Progressive Era Age of Reform 1890 1920 Defined as a time of dramatic political reform and activism Interstate Commerce Act first federal regulation on RR Who were progressives Urban reformers White middle upper class Did little for race relations Focus in factory and the city corruption extortion giving cities greater autonomy homerule ability for cities to make their own legislation Things that happened during this time The government grew in scope power and activism Progressive graduated income tax New national banking system Conservation of natural resources Goals Greater democracy Honest efficient government Effective regulation of business Greater social justice for working people use the government as an agency of a human welfare Sources of origin Growing tensions due to labor and management Corruption in politics Abusive power of big business Hazards of industrial work place Social miseries of 1890 s depression Populism and the populist party Mugwamps fought the spoils system and insisted that government jobs be based on merit Honest government ideal Muckrackers investigative journalists who thrived on exposing social ills corruption gave newspapers a new social perspective gave progressivism widespread popular support Because of them o Secret ballot initiative recall referendum Shakes people out of their complacency Follete Successful in breaking up large business interests Wisconsin passes most far reaching legislation in US o State income tax direct primary McClures Magazine Investigaive magazine Political corruption in St Louis Socialist part the left wing of progressivism Social Gospel Gladden argues that true Christianity lies not in rituals but in the principle that you should love your neighbor Settlement houses were built to reduce slum issue Jane Adams Hull House most famous house that allowed immigrants other Americans to get adjusted to big city life o Busy place that had programs for employment training nursery theatre 2000 people a week Won Nobel Public health legislation workers comp regulation of working hours for women and children child labor laws Women s movement Right to vote Susan B Anthony Elizabeth Stanton Muller V Oregon Right to shorter working hours Argues differences in men and women Progressive Democracy 4 themes 1 Direct primary Initiative and referendum Recall 17th amendment calls for the direct election of senators Voter registration law 2 Gospel of Efficiency o Taylorism reduce waste inefficiency in workplace through scientific analysis of labor process Called for reorganization in government of agencies establishments of clearrines od authority and to assign responsibility and accountability to specific offices Commission system City manager plan Wisconsin idea government by nonpartisan experts o La Follete the Wisconsin idea Direct primary stronger RR regulation conservation of natural resources and workers comp 3 Anti Trust Regulation of giant corporations Sherman anti trust Act is more symbolic than anything ICC prototype of modern experts on areas of the economy Designed to break up monopolies 4 Social Justice Through the creation of non profit organizer Grassroots was driven by middle class women Fire at Triangle Shift Waste Factory catalyzed reform Prohibition Anti Saloon League Passed amendment Hoped to eliminate tools used by political bosses to win over converts Entered national elections as the prohibition party Executive Leadership During Progressive Era Use of gentlemen s agreements and legislation Three progressive presidents 1 Teddy o Political reformer environmentalist obsessive hunter racist and militaristic liberal o Square Deal more rigorous enforcement of anti trust laws stricter controls on big business rather than completely dismantling the companies o Act to prohibit RR from giving secret rates to favored costumers o Hepburn Act gave ICC the power to set freight regulation rates o Meat Inspection Act passed after The Jingle o Pure Food and Drug Act o Yellowstone National Park o Trust Buster o 1902 Coal Strike lead to Square Deal Influence if Federal Gove to decide dispute between workers and employers for first time Arbitration board Federal Government moves away from isolation in economic maters 2 Taft o One of the most respected lawyers that helped write the constitution o Payne Aldrich Tariff that he did not work to defeat angered progressives who already mistrusted his lack of experience o Passed more progressive acts than TR More public land Attempted tariff reform Anti trust suits Mann Alkins act 16th and 17th amendment he worked on o New Nationalism 3 Wilson o New Freedom o Segregation in work place at federal government o Tariff Reform wanted lower tariffs Underwood Simmons o Graduated income tax o Federal Reserve Act created national banking system that increased security provided more elasticity decreased concentration of reserves in NY o Federal Trade Commission o Neglected to help African Americans o Legislation Smith Lever Act Federal Farm Loan Act Keaton Owen Adamson Act RR work day to 8 hours and introduced time and a half Election of 1912 First election to feature party primaries Gave democrats effective national power since civil war Brought southerners back into national international affairs Made republicans more conservative Progressivism neglected racial equality largely a middle class movement changed how we view society people believe we have power to influence society moved away from lazy faire America and The Great War Wilson believed he had a duty to spread American idealism and Christianity Ten cent diplomacy increased tensions between Us and Latin Americans WWI Mobilization Hoover ran food admin first big political opportunity Government has authority to take over industries o Introduces day light savings o Telephone industry o Nationalizes RR o War Industries Board has authority over economy Single most powerful board Set rules for all resources Coordinates production o First large government control over economy Five major Groups o Food Admin o WIB o Shipping Board efficient transport of troops supplies to Allies o Fuel Admin fixed coal process and regulated distribution of coal o RR Administration Wartime Propaganda 100 Americanism no tolerance WWI Trench warfare Spurred from imperial rivalries and ethnic differences in central Europe America tried to remain neutral until the freedom of the sea was at stake o Eventually we called for a stronger Army Navy which increased taxes Submarine
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