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H.G. Wells Exposes Corruption
During this time period, politicians were incredibly corrupt because of payoffs from large corporations. These deals were usually handled by political bosses. Wells visited Alderman Kenna, a boss in Chicago, and discribed his actions and his intents in an article. -
Period: to
Progressive Era
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William Jennings Bryan Is Elected
During the time of Bryan's election, farmers were facing the difficulty of paying off debts and rising inflation. Bryan was supported by the Democratic Party for his progressive stand on minting silver coins so the value of gold would escalate. This was so the farmers' gold would be worth more so they could pay off their debts, therefore stimulating the economy. -
City Government Reform
Business owners were becoming increasingly unhappy with the polictical system in place because the cost of corruption was becoming overwhelming. People thought that self-made business men should take office because of their leadership skills and ability to serve society. The Progressive party would support this as Public Service Reform. -
Teddy Roosevelt Becomes President
When Roosevelt came into office he was considered a madman by many of the conservative officials in the government at the time. He made several efforts towards reform such as, during his first term in office a strike errupted between Pensylvania coal miners and their bosses. Roosevelt decided that the dispute would be settled by a nonbias third party so each side could have a fair deal. -
Robert La Follette-Governor of Wisconsin
La Follette emerged as one of the most energetic endorsers for reform. As governor he began to back a progressive movement that would be known as the Wisconsin Idea. He forced state legislation to increase taxes on railroads and public utilities and he would also start commissions to regulate these companies for the citizens. -
International Ladies' Garment Workers Union Founded
This union was created to unify the female workers of the textile profession. To organize their workers, leaders would create a strike to demonstrate the unions power over the business owners. In November of 1909, the union had thousands of workers simultaneously walk off their jobs to convince the companies to recognize their union. -
Jane Adams Fights for Reform
Jane Adams wrote in an article of Democracy and Social Ethics, that democracy spanned a wider spectrum than simply the right to vote. Democracy included all citizens helping out those less fortunate, in her case she was referring to the poor. She looked to keep democracy but increase its reach so that all citizens may have it and utilize it. -
Corrupt Services Reform
During the progressive movement, many of the largest companies in the country created monopolies or trusts to maximize profit and limit competition. Muckrakers like the writers of magazines like McClure's wrote thrilling articles exposing these businesses for their crimes. One of the most famous articles was called "The Octopus" which was a illustration of how rail road companies exploited their vast power. -
Roosevelt Saves the Enviroment.
As an aivid outdoorsman, President Roosevelt feld strognly about preserving nature thoughout the country. He removed about 150millions acres of land from being sold so that they could be made forrest reserves. He also urged congress to pass the Newlands Reclamations Act which allowed the money from public land sales to fund irrigation and restoring damaged land so it may be productive once again. The Progressive Party would have supported this as public service reform. -
Muckrakers Licoln Steffens and Claude Wetmore
As reform continued, more and more information about political corruption became available to the public. One of the leading magazines at exposing this corruption was McClure's. An article written by Steffens and Wetmore started the craze when they wrote about a political machine in St. Louis and its comparisons to New York City, under control of Boss Twede. -
National Child Labor Committee
Social reformers were continuously unhappy with the working conditions of women and children during this era. In 1904, Florence Kelly established the National Child Labor Committee along with other activists. This committee workered to make legistlation pass laws prohibiting young children from being hired. By 1912, 39 states had child labor laws. This would be seen as Labor reform by the Progressive Party. -
Roosevelt's Square Deal
During Teddy Roosevlt's campaign for the 1904 election, "The Square Deal" was his slogan. Roosevelt wanted to limit the power of trusts in businesses and make sure that consumers were paying fair prices. He also looked to regulate business, ensure public health, and improve the working conditions throughout the country. The Progressive Party would see this as reforming business. -
Business Reform- Lochner v. New York
As reformers continued their efforts, more disputes were caused by the labor laws that states were passing. In the caseof Lochner v. New York, the court ruled in favor of of a business owner working his employee longer than the allowed workday. They sided with the owner because the employee signed a contract agreeing to work that long and the law broke the liberty of the contract. They also ruled that the New York court law was unconstitutional because it denied worker the "freedom of contact." -
Upton Sinclair's Novel
Sinclair published a novel titled, The Jungle, in 1906 which documented stories about the meat packing district of Chicago. This article was so disgusting to the readers that the public cried for laws prohibiting unhealthy conditions in the food industry. The progressive party would have supported this as a public service reformation. -
