Progressivism

Us history goal 7

PROGRESSIVISM

Muckrackers

Temperance

Suffragettes

Populists

Midclass

Women

Labor

Unions

Civil

Rights

Four Goals of Progressivism

e Protecting Social Welfaree Promoting Moral

Improvemente Creating Economic Reforme Reforming Local

Government

“The 4”:

Primary Goal of the Movement:Return the power to the people

Progressives were White Protestants

Middle class and native born.College Educated Professionals

Social workersScholars

PoliticiansPreachersTeachersWriters

Adopt Populist Ideas

· Move away from laissez faire with government regulating industry

· Make US government responsive to the people (voting)

· Limit power of the political bosses.· Improve worker’s rights, conditions for

poor and immigrants· Clean up the cities

· End segregation and Jim Crow

Social Welfare

Soften working conditions in industry, regulate unfair business practices, eliminate child labor, help immigrants and the poor

Promoting Moral Improvement• Morality was the key to improving lives

• Alcohol was undermining American morals (Temperance/Prohibition)

• WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union)

• Passed the 18th amendment (abolish alcohol) largest women’s group in U.S. history 245,000 members by 1911

Economic Reform •American began to question the

breaks that businesses got from the government. Fairness and opportunity

in the work world, regulate unfair trusts and bring about changes in

labor. Americans start to

question the capitalist system and some

embrace communism

CONSERVATION

Preserve natural resources and

the environment

•Muckrakers were journalists and photographers who exposed the

abuses of wealth and power. •They felt it was their job to write and

expose corruption in industry, cities and government.

Progressives exposed corruption but offered no solutions.

MUCKRAKERS

• They believed that if the public could only see or read for

itself…..• There would be an outcry and

people would want to help make conditions better…..

• Or demand the government to make reforms.

“Digging up the dirt” =

Investigative Journalism

Notable Muckrakers• Jacob Riis- photographs the horrid

tenement living conditions; How the Other Half Lives

• Ida Tarbell- exposed Standard Oil Trust (McClure’s Magazine)

• Lincoln Steffens- “Shame of the Cities” – exposes political corruption

• Upton Sinclair- author of The Jungle – abuses in the meatpacking industry

Tenement Housing

Ida M. Tarbell – “Mr. Rockefeller has systematically played with loaded dice”

Lincoln Steffens: Most famous of the muckraking journalists (1903-1910)

Upton Sinclair – Exposes abuses in the meat packing industry

Reforming Government

Give the government back to the people, get more people voting and

end corruption with political machines.

Goal: Reform local and state governments by

introducing direct involvement of the

people. At the national level,

women’s suffrage and direct election of the U.S. Senate

Reforming Local Government

State Government ReformRobert La Follette – Wisconsin Governor

• loyal Republican at odds with political machine• Elected governor in 1900 – backed “Wisconsin Idea”

Wisconsin Idea• use of direct primary

• increase taxes on railroads and public utilities• commissions regulate

• enact laws that curb excessive lobbying• labor reforms & protect natural resources

States around the U.S. copy the model

Recall

Allows voters to petition to have an elected representative removed from office.

InitiativeAllows voters to petition state legislatures in order

to consider a bill desired by citizens.

ReferendumAllows voters to decide if a bill or proposed

amendment should be passed.

Ensures that voters select candidates to run for office, rather than party bosses.

Privacy at the ballot box ensures that citizens can cast votes without party bosses knowing how they

voted.Secret Ballot

Direct Primary

State Reforms