CH 28 Part 1 (textbook)

*******Note: The Progressive Amendments – 16th- income tax, 17th – Direct Election of US Senators, 18th – Prohibition, and 19th – Women can vote… You need to know these************

“War and Jingoism might postpone, but could not fully suppress, the class anger that came from the realities of ordinary life.” Howard Zinn – Ch. 13 “The People’s History”

Writers of the early 20th century, the most famous of American Literary figures, criticized the capitalist system harshly; Upton Sinclair, Jack London, Theodore Dreiser, and Frank Norris, Lincoln Steffens.

Upton Sinclair’s, “The Jungle,” 1906, told the story of an immigrant laborer who worked in a horrid meat packing plant in Chicago….and which after being read by TR and others lead to federalregulationof the meat packing industry…and laws that demanded safe foods for people. During the Great Depression later runs for Governor of California, loses in a very close race, his slogan was EPIC (end poverty in California –by raising taxes and paying pensions to the elderly)

Jack London, famous as a writer of adventure books, “Call of the Wild,” also wrote the novel, Iron Heel, 1906, which spoke of the possibility of a fascist America…

“In the face of the facts that modern man lives more wretchedly than the cave-man, and that his producing power is a thousand times greater than that of the cave-man, no other conclusion is possible than the capitalist class has mismanaged…criminally and selfishly.”

Theodore Dreiser in his book(s), “The Financier,” “The Titan,” and Frank Norris in his book, “Octopus.” Both are critical of the industrial/monopolists age…

Lincoln Steffens – “Shame of the Cities,” used massive documentation to show city governments were corrupt…their leaders stealing $$$...

Jacob Riis – “How the other ½ lives,” with pictures of many immigrant families clustered in the sickening “dumbbell tenements,” found in many large eastern cities…

Ida B. Wells – anti-Lynching campaign, in partnership with W.E.B. DuBois’s group the N.A.A.C.P. (founded in 1905)

****how are they, Muckrakers, different from Yellow Journalism?***Muckrakers – This term is actually coined by TR…and is from the book, “Pilgrim’s Progress.” contributed to the atmosphere of dissent by simply telling what they saw. Mass-circulation magazines printed their articles; Ida Tarbell –documented the corruption in Standard Oil, Lincoln Steffens, “Shame of the Cities,”wrote of the political corruption of major American Cities by political machines and corporations.

By 1900, the patriotism of the war could no longer disguise the troubles of the system…

The imperial leaders of the new oligarchy were Morgan and Rockefeller –

“These men occupied 341 directorships in 112 corporations. The total resources of these corporations in 1912 was 22,245,000,000 (22 billion check that with the inflation calculator –today’s $ ? for XC?) MORE THAN THE VALUE OF ALL PROPERTY IN THE 22 STATES AND TERRITORIES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

This system was due for an overhaul….and MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS..called it the “Progressive Movement.”

**********PM- The progressive movement of the early twentieth century became the greatest reform crusade since abolitionism. Inaugurated by Populists, socialists, social gospelers, female reformers, and muckraking journalists, progressivism attempted to use governmental power to correct the many social and economic problems associated with industrialization.*************

****Note: Progressivism began at the city and state level, and first focused on political reforms before turning to correct a host of social and economic evils. Women played a particularly important role in galvanizing progressive social concern. Seeing involvement in such issues as reforming child labor, poor tenement housing, and consumer causes as a wider extension of their traditional roles as wives and mothers, female activists brought significant changes in both law and public attitudes in these areas.

At the national level, Roosevelt’s Square Deal used the federal government as an agent of the public interest in the conflicts between labor and corporate trusts. Rooseveltian progressivism also acted on behalf of consumer and environmental concerns. Conservatism became an important public crusade under Roosevelt, although sharp disagreements divided preservationists from those who favored the multiple use of nature. The federal emphasis on rational use of public resources generally worked.****************************************************

Ch. 28 Part 1 (text)) opening quote and Intro

“When I say I believe in a square deal I do not mean…to give every man the best hand. If the cards do not come to any man, or if they do come, and he has not got the power to play them, that is his affair. All I mean is that there shall be no crookedness in the dealing.” TR - 1905

76 million Americans met 1900—the beginning of what is to be known as the American Century… TR, one of the “Imperial Presidents,” begins this year as the Vice-Presidential nominee…When McKinley is assassinated in Buffalo in 1901, shortly after beginning his 2nd term…the man that the political bosses wanted hidden in the VP job….SUDDENLY BECOMES PRESIDENT – UH OH…

TR’s Presidency and the Progressive Movement coincide…just read the quote above…”I believe in a “SQUARE DEAL” for the American People…not like Cleveland’s quote, “ it is the peoples job to support the government, not the governments job to support the people,” THESE TWO CONTRASTING PERSPECTIVES OF THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ---REALLY ANY GOVERNMENT, LOCAL-STATE-NATIONAL--- IS THE MAIN ARGUMENT TODAY, STILL…….what role SHOULD the government take…. To guarantee a ‘square deal,” or to “not get involved---survival of the fittest,” The argument is disingenuous at best… even the wealthy-conservatives want the government and laws set up to benefit them….

