Progressive EraSSUSH 13

Evaluate efforts to reform American society and politics in the Progressive

Era.

Reforms in the Progressive Era

● The perceived excesses of business and industry included with growing social concerns inspired reformers to make important improvements in America’s political and social environment.

● These reformers were known as Progressives. ● The Progressive Era marks the second definitive era of social and political

reform, comparable to the reform movements of the 1840s. ● Progressive reforms strengthened American democracy in ways carried

forward into present times. ● These reforms did not extend to all parts of American society as Blacks found

themselves left out of reform efforts.

Additional Resources

● The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a resource that includes quality background information for teachers to better understand the deeper contexts of American history topics.

● Historical Era #8 - Progressive Era to New Era, 1900-1929 https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/progressive-era-new-era-1900-1929

SSUSH 13 A

Describe the influence of muckrakers on affecting change by bringing attention to

social problems

Muckrakers and Social Change● The term “muckraker” originated from a

speech given by President Theodore Roosevelt○ He praised journalists for their role

in uncovering corruption and problems often hidden from society.

● Through their writing in well-circulated newspapers and books that were published during the time period, an awareness of underlying societal problems drove demands for reform.

● One book, in particular, had a significant impact on the meat processing industry.

Muckrakers and Social Change● The Jungle (1906) was intended to

expose the dangerous working conditions faced by immigrant workers.

● Instead, the book is remembered for exposing the unclean procedures common in the Chicago meatpacking industry.

● In 1904, Upton Sinclair was sent by a socialist magazine to work undercover in the Chicago meatpacking industry.

● In his undercover research, Sinclair learned about all aspects of meat processing and about the lives of the immigrant workers who made up the labor force.

Muckrakers and Social Change● It took Sinclair two years to publish his

novel because of its horrific subject matter.

● The novel was an instant success. ● Sinclair’s novel roused the middle class

in calling for action against unsafe food packaging and preparation.

● Popular history has President Theodore Roosevelt reading the novel at breakfast and resolving to take action against the practices described by the novelist.

● The Jungle served as an impetus for passage of laws to regulate the meatpacking industry.

Famous Line from Upton Sinclair’s - The Jungle

[T]he meat would be shoveled into carts, and the man who did the shoveling would not trouble to lift out a rat even when he saw one—there were things that went into the sausage in comparison with which a poisoned rat was a tidbit. There was no place for the men to wash their hands before they ate their dinner, and so they made a practice of washing them in the water that was to be ladled into the sausage. There were the butt-ends of smoked meat, and the scraps of corned beef, and all the odds and ends of the waste of the plants, that would be dumped into old barrels in the cellar and left there. Under the system of rigid economy which the packers enforced, there were some jobs that it only paid to do once in a long time, and among these was the cleaning out of the waste barrels. Every spring they did it; and in the barrels would be dirt and rust and old nails and stale water—and cartload after cartload of it would be taken up and dumped into the hoppers with fresh meat, and sent out to the public’s breakfast.

Muckrakers and Social Change● The role of the government was

expanded by the Progressive's efforts to protect the United States population and to require regulation of business practices.

● As a result of the public outcry created by The Jungle, the United States government passed the Meat Inspection Act.

● The new law set cleanliness standards that had to be followed by meat processing facilities.

● A new federal agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was also established

Muckrakers and Social Change● The FDA was created to monitor

facilities for their compliance with the regulations.

● The reform was prompted by the uproar created by Upton Sinclair’s book.

● Ida Tarbell was another famous muckraker, whose writing led to reform.

● Between 1902 and 1904, Tarbell wrote a series of magazine articles exposing Standard Oil’s unfair business practices. ○ There were 19 installments of “The

History of the Standard Oil Company”.

Muckrakers and Social Change● Her magazine articles marked the

beginning of investigative journalism. ● Tarbell’s methods became a model for

other investigative journalists. ● In order to piece together how Rockefeller

created his company, she researched Standard Oil for two years by:○ examining public records○ newspaper coverage○ interviewing former company

executives● The articles told how Rockefeller used his

business methods to destroy independent oilmen in Pennsylvania in order to create an oil monopoly.

Muckrakers and Social Change● Tarbell concluded her series by

examining Rockefeller’s character, which she described as “moneymad.”

● She also claimed that Rockefeller had created a national life that was far meaner, poorer, and uglier than had existed prior to his creation of Standard Oil.

● Tarbell’s series was well received because she was not critical of capitalism.

● Instead, she focused her criticism on the unethical practices of Rockefeller and his associates in building Standard Oil.

Muckrakers and Social Change

● Another important muckraker of the Progressive Era was Jacob Riis.

