The Roots of Progressivism

Ch 5.1
 Monday, February 27, 2012
Daily goal:
Understand what is a muckraker, who was
Jacob Riis and what book he wrote.
Understand how direct primary, initiative,
referendum and recall changed govt.
Think About it
Do you think it is the governments
responsibility to aid the poor?
WHAT WAS PROGRESSIVISM?
MANY HISTORIANS BELIEVE IT WAS THE URBAN COUNTERPART TO
RURAL POPULISM
IT CAN ALSO BE DEFINED AS THE BEGINNING OF MODERN
LIBERALISM
LIBERALS/PROGRESSIVES BELIEVED:
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE MORE ACTIVE
SOCIAL PROBLEMS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED THROUGH
GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION
PUBLIC FUNDS SHOULD BE USED TO ADDRESS SOCIAL
PROBLEMS

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ORIGINS OF THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT

MOVEMENTS THAT LED TO PROGRESSIVISM

WOMENS SUFFRAGE
NEW INTEREST IN
THE POOR
CHARITY

SOCIAL GOSPEL
GOOD GOVERNMENT
SETTLEMENT HOUSES

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 Immigration
restrictions
Political
Prohibition
reform

End to white
slavery, End of
prostitution, child
and sweat
labor
shops

PROGRESSIVISM
Americanization
of Anti-trust
immigrants legislation

End of Rate
urban regulation
political of private
machines Womens utilities
suffrage
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 Progressivism
Not a tightly organized movement, but it had
many ideas to fix the problems which faced
America.
JACOB RIIS: DOCUMENTED POVERTY AND HOPELESSNESS

Jacob Riis
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Evicted

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 Muckrakers
Journalists who investigated to expose social
conditions and political corruption.
Jacob Riis wrote How the Other Half Lives
which described disease, poverty and crime in
NY immigrant neighborhoods.
The corruption was breathtaking in its breadth and boldness. A
carpenter was paid $360,751 ($4.9 million in 2004 dollars) for one
month's labor in a building with very little woodwork. A furniture
contractor received $179,729 ($2.5 million) for three tables and 40
chairs. And the plasterer, A Tammany functionary, Andrew J. Garvey,
got $133,187 ($1.82 million) for two days' work; his business
acumen earned him the sobriquet "The Prince of Plasterers." Tweed
personally profited from a financial interest in a Massachusetts
quarry which provided the courthouse's marble. When a committee
investigated why it took so long to build the courthouse, it spent
$7,718 (roughly $105,000 today) to print its report. The printing
company was owned by Tweed.

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 Commission Plan
Divided city govt into several depts. Helped
stop corruption.
PROGRESSIVE REFORMS ON THE STATE LEVEL
ROBERT La FOLLETTE AND THE

WISCONSIN IDEA

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 Robert La Follette
Progressive Governor of Wisconsin nicknamed
the laboratory of democracy for all its new
ideas.
 Power to the People!
Direct primary- voters, not politicians would
select which candidate would run in the
election.
Initiative- voters can propose laws.
Referendum-proposed laws submitted to
voters for approval.
Recall- voters can remove elected officials
from office.
ALICE PAUL AND LUCY BURNS ORGANIZED A PROTEST PARADE TO COINCIDE WITH
PRESIDENT WILSONS INAUGURATION IN MARCH 1913

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 Womens Suffrage
Alice Paul led the Womens Suffrage
movement.
The 19th amendment gave women the right
to vote.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysWbzQyi
Ww&feature=related