Chapter 29 Notes•1900-76 million Americans-1/7 foreign born-until 1914 13 million more came•Reform movement-Progressives-war on monopoly, corruption, inefficiency, social injustice-”Use government as an agency of human welfare”

Progressive Roots• Groundswell went back to Greenback Labor Party-”More and

more power in fewer and fewer hands”• Social & Economic problems too big for Jeffersonian

government• Many argued government could no longer be laissez-faire• For many years politicians had been choosing targets for

Progressives• Literary works emerged: Many works focused on various

causes(Jacob Riis and others)• Socialist grew in political power-immigrants who had

experienced movement for state socialism in Old World(Social Gospel) Religion to demand more for poor-feminists joined the cause as well

Muckrakers• 1902-exposing evil became an industry for publishers-

magazines surged(McClure’s, Cosmo, Collier’s)Competition• Lincoln Steffens-Shame of the Cities-big business and city

government• Ida Tarbell-investigation of Standard Oil Company• Various books and investigations went after corruption-tariff

lobbies, beef trust, RR etc• David G. Phillips-”Treason of the Senate”-75/90 were pawns of

the RR & trusts• White Slaves, African Americans, Child Labor, medicine• Muckrakers signified much about the nature of Progressive

Reform-wanted things right and counted on public and publicity to arouse public conscience-did not desire political change-Cleanse Capitalism-More Democracy!!

Political Progressivism• Progressive Reformers were middle class who felt squeezed

from above and below• 2 Goals” 1.) Use the state power to curb trusts & stem socialist

threat by improving common person’s condition 2.) Regain power that had slipped from the people to those of the “interests” and return it to the people

• Examples: Direct primary, Initiative, Referendum, Recall• Root out the graft-limit $ to spend on elections-restrict $ from

corporations-secret Australian ballot emerged-bribery less feasible

• Direct election of Senators(17th in 1913)• Women’s Suffrage also received support from Progressives-

Women’s vote would elevate political tone, foes of saloon thought they would help with Prohibition-19th in 1920

Progressivism in the City/States• Big gains in cities-Galveston, TX-1901-developed a

Commission System & City Manager System-control of civic affairs removed

• Attacked slumlords, juvenile delinquency, prostitution, & corrupt sales of franchises-utilities, public transport

• Wisconsin-Bob LaFollette-challenged crooked corporations• Growing movement in states to regulate RR and other trusts

through public utility commissions (Charles Evans Hughes)

Progressive Women• Settlement Houses provided women an avenue for social

activism-exposed middle class women to problems of cities-political corruption, poverty, poor working and living conditions

• Provided a civic entryway(skills and confidence)• “Separate Spheres” were fine-moral and maternal issues-child

labor, rights and pensions for working mothers, safe products for dinner-various organizations grew to help gain access to government

• Unsafe and unsanitary workplaces attracted women-long hours for low wages (Florence Kelley)

• Muller v Oregon (1908)-Louis Brandeis persuaded the Supreme Court by presenting evidence of harmful effects of factory labor on women’s bodies-Success?

• Lochner v NY - invalidated a 10 hour work day-later upheld a 10 hour day for factory workers

• Factory Laws had to be enforced-1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Company-146 killed-NY legislature passed stricter laws-By 1917 30 states had put forth worker’s compensation

• Alcohol was also under attack-Red Light Districts• Women’s Christian Temperance Union-led by Francis Willard-

helped by Anti Saloon League-some passed-”Dry Laws”- by 1914 1/2 of the population lived in “dry areas”-18th in 1919

Sqaure Deal• TR touched by Progressive Wave-3 C’s: Control of

Corporations, Consumer Protection, Conservation of Natural Resources

• Coal Strike of 1902 in Pennsylvania-20% pay increase-9 hour workdays-owners refused to negotiate

• Shut down hospitals, schools, etc.-TR brought in leaders & was annoyed by owners-TR threatened to bring in troops of run mines-owners caved-10% pay increase/9 hour workday

• TR urged Congress to pass Department of Commerce and Labor(1903)