● Was a New York photojournalist who documented the living conditions of the urban poor.

● How the Other Half Lives (1890) focused on:○ The unhealthy tenement housing

that workers and families were forced to live in

○ The unsanitary conditions of slum streets■ Human and animal waste

Muckrakers and Social Change● Riis's work led to:

○ The institution of municipal housing codes

○ The re-design of urban housing○ The creation of sanitation

departments that removed garbage and dead animals from the city streets.

● In addition, large urban centers began providing sewer and water services in order to lessen the chances of typhoid and cholera outbreaks in cities.

● Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, Jacob Riis, and other muckrakers highlighted social issues

Muckrakers and Social Change

● This led to the growing belief that the government should intervene in corrupt businesses and legislate to protect society from harm.

● Through the words and photographs of muckrakers, the public became more acutely aware of underlying problems that needed to be addressed.

Additional Resources

● The Gilder Lehrman Institute features an essay on Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. The essay provides good background information on the time period, the book, and reform efforts. From Jacob Riis - How the Other Half Lives ○ https://gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/politics-reform/essays/jungle-and-

progressive-era

SSUSH 13 B

Examine and explain the roles of women in reform movements

Women in Reform● By the last quarter of the 19th century,

many middle class women had received considerable education.

● However, society still viewed women as nurturers and agents of stability.

● Women used this influence and their educational attainment to advocate for social change.

● These reforms included:○ A re-born temperance movement○ Women's suffrage○ Sanitation○ Educational reforms○ Attacks on racism

Women in Reform

● Women such as Jane Addams, played a huge role in improving the lives of the urban poor○ especially immigrant women and

children who were forced by circumstances to work and live in dangerous and unhealthy conditions

● Addams was the founder of the Settlement House Movement in the United States.

● The Settlement House Movement began in urban England

Women in Reform● The Settlement House was a way of

helping the poor by securing donations from the wealthy in an effort to improve the lives of the destitute.

● Jane Addams decided to create a similar settlement house in Chicago after visiting England

● Jane Addams founded Hull House in 1889 in an immigrant community for the purpose of providing educational opportunities for immigrants

● By 1893, Hull House was serving 2,000 clients.

Women in Reform● Addams was also gradually drawn into

advocating for legislative reforms at the municipal, state, and federal levels.

● The issues she addressed included child labor, healthcare, and immigration.

● Later, Addams became actively involved in women's suffrage and was a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Additional Resources

● University of Chicago's Hull House Museum provides a wide range of resources on their website. There is background information on both Jane Addams and the Hull House. There are documents and teacher resources also available. ○ http://www.hullhousemuseum.org

SSUSH 13 C

Connect the decision of Plessy v. Ferguson to the expansion of Jim Crow laws and the formation of the NAACP

Jim Crow Laws● Following the end of Reconstruction,

White Democrats regained power in Southern legislatures.

● Beginning in 1876, ten of the eleven former Confederate states had created a legal framework for separating Whites and Blacks known as "Jim Crow laws."

● The initial purpose of Jim Crow laws was to prevent blacks from: ○ Participating in the political

process○ Voting○ Serving in office○ Participating in jury trials

Jim Crow Laws● Gradually, Jim Crow laws were

extended to include public education, transportation, and other public facilities.

● There were separate water fountains, waiting rooms, and restrooms for Whites and Blacks.

● The laws were supposed to provide "separate but equal" facilities.

● However, the facilities for Blacks were separate and inferior.

● Jim Crow laws were initially created by states but during the Woodrow Wilson administration, Jim Crow was extended to the federal government.

Jim Crow Laws● In 1890, Louisiana passed a Jim Crow

law that required separate facilities on railroads.

● Concerned citizens, of all races, were determined to challenge the legality of the new law.

● The opportunity came in 1892 when Homer Plessy decided to challenge the law.

● Plessy was 1/8 Black, which met the period's prevailing legal definition of the race although he could visually pass for White.

● He was arrested for refusing the leave a Whites only railroad car.

Jim Crow Laws● Plessy's case wound its way through

the judicial system to the Supreme Court.

● In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that "separate but equal" was indeed constitutional.

● Racial discrimination was thus legal according to the federal government and the ruling upheld the state level Jim Crow segregation provisions.

● restrictive Jim Crow legislation and separate public accommodations based on race became commonplace

NAACP● Widespread violence, including

lynching, against Blacks led to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.

● Created by a group of White supporters and W.E.B. DuBois, the NAACP's stated goals was to secure for all people the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution.

● The organization quickly began to challenge Jim Crow laws and lynching through the courts.

NAACP● Success in an Oklahoma case

enhanced the organization's reputation and foreshadowed the success the NAACP would have in ending public school segregation in 1954.

