LectureHonors U.S. HistoryName:Mr. IrwinWeek 14Period:
Chapter 11The Progressive Reform EraChapter 11-1The Origins of ProgressivismKey Terms:Progressive Era
– The period from approximately 1890 – 1920, during which a varietyof reforms were enacted at the local, state, and federal levels.
muckraker
– Journalist who uncovers wrongdoing in politics or business.
capitalism –
An economic system characterized by a “free” market in whichentrepreneurial, private company, and corporate ownership of business allows for thepotential of profit and the accumulation of wealth.
socialism
– An economic and political philosophy that is based on the belief thatdemocratic means should be used to evenly distribute wealth throughout a society.
communism
– An economic system in which the central government makes alldecisions regarding the production of goods and services. A major goal of communismis to create a “single class” society by controlling ownership of resources and bycontrolling wealth in the society.
injunction
– A court order prohibiting a party from engaging in a certain activity.
The Need for Reform:
From our study of Chapters 8 & 9, we got a glimpse at how America underwent a greattransformation around the turn of the 20
th
century. This change was characterized bythe combination of large scale immigration to the United States, a leap forward intechnology and the seemingly limitless opportunities that were available to those whowere imaginative, willing to work hard and/or take huge risks. It seems that for a while,America outgrew itself!Unfortunately, greed and corruption had found their way into American society. Duringwhat has become known as the Progressive Era, politically aware citizens, religiousgroups and reform-minded government officials launched a series of reactions, in order to reign in some of the abuses and corruption that came with our transformation into amodern society.www.mirwin.weebly.compage
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Muckrakers:
Just as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the slavery era novel, shocked much of America with itsdepiction of the harsh treatment of slaves, novelist Upton Sinclair both shocked andsickened the nation when his novel, The Jungle, exposed turn of the century meatpacking practices. Sinclair and other writers and journalists became leading figures inthe reform oriented Progressive Era, which spread across the United States at the turnof the twentieth century. The purpose of their writings was to bring attention tocorruption in government and business, and to focus upon labor and health relatedissues, as well. These writers were nicknamed “muckrakers.” Muck is another namefor the manure and hay that must be cleaned out of barns, so the idea behind the term,muckraker, is that of someone who is stirring up society’s muck!
Progressive Goals and Beliefs:
Progressivism was not a single unified movement. Progressive views were held byRepublicans, as well as by Democrats. People who called themselves Progressives didnot all share the same beliefs, but overall, Progressives sought to return control of government to the people, restore economic opportunities, and correct injustices inAmerican society. Populists, muckrakers, intellectuals and political reformers made upthe core of the Progressive Movement. Progressive goals fell into the four categorieslisted below:
4 Progressive Goals:
1.To protect social welfare2.Promote moral improvement3.Create economic reform4. Foster efficiency
Examples of protecting social welfare:
•
Setting up community centers and getting churches involved in providing socialservices directed towards the needs of the poor.
•
Setting up the YMCA
•
Setting up the Salvation Army
Examples of promoting moral improvement:
•
Encouraging immigrants and the poor to uplift themselves, and to improvetheir personal behavior.
o
Alcoholism
Prohibition – prohibitionists feared that alcohol was undermining Americanmorals.www.mirwin.weebly.compage
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In 1874, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was founded inCleveland, Ohio.
The WCTU proceeded to launch a crusade for prohibition of alcohol.
By 1911, the WCTU had spread across the country and had amembership of approximately 245,000 people.
The WCTU also:
•
Opened kindergartens.
•
Visited inmates in prisons and asylums.
•
Worked for suffrage.
Examples of creating economic reform:
•
Embracing socialism – A severe economic panic occurred in 1893. This ledsome Americans to question the capitalist economic system that our countrywas/is based upon. As the result, some Americans, primarily of the workingclass, embraced socialism.
o
In 1901, Eugene V. Debs helped organize the American Socialist Party.
He believed that small could not compete with big.
Debs said that trying to compete against the likes of John D. Rockefeller would be comparable to someone using a wheelbarrow to compete withthe Santa Fe Railroad.
Examples of fostering efficiency:
•
During the 1890s and early 1900s, the 10 hour work day was commonplace.
o
The introduction of scientific studies into the work place.
o
Studies showed that the long work day was taking a toll on workers.
Causing inefficiencies in the operations.
Causing quality problems.
Causing injuries.
•
Henry Ford, for example, responded to this type of information at his factory byreducing the work day to 8 hours and by paying his workers $5.00 per day.www.mirwin.weebly.compage
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History, U.S. Honors - CH 11 Lecture
U.S. History - Classroom Lecture: An introduction to the Progressive Era between 1890 - 1920.
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