TR and Corporations• ICC was ineffective-RR problems remained• Elkins Act of 1903 inflicted fines for rebates• Hepburn Act of 1906 restricted free passes• ICC given greater strength• “Good and Bad Trusts”-1901 attack on Northern Securities

Company-1904 Supreme Court upheld NSC be dissolved• 40 legal proceedings over trusts-TR’s reputation inflated• He wanted to make sure government ran the country and not

big business (Taft was a greater trust buster)

Caring for the Consumer• Big meatpackers shut out of European market-unsanitary meat-

banned US meat• Upton Sinclair-The Jungle-results: Meat Inspection Act of 1906-

Meat shipped over state lines would be subject to federal inspection-opportunity to drive smaller packers out & receive federal approval

• Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906-protected mislabeling of food and drugs

Earth Control• Wasteful Americans were assuming minerals would last• Western ranchers & timbermen were eager-visionary leaders

knew trouble was ahead• Desert Land Act of 1877-Federal govmnt sold desert land

cheaply on condition owner would irrigate in 3 yrs• Forest Reserve Act of 1891-Harrison set aside public forests as

national parks-46 million acres rescued• Carey Act of 1894-federal land to states on condition it be

irrigated & settled• TR was rugged outdoorsman-energy for a cause• Congress passed the Newlands Act of 1902-Collect $ from sale

of public lands in West & use for irrigation projects• Dams were developed

• By 1900 1/4 of nation’s forests remained-loggers ruled!• TR set aside 125 million acres-3 times the acreage of his

predecessors• Banned Christmas trees from the White House• May have been TR’s greatest achievement-strengthened by

growth of Boy Scouts and Sierra Club in 1892• Preservationists lost battle in 1913 when Feds allowed San

Francisco to build a dam for municipal water and power in Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite-Use not Abuse!

• TR-”multiple-use resource management”• Many westerners resisted federal management of natural

resources and learned to take advantage of new agencies-Big Business and Industry typically won the day

Roosevelt Panic of 1907• Easily elected in 1904-called for more regulation, taxing

incomes, protecting workers-announced he would not run again• Short panic-”Runs” on banks, criminal indictments vs.

speculators• Financial world blames TR/TR blamed wealthy• Aldrich-Vreeland Act-authorized national banks to issue

currency(emergency) backed by collateral

Rough Rider• TR wanted a successor-WH Taft vs WJ Bryan• Easy win for Taft (Socialist Debs won 420,000 votes)• Inflated reputation for TR-a friend of business-tamed business,

protected capitalism-Moderate-conservationist-enlarged the power/prestige of the presidency

• Helped shape progressive movement and led to the New Deal• Could not escape the world scene

Taft & Dollar Diplomacy• Capable yet no dashing politician• Encourage Wall Street to put surplus $ into foreign markets in

Far East and Panama areas-$ replaced the Big Stick• Proposal to buy RR in Manchuria-denied by Japan and Russia• Also encouraged to pump $ into Honduras and Haiti-various

disorders brought US forces to Cuba, Honduras, and Dominican Republic to restore order & protect US interests-problems in Nicaragua led to 2,500 US troops in 1912

Trustbuster• 4 yrs-90 suits vs. trusts for Taft• 1911 Supreme Court ordered dissolution of Standard Oil

Company-handed down a ruling that declared “only trusts that “unreasonably” restrained trade were illegal”

• Taft brought suit vs. US Steel in 1911-TR very upset

Republican Party Splits• Lowering tariffs high on the progressive list-Taft called a special

session in 1909 to lower-Payne-Aldrich signed by Taft forced another high tariff-progressive furious

• Established the Bureau of Mines, rescued western lands-Ballinger-Pinchot quarrel in 1910

• Secretary of Interior Ballinger opened public land in WY, MA, AL-Pinchot criticized and dismissed

• TR returns and Party splits-1910 Off Year Elections

Taft/Roosevelt Rupture• 1911 National Progressive Party formed-Lafollette leading the

ticket• TR asked Republican governors for nomination-1912

Republican Convention in Chicago Taft received the nomination-TR wanted a 3rd Party