Political Reform and the Progressive Era (1870-1920)

Political Reform and the Political Reform and the Progressive Era (1870-Progressive Era (1870-

1920)1920)

Chapter 19Chapter 19

Gilded Age and Progressive Gilded Age and Progressive ReformReform

The era after the The era after the Civil War was known Civil War was known as the Gilded Age as the Gilded Age which means which means “Coated with a thin “Coated with a thin layer of gold paint.”layer of gold paint.”

This age lasted from This age lasted from the 1870s-1890sthe 1870s-1890s


Americans had two Americans had two fearsfears

• Feared industrialist Feared industrialist and other wealthy and other wealthy menmen

• Feared corruption or Feared corruption or dishonesty in dishonesty in governmentgovernment

• There was corruption There was corruption in the government; in the government; critics say it was critics say it was because of the spoils because of the spoils

system.system.


• In 1881, James In 1881, James Garfield became Garfield became President-He was President-He was shot 4 months later shot 4 months later and died 2 months and died 2 months after that. after that.

His assassination His assassination worked to end the worked to end the spoils systemspoils system


Chester A. Arthur worked Chester A. Arthur worked with Congress to reform with Congress to reform how people got how people got government jobs. government jobs.

• In 1883, the Pendleton In 1883, the Pendleton Act created the Civil Act created the Civil Service CommissionService Commission

To fill jobs based on To fill jobs based on merit-or highest scores merit-or highest scores on civil service examson civil service exams

• Big Business had power Big Business had power over politics, the railroads over politics, the railroads and industrialists bribed and industrialists bribed members of congress. members of congress.

The Constitution had the The Constitution had the right to regulate right to regulate

interstates trade.interstates trade.


• 1887, The Interstate 1887, The Interstate Commerce Act-forbid Commerce Act-forbid practices such as practices such as rebatesrebates

• President Benjamin President Benjamin Harrison signed the Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890Act in 1890

It prohibited It prohibited businesses from businesses from trying to limit or trying to limit or destroy competition.destroy competition.


Particularly a problem in Particularly a problem in city governments- mass city governments- mass corruptioncorruption

• Powerful politicians Powerful politicians controlled work done controlled work done locally and demanded locally and demanded payoffs from payoffs from businessesbusinesses

• Boss Tweed-William Boss Tweed-William Tweed, Cheated NYC Tweed, Cheated NYC out of more then $100 out of more then $100 million. million.

Journalists exposed Journalists exposed his crimeshis crimes

Tweed fled to Spain Tweed fled to Spain where he was where he was arrested, he ended up arrested, he ended up dying in jail in 1878dying in jail in 1878


Progressives were Progressives were reformers who reformers who believed in the believed in the public interest. public interest.

• Wisconsin had a Wisconsin had a Progressive Progressive reformer, Robert La reformer, Robert La Follette, he opposed Follette, he opposed political bosses. political bosses.

• In 1903, Wisconsin In 1903, Wisconsin was the first state to was the first state to

adopt a primaryadopt a primary


• States had new States had new reforms, recalls, reforms, recalls, initiatives and initiatives and referendums; also referendums; also there was graduated there was graduated income tax. income tax.

The wealthy pay The wealthy pay taxes at a higher taxes at a higher rate than the poor or rate than the poor or middle classmiddle class

This became the This became the 16th amendment16th amendment


MuckrakersMuckrakers• The press exposed The press exposed

corruption and other corruption and other problems. problems.

• These people were These people were muckrakers which is muckrakers which is a crusading journalista crusading journalist

• Upton Sinclair wrote Upton Sinclair wrote The JungleThe Jungle which which talked about the talked about the grisly details about grisly details about the meatpacking the meatpacking

industry.industry.

Progressive Presidents Progressive Presidents Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt

became president in 1901 became president in 1901 after President William after President William McKinley was McKinley was assassinatedassassinated

• Came from a wealthy Came from a wealthy familyfamily

• At age 23 he was elected At age 23 he was elected to the NYS legislatureto the NYS legislature

• Headed the NYPD and Headed the NYPD and served as assistant served as assistant secretary of the Navysecretary of the Navy

• He had a reputation as a He had a reputation as a trust bustertrust buster

Believed in good trusts Believed in good trusts and bad trustsand bad trusts

Progressive Presidents Progressive Presidents

• He took action to He took action to protect the protect the wilderness and wilderness and began conservation began conservation and National parksand National parks

