Unit 7: Topic 4 - The Progressives Flashcards
What is “Progressivism”
Progressivism is an ideology that society can be improved through political action and the power of government. In U.S. history, this generally refers to the progressive movement during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What were the concerns of the Progressives?
The Progressives were concerned about the decay of society as it industrialized and advanced. They believed that big business and corruption threatened the everyday lives of citizens and government intervention was needed to improve the standard of living.
Progressive causes included the regulation of large corporations, ending political corruption, advocating for workers and improving working conditions, regulating the safety of products, investigating inhumane treatment, ending segregation, pushing for temperance or prohibition of alcohol, and granting women the right to vote.
It’s important to note that not every Progressive agreed on these issues.
Who were some of the “muckrakers” during the Progressive Era and what did they accomplish?
The muckrakers were investigative journalists that exposed the corruption and decay of industrialism.
Upton Sinclair - Investigated the Chicago meat-packing plants and found filthy conditions and inhumane treatment of workers. His book “The Jungle” helped create the push for the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.
Ida Tarbell - Her investigation of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company exposed his greed and corrupt practices. Her book on the subject helped spur the Supreme Court to break up the Standard Oil Trust in 1911.
Ida Wells - Known for her efforts to bring awareness to the lynching of African-Americans, Wells also was a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.
Jacob Riis - Influential photojournalist who documented the harsh living conditions of urban immigrants. His work inspired government reforms to improve tenement housing to be cleaner and safer.
What is “scientific management”?
Scientific management was popularized and advocated by Frederick Taylor in his 1909 book “The Principles of Scientific Management”. His idea was to make factory work more productive by eliminating even minor inefficiencies. Taylor’s time and motion studies measured every detail of the workplace and improved productivity at the micro level.
Taylor’s work would be adopted by some Progressives to attempt to make the government more efficient by focusing on data-informed decisions.
How did the Progressive Movement view segregation?
While not all Progressives were concerned with segregation, the Niagara Movement was led by W.E.B. Dubois. They planned protests and actions to secure rights for Black Americans.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) worked to eliminate segregation and ensure education for Black children.
What issues divided the Progressive Movement the most?
The Progressives held a wide variety of views and were not a unified group.
Immigration - Many Progressives believed the U.S. should welcome immigrants and work to assimilate them into American culture. Others believed that they took strength away from workers and labor unions since they were willing to work for less money and in worse conditions.
Voting Rights - Some early Progressives in the women’s movement were against the extension of voting rights to Black men with the 15th Amendment. While this opposition would later soften, some women didn’t believe rights should be granted unless they were for everyone.
Eugenics - While most Progressives wanted to assist the struggling in society, some Progressives believed in the natural inferiority of certain peoples. This was often decided based on economic status. The eugenics movement was based off of the idea that by not allowing “undesirables” in society to reproduce, they would spare future generations from large groups of citizens born with criminal tendencies, bad morals, or low intelligence.
How did reformers and activists change the nature of politics and amend the Constitution during the Progressive Era?
Secret Ballot - Voting became confidential, cutting off power from the corrupt political machines that exchanged favors for votes.
Direct Election of U.S. Senators - The 17th Amendment (1913) made a direct popular vote for U.S. Senators. The state legislatures used to be in charge of picking the Senators and the process became very corrupt.
Prohibition - The 18th Amendment (1919) forbade the manufacture and sale of alcohol. This was pushed by several groups including the Anti-Saloon League and the American Temperance Society.
Women’s Suffrage - The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote on the federal level. Some states had already granted women’s suffrage.
What tools did Progressive reformers create to give citizens a more direct democracy?
Initiative - Voters could require legislators to consider a bill that they chose to ignore
Referendum - Voters themselves could vote on the adoption of a proposed law
Recall - Voters could remove a politician from office before their term was completed.
What were the “Three C’s” of Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal?
Consumer Protection - Acts like the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act helped Americans feel confident in the safety of their products.
Corporate Regulation - Roosevelt tried to be fair in his dealing with big business and unions, advocating for resolutions to problems in a way that didn’t unfairly favor one side. In addition he became known as a “trust buster” for his work breaking up monopolies and trusts that he felt had a negative impact on citizens.
Conservationism - Used the 1891 Forest Reserve Act to preserve 150 million acres of land. He doubled the number of National parks and proclaimed sites such as Devil’s Tower and portions of the Grand Canyon national monuments to ensure future protection.
