The Progressive The Progressive Reform EraReform Era

1890 - 19201890 - 1920

What were the goals of What were the goals of the Progressives?the Progressives?

1.1. To meet the challenges presented by To meet the challenges presented by industrialization and urbanizationindustrialization and urbanization

2.2. To break up the monopolies and restore To break up the monopolies and restore competitioncompetition

3.3. To break the power of political To break the power of political machines and improve democracymachines and improve democracy

4.4. To improve the quality of life for the To improve the quality of life for the people of the United Statespeople of the United States

What were the characteristics of What were the characteristics of the Progressives? Who were they?the Progressives? Who were they?

Urban, middle classUrban, middle class Men and womenMen and women Democrats and Democrats and

RepublicansRepublicans Well educatedWell educated Believers in Believers in

capitalism (not capitalism (not socialism)socialism)

Pragmatic – simple Pragmatic – simple solutions to complex solutions to complex problemsproblems

All levels of All levels of governmentgovernment

Attempted a variety Attempted a variety of reformsof reforms

Optimistic Optimistic

MuckrakersMuckrakers Journalists who attempted to expose the Journalists who attempted to expose the

evils of big business and corrupt evils of big business and corrupt governmentgovernment

The purpose of their reports was to The purpose of their reports was to educate the people about a problem and educate the people about a problem and to encourage them to take actionto encourage them to take action

They were not in the business of They were not in the business of “sensationalizing” the news“sensationalizing” the news

Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclair was a Socialist;was a Socialist;

who said that he “aimed at the country’s heart, but instead, who said that he “aimed at the country’s heart, but instead, hit them in the stomach”hit them in the stomach”

The JungleThe Jungle Exposed the evils in Exposed the evils in the meatpacking the meatpacking industryindustry

Resulted in the Resulted in the passage of the Meat passage of the Meat Inspection Act and Inspection Act and the Pure Food and the Pure Food and Drug ActDrug Act

Ida Tarbell – A History of Ida Tarbell – A History of Standard OilStandard Oil to expose the ruthless practices of John Rockefellerto expose the ruthless practices of John Rockefeller

Jacob Riis – A Muckraking Jacob Riis – A Muckraking PhotojournalistPhotojournalist

Immigrant from Immigrant from DenmarkDenmark

Worked as a police Worked as a police reporter and reporter and photographerphotographer

Most famous work: Most famous work: How the Other Half How the Other Half LivesLives

Five Cents LodgingFive Cents Lodging

Children Sleeping in Children Sleeping in Mulberry Mulberry StreetStreet

Girls on a StoopGirls on a Stoop

Home of an Italian Rag Home of an Italian Rag PickerPicker

Tenement YardTenement Yard

Room in a Tenement FlatRoom in a Tenement Flat

CityscapeCityscape

A New York City PeddlerA New York City Peddler

A Ludlow Street A Ludlow Street SweatshopSweatshop

Bandit’s RoostBandit’s Roost59 ½ Mulberry Street59 ½ Mulberry Street

Men’s Lodging Room in Men’s Lodging Room in West 47West 47thth Street Station Street Station

Women’s Lodging Room Women’s Lodging Room in in West 47West 47thth Street Station Street Station

Lincoln Steffens – The Lincoln Steffens – The Shame of the CitiesShame of the Cities

Told of the political corruption in PhiladelphiaTold of the political corruption in Philadelphia

Frank Norris – The Frank Norris – The OctopusOctopus told of the struggle against the railroad told of the struggle against the railroad

monopoliesmonopolies