A CONFLICT EXISTS…. Those that have “power and wealth” want to keep their power and wealth and even in a democracy will take measures to pass laws that attempt to slow or prevent those from below from gaining….”power and wealth”… WHAT WE WILL SEE IS A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE…FROM THE PAST GILDED AGE….TR Represents ALL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE (all whites, mostly male, sometimes white women) BUT…THIS CHANGE…the PM---DRASTICALLY ENLARGENS THE GOVERNMENTS ROLE IN PROTECTING THE PEOPLE FROM THE WORST ASPECTS OF THE “LAISSEZ-FAIRE-MONOPOLISTIC DOMINATED CORRUPT GOVERNMENTS OF THE PAST.” THIS IS HUMONGOUSLY SIGNIFICANT FOR US EVEN TODAY….The best governments balance the interests of the powerful and the poor….without this balance there is chaos and revolution…as we will see…

*********************The American people (middle class, too finally) are convulsed as this new century dawns…A REFORM MOVEMENT- the largest since the 2nd great awakening…and abolitionism… begins…called PROGRESSIVISM… the wage war on many “evils,” such as; monopoly, corruption, inefficiency, and social injustice. The Progressive, middle class, army was diverse (really?) ---THEIR GOAL WAS TO STREGTHEN THE GOVERNMENTS – AND TO USE THIS POWER (THE REAL “HEART”) AS AN AGENCY OF HUMAN WELFARE (to make the lives of people better—not to give them $$$ per se as in “welfare programs created in the 1960’s)**************** The middle class want MORE DEMOCRACY NOT SOCIALISM… THEY WANT A ‘SQUARE DEAL”…A BALANCE…AND WILL USE THE POWER OF THE GOVERNMENTS TO ACHIEVE THIS ….AGAINST THE ENTRENCHED MONOPOLISTIC FAT CATS….and will be somewhat successful.

Progressive Roots****

The groundswell of reform went far back…to the 1870’s and the Greenback labor Party and the Populists of the 1890’s…The Social Gospel Movement –Settlement House Movement of the 1880’s and 90’s… all in protest against the massive change brought about by the innovations and industrialization in the late 19th century…when the Robber Barons concentrated ALL POWER in a few hands…during a period when “hands-off individualism” allowed these monopolistic few to control every aspect of the American citizens lives…and government did nothing… “Laissez-Faire,” –hands off (Pres. Cleveland’s quote and corruption of govt by corporate interests).

The Social and Economic problems that arose during the Gilded Age persisted and now the PEOPLE---the white middle class---were upset, finally. They believed that society could no longer afford to continue the rapacious policies which had allowed the FEW to dominate the PEOPLE… no more “plutocracy” or “oligarchy”…The PEOPLE WOULD MAKE REFORMS.

Progressive writers, “muckrakers,” many mentioned above in my notes, and others now claimed that society should be managed by SCIENTIFIC METHODS-THAT THE LEADERSHIP SHOULD PASS FROM THE BLOATED (FAT) FEW TO RATIONAL SOCIAL ENGINEERS…that would make government USEFUL AND BENEFIT THE MOST, rather than the FEW.

There were many critics; Socialists on the rise, led by Eugene V. Debs (former leader of the Pullman RR Strike in Chicago in 1894 –Emma Goldman, outspoken Socialist leader in NYC…the Socialist Party began to elect people to local, state, and even Congress.

The Social Gospel movement pushed its form of reform based on Christian teachings; demanding better housing and living conditions for the urban poor…

University Professors of Economics…began to propose new ideas…HERE WE FIND OUR SOCIAL ENGINEERS….the INTELLECTUALS….

Women- some as Feminists in multiplying numbers add Social Justice-Settlement House Movement & Child Labor (Jane Addams-Florence Kelley- Lillian Wald) to Suffrage (Alice Paul- Carrie Chapman Catt) - Prohibition (Frances E. Willard) – Peace (Jane Addams)- to their list of issues needing reform… Women are a key part and major reason for the success of the Progressive Movement… their tireless work on behalf of all of these issues gives LIFE to the movement, each day after day after day…they never quit.

