Age of Reform in Texas1880-1920

Vocabulary

• reform• poll tax• prohibition• temperance• suffrage• primary• trust• monopoly• antitrust

• populism• graduated income tax• progressivism• blacklist• scrip• impeach• segregate

• Reform-changes made to improve something• Poll tax-A tax that each person must pay in order to

vote• Prohibition-a national movement to ban all alcohol• Temperance-avoidance of alcohol• Suffrage-the right to vote• Primary-election to determine a political party’s

candidate• Trust-a group of similar companies who set prices

and reduce competition• Monopoly-one company’s complete control over a

type of product or service• Antitrust-opposition to a trust

• Populism-a political movement created to look out for the interests of the average rural citizen

• Graduated income tax-a tax set according to how much each person earns

• Progressivism-social reform movement to improve society through government

• Blacklist-a list of persons to be boycotted or punished• Impeach-bring charges against a public official to

remove her/him from office• Scrip-form of payment to workers that had to be spent

in a company store• Segregate-to separate people according to their race

Early Reforms in Texas

A Time of Changes• Industry and technology caused rapid

growth in Texas in the late 1800s.• Texans felt that the state government

needed to change to keep pace.• The citizens began to demand REFORMS.• The most important issue to Texans was to

limit state government.• Other issues: education, alcohol, suffrage.

Improving Education

• During the Republic Era, land was set aside for public schools.

• 1854 Permanent School Fund• Poll Tax- Collected to fund schools.• 1884- Counties allowed to form school

districts.• 1870s-1880s-Several state universities

established. (University of Texas and Texas A&M)

Prohibition

• During the 1870s, citizens began to voice concerns about the effects of alcohol on society.

• The TEMPERANCE movement began.

• Most counties became “dry”.

• 1918 Texas ratified (accepted) the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, outlawing all alcohol.

Women’s Suffrage

• The Texas Constitution 1876 denied women suffrage.

• Texas women created the Texas Woman Suffrage Association.

• After many years of trying and failing, women were able to vote for the first time in Texas state primaries in 1918.

• In June, 1919, Texas ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving all women the right to vote.

That’s All For Today!

Today’s Activity

• Use a multi-flow map like the one below to analyze the results of early Texas reforms.

EARLY REFORMS IN TEXAS

REFORMS RESULTS

Using the map you created, write a 1-2 paragraph summary of how reforms improved life for Texas citizens. If you do not finish it today, it is homework, and due tomorrow.

James Hogg and

the Populists

The Call for Reform

• During the late 1800s to early 1900s, business and industry controlled Texas politics.

• Texas citizens demanded political reform.

Railroad Abuses

• Railroad companies were following unfair business practices, and had become corrupt.

• Texas citizens demanded reform of the railroads.

• They found their champion for reform in James Hogg.

Hogg’s Fight for Reform

• 1866 James Hogg was elected state attorney general.

• He led the fight to reform of large corporations.

• Led the fight to make monopolies illegal by passing a state antitrust law.

• Hogg was elected governor in 1890.

• Formed the Texas Railroad Commission.

Hogg and the Populists

• Hogg’s reform appealed to Populists.• Populists demanded government regulation of

businesses and utility companies.• They also campaigned for a graduated income

tax and direct election of U.S. Senators.• In 1896, populism faded away, being replaced

by the Democratic Party, which held many populist values.

Populism After Hogg

• The new governor, Charles Culberson, took over and continued Hogg’s Populist agenda.

• He improved educational opportunities for African Americans and Mexican Americans.

• When his term ended, the Populist movement died.

Done For Today! More Tomorrow!

Today’s Activity

• Using construction paper, markers, etc., create a poster which attempts to convince people to join the Populist Party. You may work in groups of two or three to accomplish this.

Progressivismand

James Ferguson

Reform Spreads to the Cities• The thoughts, beliefs and desires about

social, economic, and political reform came to be known as Progressivism.

• Those who supported the movement were called Progressives.

Disaster Leads to Change• The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 created

a basic ideal of Progressivism.• After the city’s destruction, the surviving

citizens decided that they needed a new form of local government to help with the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding.

• They created the city commission.• This new commission became a model for

many U.S. cities.

Progressives Push for Change

• Progressives pushed for reform to labor laws. Companies could no longer use blacklists.

• Companies could no longer issue scrip instead of money for wages.

• Child labor laws were enacted. No child under age 12 could work in industrial plants. Children under 16 could no longer work in breweries, mines, or distilleries.

Progressives Push for Change, cont.

• Progressives improved prison conditions.

• Created a fairer way to tax property.

• Passed new laws to safely inspect food and drugs before they could be sold to the public.

“Farmer Jim” Takes Office• 1915 James Ferguson becomes governor.• He concentrated on helping the poor tenant

farmers, giving him the nickname “Farmer Jim”.• He was very productive. He reformed tenant

farming as promised, created the State Department of Forestry, improved rural schools, and increased funding to Texas colleges.

• He also made some very powerful enemies!

Farmer Jim, cont.

• Governor Ferguson was impeached after a dispute with the University of Texas Board of Regents.

• He was banned from ever again holding public office in Texas.

Jim Crow Laws

• After the Civil War, those in the South were still very much against freedom for African American slaves.

• Those states decided to pass the Jim Crow Laws, which discriminated against African Americans.

• This included: segregation of schools; use of public facilities; access to theaters, restaurants, etc.

African Americans Seek Reform• Many African American Texans found themselves

powerless after Reconstruction.• Democratic leaders harassed and threatened them if they

tried to vote.• In 1902, the poll tax was enacted, requiring voters to pay a

tax to be able to vote.• Most minorities and many whites were too poor to pay the

tax, and therefore could not vote. • Segregation was widespread as a result of the Jim Crow

Laws.• In 1912, some Houston residents formed an NAACP

chapter.

Hispanic Texans

• Many Mexican American citizens faced similar challenges.

• They were also victims of the Jim Crow Laws.

• Hispanics joined in the fight for better living and working conditions.

• A bigger challenge for all Texans was forming elsewhere in the world…

The End…For Now

Today’s Activity

• On an index card, write down three current issues which you feel need to be reformed. Give at least one good reason why you think each issue should be reformed. Give the card to me as you leave the class.