The Progressives Respond to Society’s Problems

Essential Questions

Activity Focus: How did the Progressives address the problems

society faced?

Unit Focus: Who benefits and who suffers during the time of profound

economic change?

Unit Focus: Did this period of

industrialization and reform move America closer or further away from its founding ideals?

Unit Focus: How can

people change society?

Can you explain the solution to three Progressive Era Problems?

GOAL

Directions

1. Get into your assigned group of four.– In your group, assign each member one page of the graphic

organizer.

2. Skim the chapters 17 and 18 in the History Alive textbook for problems the Progressives faced.

3. Fill out the enacted reform column on the graphic organizer with information from the textbook.

4. Think of society today and decide if the reform was successful or not. Be ready to defend your answer.

5. Share the answers as a group and fill in all sections of the organizer.

6. Class discussion/correction of graphic organizer.

Closure Day 1

• Pick the enacted reform that you think has the biggest impact on today. In a paragraph of at least 5 sentences, explain the problem, the reform, and why you think its impact in important today. Be sure to include facts from your notes and the textbook.

Problem Enacted Reform

Workers work 60-84 hours per week. Many states passed laws limiting the work day to eight hours.

Children work in dangerous industries. By 1912 three fourths of the states had passed laws banning child labor.

Each year about 35,000 workers are killed and 500,000 maimed in industrial accidents.

Workers’ compensation laws were passed that forced employers to pay employees who were injured or contracted a disease because of their jobs.

The meat industry has poor sanitation and sells diseased and contaminated meat.

The Meat Inspection Act was passed in 1906, which gave federal officials the right to inspect meat, due in large part to a response from the conditions in Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle.

The Meat Inspection Act was passed in 1906, which gave federal officials the right to inspect meat, due in large part to a response from the conditions in Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle.

The Pure Food and Drugs Act was passed in 1906, which gave federal officials the right to prohibit the sale of impure drugs, foods, and liquors.

Problem Enacted Reform

There is vote fraud because people can see how each other vote.

The secret ballot was put into place in many areas.

“Backroom deals” have led to the election of many wealthy businessmen to the Senate.

Corrupt city bosses and political machines were replaced by appointed commissioners and city managers.

Elected officials favor special-interest groups, especially big business.

The 17th Amendment to the Constitution required that U.S. senators be directly elected by the populace rather than selected by state legislatures. The initiative allowed citizens to bypass the legislature and propose laws directly. The referendum allowed citizens to directly vote on laws.

Some elected officials break the law but continue to serve out their term in office

Many states passed laws allowing the removal of politicians from office through the recall.

Political party leaders often select candidates that only benefit insiders.

The 17th Amendment to the Constitution required that U.S. senators be directly elected by the populace rather than selected by state legislatures. Direct primaries replaced the system in which party leaders picked candidates.

Problem Enacted Reform

One percent of the population owns 50% of the wealth, while 50% of the people own almost nothing.

In 1913 the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed, establishing an income tax that required the wealthy to pay taxes on their income for the first time.

Tariffs help protect big business but can hurt the common worker.

Tariffs continued throughout this time period.

Monopolies or near-monopolies provide huge profits for their owners by gouging consumers.

The Sherman Antitrust Act and Clayton Antitrust Act resulted in the federal government suing large corporations involved in monopolies and prohibited the sale of corporations’ stock when their sale might lead to a monopoly.

Monopolies or near-monopolies gouge consumers with higher, noncompetitive prices.

The Sherman Antitrust Act and Clayton Antitrust Act resulted in the federal government suing large corporations involved in monopolies and prohibited the sale of corporations’ stock when their sale might lead to a monopoly.

The 300 largest corporations own more than 40% of the industrial wealth of the country.

The Sherman Antitrust Act and Clayton Antitrust Act resulted in the federal government suing large corporations involved in monopolies and prohibited the sale of corporations’ stock when their sale might lead to a monopoly.

Problem Enacted Reform

If something needs to get done quickly in a city, people need to pay a bribe.

Corrupt city bosses and political machines were replaced by appointed commissioners and city managers.

The police are poorly paid and poorly trained. Police forces were professionalized.

Cities are overcrowded, with impure water supplies.

City water systems were purified.

The behavior of city residents is poor, resulting in STDs, crime, and alcoholism..

The attempts to crack down on these problems was not very successful and gained the resentment of many people, especially immigrants, who felt they were looked at as inferior people who needed to be controlled.

Closure Day 2

• Decide if the enacted reform that you picked yesterday still has the biggest impact on today. In a paragraph of at least 5 sentences, defend yesterday’s answer or explain your new choice by describing the problem, the reform, and why you think its impact in important today. Be sure to include facts from your notes and the textbook.