• Passed a law in 1906 Passed a law in 1906 which allowed closer which allowed closer inspections of the inspections of the meatpacking industrymeatpacking industry

• Passed the Pure Passed the Pure Food and Drug ActFood and Drug Act

Food and drug Food and drug makers had to list makers had to list all ingredientsall ingredients

Progressive Presidents Progressive Presidents William Howard Taft William Howard Taft

• He broke up trusts, He broke up trusts, believed in graduated believed in graduated income, safety rules for income, safety rules for mines, and gave mines, and gave government workers an government workers an 8 hour work day8 hour work day

• In 1909, he signed a bill In 1909, he signed a bill that raised most tariffsthat raised most tariffs

• He lost support of the He lost support of the Progressive partyProgressive party

Roosevelt ran for the Roosevelt ran for the 1912 election under the 1912 election under the Progressive partyProgressive party

Progressive Presidents Progressive Presidents Woodrow Wilson ran for Woodrow Wilson ran for

the Democratic partythe Democratic party• He was honest and He was honest and

idealistic but he was idealistic but he was also rigid and unwilling also rigid and unwilling to compromise with to compromise with othersothers

Wilson won the Wilson won the electionelection

• He wanted to restore He wanted to restore competition between competition between American corporationsAmerican corporations

This was called New This was called New FreedomFreedom

Progressive Presidents Progressive Presidents • He created the He created the

Federal Trade Federal Trade Commission in 1914Commission in 1914

It had the power to It had the power to investigate investigate companies and order companies and order them to stop using them to stop using unfair practices unfair practices

• Clayton Antitrust Act Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914 banned many in 1914 banned many businessesbusinesses

• Set up the Federal Set up the Federal Reserve Act in 191, Reserve Act in 191, gave the government gave the government the power to raise or the power to raise or lower interest rates lower interest rates and control the money and control the money supplysupply

The Rights of Women The Rights of Women

Seneca Falls Seneca Falls Convention of Convention of 1848(Began 1848(Began organized women’s organized women’s rights movement)rights movement)

Many states Many states opposed women’s opposed women’s suffrage. suffrage.

• Only 4 western Only 4 western states allowed it-states allowed it-Wyoming, Utah, Wyoming, Utah,

Colorado and Idaho.Colorado and Idaho.

The Rights of Women The Rights of Women By the early 1900’s, By the early 1900’s,

support grew. Carrie support grew. Carrie Chapman Catt had a Chapman Catt had a plan to get states to plan to get states to allow women to vote. allow women to vote.

• This happened one by This happened one by one. one.

Women called for a Women called for a change to make it so change to make it so they could vote in they could vote in federal elections. When federal elections. When a suffragist, Alice Paul, a suffragist, Alice Paul, met with Woodrow met with Woodrow Wilson and he Wilson and he eventually pledged his eventually pledged his support for an support for an amendment.amendment.

• By August of 1920, By August of 1920, 3/4th of the states had 3/4th of the states had ratified the Nineteenth ratified the Nineteenth Amendment giving Amendment giving women the right to vote.women the right to vote.

The Rights of Women The Rights of Women Although women were Although women were

gaining more rights, some gaining more rights, some were still withheld. were still withheld.

• Women managed to get Women managed to get higher education. Boston higher education. Boston University gave the first University gave the first PhD to a woman. PhD to a woman.

• Women’s clubs became Women’s clubs became more then book clubs; more then book clubs; they became a group for they became a group for reformers. reformers.

• Women worked in cities to Women worked in cities to help the people. Florence help the people. Florence Kelley investigated Kelley investigated conditions in sweatshops conditions in sweatshops and organized boycotts.and organized boycotts.


A Crusade against A Crusade against AlcoholAlcohol

• In 1874, the In 1874, the Woman’s Christian Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Temperance Union, led by Frances led by Frances Willard spoke of the Willard spoke of the evils of alcohol. She evils of alcohol. She worked to get a ban worked to get a ban on the sale of liquor.on the sale of liquor.

Carry NationCarry Nation


Congress passed the Congress passed the Eighteenth Eighteenth Amendment in 1917, Amendment in 1917, this was prohibition, this was prohibition, and it prohibited the and it prohibited the sale and consumption sale and consumption of alcohol of alcohol

Struggles for Justice Struggles for Justice African Americans faced African Americans faced

discrimination in the North discrimination in the North and the South. and the South.

