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Reform and the Progressive Era
Today we will focus on what issues defined the Progressive
Era
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Background
•  Belief that all personal and social problems are inherited or
genetic
•  Cause
– A desire to maintain the economic and social divisions in
society
– From the point of view of the wealthy “the rich get richer”
•  Effect
– Increased the popularity of the eugenics movement
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Social Darwinism
Eugenics
•  Study of human improvement by genetic means
•  Cause
– An attempt to better society and the human race
•  Effect
– Discrimination towards those who did not fit the “perfect”
human mold
– Extreme case: Hitler’s actions in the Holocaust
Who were the Progressives?
– people with different ideas & activities who wanted to reform
US society
– They believed industrialism & urbanization had created
many social problems
– They were from both major political parties.
– They were often urban, educated middle-class.
– They were often journalists, social workers,
educators, politicians, or clergy.
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Muckrakers
– Journalists who investigated social problems & political
1 – They believed industrialism & urbanization had created
many social problems
– They were from both major political parties.
– They were often urban, educated middle-class.
– They were often journalists, social workers,
educators, politicians, or clergy.
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Muckrakers
– Journalists who investigated social problems & political
corruption
– Raised awareness of problems that led to reform
•  Ex: Child Labor
– 1900- 1.7 million under age 16 worked
– Dangerous, unhealthy
– Muckrakers were effective in letting Americans know the
scope of the problem
– States began to pass laws
• Minimum age for working
• Maximum hours to make kids work
• Compulsory education laws so kids would have to be in
school instead of working.
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Progressivism
10/7/14 •  Reaction against laissez-faire economy
– Belief that government must be fixed before other problems
could be fixed.
– Progressives had faith in science and technology
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Democratic Processes
•  Lobbying – the act of persuading legislators to vote for
legislation that favors an advocacy group
•  Non-violent protesting
•  Assembly – forming organizations, holding rallies
•  Court decisions
•  Litigation
– American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
•  Amendments to the US Constitution
Legislation
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Democratic Processes
•  Lobbying – the act of persuading legislators to vote for
legislation that favors an advocacy group
•  Non-violent protesting
•  Assembly – forming organizations, holding rallies
•  Court decisions
•  Litigation
– American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
•  Amendments to the US Constitution
10/7/14 Legislation
•  Initiative
– The power or right of citizens to introduce a new legislative
measure
– The right and procedure by which citizens can propose a law
by petition and ensure its submission to the electorate
•  Referendum
– The submission of a proposed public measure or actual
statue to a direct popular vote
– Allows the people to have more influence on the decisionmaking process
•  Recall
– The procedure by which a public official may be removed
from office by popular vote
– The people can hold their elected leaders accountable for
their actions with the right to employ this procedure
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