● The Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson affirmed the state level segregation of Jim Crow laws.

● Legal segregation would be the standard from 1896 until the Supreme Court ruled differently in the 1954 case, Brown v. Board of Education.

NAACP

● Conditions got worse, especially in the South, for Blacks seeking safety, social equality, and fair hiring practices.

● As a result of the even more strained race relations, W.E.B. DuBois created the NAACP to lead other legal challenges to segregation, which was being propped up by the Plessy decision.

Additional Resources

● Street Law, Inc. and the Supreme Court Historical Society provide excellent materials for classroom use and research related to the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Included is case background, teacher resources, and details about the ruling. ○ http://landmarkcases.org/en/landmark/cases/plessy_v_ferguson

● National Association for the Advancement of Colored People includes a historical record of the organization's founding on the website. ○ http://www.naacp.org/oldest-and-boldest/

SSUSH 13 D

Describe Progressive legislative actions including empowerment of the voter,

labor laws, and the conservation movement.

Progressive Movements● In the early 20th century, Progressivism

emerged as a movement:○ To improve American democracy○ To achieve social and economic

justice○ To correct the evils of

industrialization and urbanization. ● The Progressive Movement was

generally made up of the educated middle class who saw reform as a civic duty.

● Politically, the Progressives planned to attack graft, the political machine, and the influence of big business in government.

Progressive Movement● The Progressive Movement also

planned to create new political procedures that would enable greater political participation.

● To attack poverty, the Progressives planned to lobby for greater governmental regulations to empower voters and to protect consumers, workers, and the environment.

● There were a number of political reforms attributed to the Progressive Movement.

● Some were aimed at the federal level and some were focused on local and state reform.

Progressive Movement● Federal political reforms of the

Progressive Era included the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

● 17th Amendment○ This amendment provides for the

direct election of United States Senators.

● Prior to this amendment, the state legislatures were previously responsible for the appointment of Senators.

● With the change, more political power was given directly to the voters.

Progressive Movement● Voters had more political power at the

local and state levels during the Progressive Era.

● Initiative/referendum allows voters to suggest and approve laws directly without the statute having to go through the state legislature. ○ The people vote on an issue directly

instead of representatives voting on the issue in the state legislature.

● The recall vote provision allows voters to remove politicians from office who are unsatisfactory, without having to wait for the person's term in office to end.

Progressive Movement● In each of these new political reforms,

more power is given directly to the people.

● Workers were also empowered by Progressive reform with the passage of new labor laws that restricted the power of business owners.

● For example, new child labor laws set a minimum age for employment and restricted the types of jobs children could hold.

● Laws were also created to protect women in the workplace by setting a minimum wage and maximum work hours.

Progressive Movement● Business owners were also required

under new Progressive reform laws to complete work site inspections to ensure health, safety, and sanitation.

● Worker's compensation laws were also passed that required financial assistance for workers injured on the job.

● Another key area of Progressive reform was the conservation movement, which began in the 1870s.

● There were three schools of conservation thought at the time.

Progressive Movement● First, business supported a

laissez-faire approach believing that business should be allowed to do as they wished with public lands.

● Second, there was the Environmentalist approach led by John Muir. ○ The Environmentalists believed

that nature was sacred and humans were the intruders.

○ They also believed that humans should make a minimal impact on nature and that preservation of the environment in its undisturbed form was most desirable.

Progressive Movement● Third, there was the Conservationist.

○ Theodore Roosevelt and his mentor, Gifford Pinchot, supported the Conservationist approach.

○ The Conservationist approach:■ They believed that nature

could be used responsibly but it should also be protected.

● Theodore Roosevelt was a life-long naturalist, who majored in Natural History at Harvard.

● He was also an avid hunter.

Progressive Movement

● Roosevelt saw the continued despoliation of land for timbering and mining would result in the loss of key habitats needed for hunting and future economic development.

● Throughout his presidency, Roosevelt:○ Increased national reserves of

forests ○ Increased national reserves of

mineral Lands○ Increased national reserves of

hydropower sites.

Progressive Movement● During his tenure in office, Roosevelt

created:○ The National Forest Service○ Five new national parks○ 18 new U.S. national monuments○ 51 bird reserves○ Four game preserves, and 150

national forests.● This emphasis on conservation also

encouraged states to follow the lead of the national government. Legislative action during the Progressive Era took many forms. Voters, workers, and environmental conservationists were all empowered by laws that were passed.

Additional Resources

● The Library of Congress features an online exhibition on "Conservation in the Progressive Era." There are documents and background information about the policies and reforms created during the period of reform. ○ http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivitie

s/presentations/timeline/progress/conserve/