IDENTIFICATION

Jane Addams Founder of Settlement

House movement (Hull House-Chicago)

Social justice reformer

Carrie Chapman Catt First head of National

American Womens Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

Major player in getting 19th Amendment

William James Harvard Psychologist

Developed the doctrine of pragmatism

Pragmatism (1907) author

John Dewey Progressive reformer in

public education

Called for training of teachers similar to other professions

IDENTIFICATION

Eugene V. Debs

Leader of Socialist

Party of America

Ran for prez 5 times

between (1900-1920)

Gained 900,000 pop

votes in 1912

Initiative

Ability of voters to begin

legislation through the

election process

Referendum

Voter approval of laws

through the election

process

Recall

Ability of voters to

remove an elected

official before the

regularly scheduled

election time

IDENTIFICATION

17th Amendment

Direct election of

Senators by voters in

each state

Reform was intended to

make senators

answerable to the

people instead of

special interests

Direct Primary

Allows members of a

political party to have

more of a say in who will

become the parties

nominee for political

office.

Direct primaries are a

form of election

IDENTIFICATION

Robert M. LaFollette

The Progressives

progressive

Gov of Wisconsin

Served in Congress

John Mitchell

Leader of United Mine

Workers during 1902

Coal Strike

Mitchell was willing to

work with TR to end

strike

IDENTIFICATION

Upton Sinclair One of the Muckrakers

Author of The Jungle

Book was intended to show the plight of the workers in the meat industry but instead it grossed out the Am. Public.

“I aimed at the public’s heart and by accident I hit it in the stomach” -Upton Sinclair

Joseph “Uncle Joe” Cannon Powerful Speaker of the

House from IL

Uncle Joe controlled everything in the House of Rep

Targeted by Taft

Attempt to curb power of Uncle Joe began the Progressive/Conserv split in Repub Party

IDENTIFICATION

16th Amendment

Income tax made legal

“4 times 4 now your

poor”

Louis Brandeis

Advisor to Wilson

Nominated to Supreme

Crt by Wilson

Nomination was

approved with some

conflict over Brandeis

being Jewish

IDENTIFICATION

Madam C J Walker First self made woman

millionaire (BTW she was also black)

Made her fortune developing and selling products for African American women to use on their hair

Highly involved in race issues during early 20th century