Roosevelt and Pubic Service Reform
In the early 1900's, drug companies, meat-packers, and food processors were distributing dangerous product to consumers. Drug companies were selling medicines over the counter that contained illeal drugs such as concain and morphine. President Roosevelt and Congress pased The Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act to make sure all meat shipped was inspected and forbade any sale or manufactoring of food with harmful ingredients, to protect the consumers of the US. -
N.A.A.C.P. Founded
As the progressive era continued, freedom was being fought for everyone, including African-Americans. The N.A.A.C.P. worked through magazine articles as well as through the courts to gain equality. They made strives such as reversing a law in Louisville, Kentucky that required segregated housing. The Progressive Party would have supported this as Social Justice Reform. -
Progressive City Planning
Social reformers believed heavily that if the cities could be cleaned up that it would produce better citizens. The first convention was held in 1909. Members of these meetings hoped that by redisigning the city that the slums and ghettos could stop spreading and the city could become beautiful with added parks, fountains, and tree-shaded streets. -
Eugene Debs and the Socialists Party
Debs was on the ballot along with Thomas Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt during the 1910 elections and all three sought reform. Debs wanted drastic reform which included worker control of all government sectors and that all major industries would be publicly owned so that all citizens could share in the prosperity of these coperations. -
Roosevelt Supports New Nationalism
During the congressional elections of 1910, Roosevelt tried to have progressive activists elected into office and oppose William Howard Taft, a conservative. During a speech in Kansas, Teddy brought up New Nationalism as a way for making legislation create strict laws to protect workers, ensure public health, and regulate business. -
Society of American Indians Created
During this time period Native-Americans were being encouraged to give up their land on reservations and become private land owners. Unhappy with the way they were being treated, about 50 members established the Society of American Indians. They supported their members to assimilate into modern culture. They worked to expunge derogatory terms as well as pointing out the accomplishments made by fellow Native-Americans. -
Labor Reform- Child Labor Laws
The conditions of the workplace during the late 1800's and ealry 20th century were dangerous and oppressive. The conditions that women and children faced were just a bad and for years social reformers had argued for laws limiting the amount they could work. By 1912, they had helped 39 states pass laws child labor laws. -
16th Amendment
The sixteenth amendment established a national tax based of the gross income of each individual. This was progressive because it it created a way to increase government funding for expensive but needed projects but yet it was fair for evryone. -
Seventeenth Amedment
During this period, state legislators alone elected the nations senators. This was a problem because once political bosses could controll the legislators, they could control the senators. The Seventeenth Amendment made it so that the voters would directly elect the senators from their state. -
Woodrow Wilson In Office
As a president Woodrow Wilson favored the struggles of the working class and made a strong effort to alleve some of their hardships. His first prioirty was to lower the taxes on the population. He later created a federal reserve bank to prevent any financial panics but to please republicans he also allowed there to be private banks to deal specifically with individuals. -
Progressives Split on Immigration
Reformers took both sides on the idea of immigration. Some reformers sympathized with the immigrants who faced the worst working and living conditions when they came into the country. But reformers with similar progressive ideas wanted to restrict immigration because of immigrants' tendencies to gamble, drink, and support political bosses. -
Eighteenth Amendment Ratified
One of the greatest urban reforms was the ban of alcohol. Reformers looked towards prohibition to eliminate most of the troubles in society, all of which were caused by alcohol. During World War I the government made it illegal to manufactor, sell, or import any alcoholic beverages. -
Teperance Movement- Public Service Reform
The reformers of this time period also wanted to clean-up the problems facing society. Reformers saw alcohol as causing crime and the breakup of families, which they considered the main causes of unemployment. They also wanted to limit the control the powers o breweries and liquor interest groups in government. During World War I the prohibitionists got their wish when congress ratified the Eighteenth Amendment in 1917. -
19th Amendment
By ratifying the nineteenth amendment, the US government granted women the right to vote. This was after years of protesting and then women leading efforts during the first world war. This was incredibly porgressive because it recognized the efforts and rewared womens sufrages. -
Hiram Johnson's Isolationism
After the end of the first world war, there was a great public outcry for the US to remain neutral and stay out of any other conflicts that would erupt in Europe. Johnson spoke of the US isolating itself from Europe so that they could avoid another costly war with American lives unnecessarily lost.
