The Progressive Movement
Goal # 33 - The middle class helped
reform America
I. Industrialization helped
America grow but caused
problems too
A.
Urban slums
B.
Child labor
Waves of immigrants
needing help
C.
D.
Sweatshops
E. Inequality
of wealth – 1% of
American families owned 88% of nation’s
wealth
80% of families lived at or
below the poverty level
Bathroom in a New York City tenement. 150 people filled each
building. Toilets like this, four per floor, were located near the air
shaft that was the only source of light and air for the inner
apartments.
F.
Inequality of Power – monopolies
& trusts
Government served the rich and
powerful
Political
Corruption –
G.
“Bosses” controlled
local and state
politics. Public
officials took
bribes and stole the
public’s money.
II. Culture Change
Many people turned away from “Social
Darwinism” – the idea that society
was based on “the survival of the
fittest”.
Replaced by
A new idea - A. American Government
should work for all the citizens, not
just big business and rich people
III. Goals of Progressives
Expose wrongdoing
Help underprivileged
Improve working and living conditions
End political corruption
Promote moral improvement
End child labor
Promote voting rights for women
A. Exposure of Wrongdoing
1. “Muckrakers”
wrote books &
newspaper articles
exposing cut throat
business practices
and bad working
conditions
--Lincoln Steffens ,
Ida Tarbell, and
Upton Sinclair
a. The Jungle (1906) revealed the
unsanitary conditions in the meat packing
industry. It shocked Americans into
demanding government regulation of the
food industry & cleaner conditions.
Reformers also demanded regulation of
medicines.
Congress passed the b. Pure Food and
Drug Act and a Meat Inspection Act in
1906.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
“There would be meat stored in great piles in
rooms; and the water from leaky roofs would
drip over it, and thousands of rats would race
about on it. It was too dark in these storage
places to see well, but a man could run his
hand over these piles of meat and sweep off
handfuls of the dried dung of rats. These rats
were nuisances, and the packers would put
poisoned bread out for them; they would die,
and then rats, bread, and meat would go into
the hoppers together. “
The Pure Food and Drug Act took
medicines with cocaine and other harmful
ingredients off the market
The Act halted the sale of contaminated foods
and medicines and called for truth in labeling
B. Breaking up power of
ultra wealthy & powerful
1. Trusts controlled
80% of U.S. industries
(legal bodies created
to hold stock in many
companies)
2. Sherman Antitrust
Act
outlawed trusts - made
it illegal for
corporation to gain
control of entire
industry
Government filed 44
antitrust suits
3. CLAYTON ANTITRUST
ACT 1914
Congress strengthened
the Sherman Act
The Clayton Act
prevented price fixing
The Act also supported
labor unions
C. Federal Reserve Act, 1913
Government agency
created to 1. regulate
banks, control money
supply and interest
rates, and determine
monetary policy to
help the country’s
economy
D. FEDERAL TRADE
COMMISSION, 1914
FTC formed to
serve as a
1.“watchdog”
agency to end
unfair business
practices
FTC protects
consumers from
business fraud
Today the FTC has been working on
protecting consumers from ID theft
E. End of Child Labor
Nearly every state
limited or banned
child labor by 1918
F. Ending Political Corruption
• America’s cities now
use a
1.council/manager
form of government.
Voters elect a city
council. The council
hires a manager.
Since the city
manager is not
elected, he or she can
devote full time to
conducting city
business.
Ending Political Corruption
Attempt to make government more democraticSome states adopted these reforms.
2. Referendum - citizens vote on laws that
have been passed by state legislature
3. Initiative - citizens propose laws to their
state or local governments
4. A recall election - citizens can vote to
remove government officials from office
before their terms are finished.
G. Reform of Government, 1913
Congress passed the
1.17th Amendment –
voters choose their
senators rather than
state legislators
Attempt to force
senators to be more
responsive to the
public
H. 16th Amendment (1916)
1.Federal income tax
- tax on people’s
income
Spread cost of
operating the
government among
more people
I.Improve moral development
Provided aid and education to young, unmarried women away
from home. YWCA was a place for instruction in good
hygiene, high culture, and better work habits.
IV. LIMITS OF PROGRESSIVISM
Although the
Progressive era
was responsible
for many
important
reforms, it failed
to make gains
for AfricanAmericans
The KKK reached a membership of 4.5
million in the 1920s