Booker T. Washington-was Booker T. Washington-was born into slavery, taught born into slavery, taught himself to read, worked in himself to read, worked in coal mines, helped to coal mines, helped to found the Tuskegee found the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He Institute in Alabama. He wanted African Americans wanted African Americans to learn trades and try to to learn trades and try to move up in society. move up in society.

He won the support of He won the support of Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Carnegie and John. D RockefellerJohn. D Rockefeller

Struggles for Justice Struggles for Justice

W.E.B Du Bois was W.E.B Du Bois was a brilliant scholar a brilliant scholar and was the first and was the first African American to African American to receive a Ph.D. from receive a Ph.D. from Harvard. Harvard.

• He urged people to He urged people to fight discrimination fight discrimination and in 1909 joined and in 1909 joined reformers to form the reformers to form the national Associated national Associated for the Advancement for the Advancement of Colored People, or of Colored People, or

the NAACP.the NAACP.


In the 1890’s there In the 1890’s there were more the 1,000 were more the 1,000 victims of lynching. victims of lynching. These murders These murders outraged peopleoutraged people

• Ida B. Wells wrote a Ida B. Wells wrote a newspaper, newspaper, Free Free SpeechSpeech, called for , called for the boycotting of the boycotting of segregated segregated streetcars and white-streetcars and white-

owned stores.owned stores.

Struggles for Justice Struggles for Justice Few white Few white

progressives gave progressives gave much thought to much thought to African American African American problems. problems.

• Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson even ordered even ordered segregation in the segregation in the federal civil service. federal civil service.

• Despite these Despite these circumstances, some circumstances, some African Americans African Americans succeeded.succeeded.

Struggles for Justice Struggles for Justice Mexican Americans Mexican Americans

faced legal faced legal segregation. segregation.

• There was an There was an increase in increase in immigration in 1910 immigration in 1910 when a famine swept when a famine swept Mexico. They came Mexico. They came from all levels in from all levels in society. society.

They initially lived in They initially lived in the South-west but the South-west but had to move to find had to move to find

jobs.jobs.


• Often worked as field Often worked as field hands, built roads or hands, built roads or dug irrigation ditches, dug irrigation ditches, worked on railroads, worked on railroads, and city factories. and city factories. They were paid less They were paid less then Anglo workers. then Anglo workers.

• They sought to They sought to preserve their preserve their language and language and culture. culture.

They created They created barrios which were barrios which were Mexican American Mexican American neighborhoods.neighborhoods.


Asian AmericansAsian Americans• 1882(Chinese 1882(Chinese

Exclusion Act)-Exclusion Act)-Chinese were not Chinese were not allowed into the allowed into the United StatesUnited States

• Many Japanese Many Japanese entered the US in the entered the US in the early 1900’s. They early 1900’s. They sought a better life.sought a better life.

Many newcomers Many newcomers

were farmers.were farmers.


• There was a lot of There was a lot of prejudice against prejudice against Japanese students. Japanese students. In 1906, they were In 1906, they were forced to attend forced to attend different schools. different schools.

• Unions and other Unions and other groups put pressure groups put pressure on President on President Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt to limit immigration. to limit immigration.


• He came to a He came to a “Gentlemen’s “Gentlemen’s Agreement” with Agreement” with Japan in 1907. Japan Japan in 1907. Japan would stop any more would stop any more workers from coming workers from coming to the US, and the to the US, and the US would allow US would allow Japanese women to Japanese women to join their husbands join their husbands who were already who were already here. here.

• Anti-Japanese Anti-Japanese feelings were still feelings were still high. high.

Struggles for Justice Struggles for Justice Religious minorities Religious minorities

faced prejudice, faced prejudice, mainly against mainly against Roman Catholics Roman Catholics and Jews. –these and Jews. –these people were people were discriminated discriminated against. against.

• Because of this, Because of this, American Catholics American Catholics set up their own set up their own schools, parochial schools, parochial schools.schools.

Struggles for JusticeStruggles for Justice

• Anti-Semitism, Anti-Semitism, prejudice against prejudice against Jews was Jews was everywhere. everywhere.

Leo Frank was Leo Frank was killed by a mob. killed by a mob.

Jews founded the Jews founded the Anti-Defamation Anti-Defamation League (Spreading League (Spreading of false, hateful of false, hateful information)information)

Political Reform and the Progressive Era (1870-1920)

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