As America entered into the 20th century, middle class reformers addressed many social problems due to Laissez Fair Government. Working conditions, rights for women and children, economic, political, environmental and social reform were a few of these issues. Progressives lived in the cities, were college educated, and believed that government could be a tool for change. The Progressive Era was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the US, from the 1890s to 1920s. Progressivism is the movement in the late 1800s to increase democracy in America by curbing the power of the corporation. It fought to end corruption in government and business, and worked to bring equal rights of women and other groups that had been left behind during the industrial revolution. There were four goals of reformers, which were to protect social warfare, promote moral improvement, create economic reform, and foster efficiency.
Events
public education
Children attended school at a very young age. Kindergarteners who were taken care of because of employed mothers, is what caused schools to add more kids starting at a young age. The percent of kids in school grew every year from 200 to 3,000 in less than 20 years. Andrew Carnegie wanted to point out the fact that the bigger the number of students in school, the more subjects, courses and extra curricular activities they added. At this time, African Americans were prohibited from secondary education. Less than 1% of African American students were able to attend high school. Some students went straight to private schools and got no financial support from the government. Immigrants in the other hand were encouraged to go to school. Many European immigrants came between 1860 and 1890. Some even got sent to free schools to learn more about America and be part of it. More schools were made and more colleges were being published. In order to get into a private college or university, there was an exam to be taken.
Booker T. Washington
Not many African Americans went to college. Only 3,880 out of 9 million attended. There was the Niagara Movement which was a black civil rights organization. The Niagara Movement was a call for opposition to racial segregation and disenfranchisement, and it was opposed to policies of accommodation and conciliation promoted by African-American leaders such as Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington was an African American educator. He believed racism would end once the blacks got skills and prove those skills to others such as the whites. Washington was born as a slave, but graduated from Virginia's Hampton Institute. In 1881, he went to a university in Alabama. He taught other African Americans and told them that racism is really a big thing.
Four goals of progressivism
There are four goals of reformers which are:
1. Protect Social Welfare
2. Promote Moral Development
3. Secure Economic Reform
4. Foster Efficiency
1. Protect Social Welfare
2. Promote Moral Development
3. Secure Economic Reform
4. Foster Efficiency
Protect social welfareIndustrialization in the late 19th century was largely unregulated. Employers felt little responsibility toward their workers. As a result, settlement houses and churches served the community and organizations like the YMCA and the Salvation Army took on service roles.
Secure Economic Reform & MuckrakersThe Panic of 1893 prompted some Americans to question the capitalist economic system. As a result, some workers embraced socialism. Eugene Debs organized the American Socialist Party in 1901. Though most Progressives did not embrace socialism, many writers saw the truth in Debs' criticism. Investigative journalists, known as "Muckrakers," exposed corruption in business. For example, Ida Tarbell exposed Standard Oil Company's cut-throat methods of eliminating competition.
|
promote moral developmentSome reformers felt that the answer to society's problems was personal behavior. They proposed such reforms as prohibition. Groups wishing to ban alcohol included the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
Fostering efficiencyMany progressive leaders put their faith in scientific principles to make society better. In industry, Frederick Taylor began using time and motion studies to improve factory efficiency. Taylorism became an industry fad as factories sought to complete each task quickly.
|
women
Before the turn-of-the-century women without formal education contributed to the economic welfare of their families by doing domestic work. Altogether, 70% of women employed in 1870 were servants. Opportunities for women increased especially in the cities. By 1900, one out of five women worked. The garment industry was popular as were office work, retail, and education. Many of the leading Progressive reformers were women. Middle and upper class woman entered the public sphere after graduating from the new women's colleges. Women reformers strove to improve conditions at work and home. In 1896, black women formed the National Association of Colored Women (NACW). Suffrage was another important issue for women. Suffragettes tried three approaches to winning the vote: Convincing state legislatures to adopt the vote. Pursuing court cases to test 14th amendment. Pushing for national Constitutional amendment. Native-born educated, middle class women grew more and more impatient. Through local, state, and national organization, as well as vigorous protests, women finally realized their dream in 1920.
|
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony was born to a strict Quaker family and wasn't able to enjoy her childhood with things like games, toys or anything entertaining. Her parents, but mostly her father, wanted her to have 100% focus on education and had big thoughts for all eight children he had. Susan was educated at home or was homeschooled. She had voted illegally in the presidential election but did not agree to pay her fine, yet never did. Susan B. Anthony had herself and other women asking around about the voting. Some, not all states were allowing women to vote and some had a limit of women to vote. Susan says that if men can vote, then women shall, too. After long couple of years, Roosevelt agreed and supported the thought of letting women work and vote.
Progressivism Under Taft
William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States, is the only person to has served in both of these offices. Republican William Howard Taft easily defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan in the 1908 presidential election. Among his accomplishments, Taft "busted" 90 trusts during his four years in office which was more than Theodore Roosevelt during his eight years in office. Taft was not popular with the American public or reform-minded Republicans. He called the presidency, the "lonesome" job in the world. By 1910, Democrats had regained control of the House of Representatives. Republicans split in 1912 between Taft and Roosevelt. Convention delegates nominated Taft and discontented Republicans formed a third part, the Progressive Party and nominated Roosevelt.
|
The Democrats put forward a reform-minded New Jersey governor, Woodrow Wilson. Payne-Aldrich Tariff is a compromise that only moderated the high rates of the Aldrich Bill. This was something that angered progressives who thought Taft had abandoned progressivism. The Progressive Party became known as The Bull Moose Party after Roosevelt's boast that he was "as strong as a bull moose."
|
Woodrow wilson
With a strong mandate from the American people, Wilson moved to enact his program the "New Freedom." He planned his attack on what he called the triple wall of privilege trusts, tariffs, and high finance. Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States from 1913 to 1921 and leader of the Progressive Movement. Even if he had 42% of the votes, he won an electoral victory and a Democratic majority in Congress. Wilson could claim a mandate to break up trusts and to expand the government's role in social reform.