Raking Muck with the Muckrakers – note: different from false-sensational”yellow” journalism….. the Muckrakers – published accurate investigative researched articles…if not they would lose millions$$ from libel…

MUCKRAKERS -Exposing Evil… investigative reporters…. Who dug deep for dirt to fuel their expose’s of corruption… [in “Pilgrim’s Progress – a character was so intent on raking manure that he could not see the celestial (God) crown dangling overhead – *******TR names these investigative reporters “muckrakers” due to their consistent negative reports}

Magazines flourished in “muck”…McClure’s, Cosmopolitan, Collier’s, and Everybody’s….Circulation boomed…while laying bare the muck within American Society… Steffens – mentioned above, Ida M. Tarbell ***** most well known associate of Muckraking…exposing Standard Oil, DAVID PHILLIPS –THE TREASON OF THE SENATE, 1906 – STATED THAT 75 OF THE 90 SENATORS WERE BOUGHT BY RR’S AND OR TRUSTS…. HE IS SHOT IN 1911…. {PRECURSER TO THE WATERGATE REPORTERS OF THE 1970’S}

EVILS EXPOSED: white women kidnapped and sold into “slavery”(really), slums in cities, industrial accidents, racism, child labor (lewishines photos) – PATENT MEDICINES - {FOR EXTRA CREDIT SEE IMAGES ON THE WEB AND COPY AND PASTE THEM INTO A DOC AND SHOW ME  ] incredible quantities of adulterated or habit-forming drugs (most laced with opium) where heavily advertised and created addictions and death… Collier’s magazine published many expose’s of PATENT MEDICINES… AS WELL AS DR. HARVEY W. WILEY – AND HIS “POISON SQUAD” – Wiley was the chief chemist in the Department of Agriculture… who performed experiments on HIMSELF---OUCH  *****THIS LED TO THE PURE FOOD AND DRUG ACT – 1906**** Government “regulating” business in the interests of protecting American citizens.****

It is easy to point out problems or criticize… but much more effort to provide adequate and thoughtful solutions…MUCKRAKERS were short on the latter, for sure…they counted on publicity and a public conscience….to make change…*******THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT SOUGHT TO CLEANSE CAPITALISM NOT OVERTHROW CAPITALISM (like socialists for example) The Progressive Movement believed that the “cure for the ills of American Democracy was MORE DEMOCRACY.”**********

Political Progressivism

******Progressive Reformers were mainly middle-class men and women who felt squeezed from above by the Giant Corporations- monopolists/Robber Barons and squeezed from below by the immigrants, labor unions, and socialists.

*********PROGRESSIVES SOUGHT TWO (2) GOALS –

1-TO USE “STATE” (GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS) POWER TO CURB THE “TRUSTS-MONOPOLISTS”

2-TO STEM THE “SOCIALIST THREAT” BY IMPROVING THE “COMMON PERSON’S” CONDITION OF LIFE AND LABOR.

Progressives emerge in both political parties, in all regions, and at all levels of government…it was a majority mood.

1st objective: to regain the power of the “people’ from the “Special Interests-Trusts.”

- to do this they push for; DIRECT PRIMARY ELECTIONS – to eliminate the power of “political machines and ‘bosses, “ INITIATIVE/REFERENDUM –voters proposing legislation directly (on ballot and voted by people directly) to overcome corrupt legislatures on the state level, RECALL- enabling voters to remove those corrupt elected officials (like California about 10 years ago…Arnold won the vote (the terminator) to replace Gray Davis as Governor) .

other objectives politically: to expose “graft”-elected officials taking bribes/stealing from the govt/ improperly benefitting from their position in govt (insider trading for ex). A number of states pass CORRUPT PRACTICES LAWS, Campaign finance Laws, ******THE SECRET “AUSTRALIAN” BALLOT- is introduced to counteract voters getting paid or political bosses checking on each individual’s vote… if they could not check to see who you voted for… why bribe?

17th Amendment – Direct election of US Senators- remember all US Senators until 1913, were chosen by State Legislatures…not by direct vote in elections (Lincoln v. Douglass in Illinois in 1858 for example- Douglas wins) – This helped the PEOPLE control the “MILLIONAIRES CLUB”- SENATORS KNOWN FOR BEING CORRUPT AND IN THE CONTROL OF THE TRUSTS ---

19TH AMENDMENT – WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE –progressives supported this change.. they believed that the women’s voice in politics would “elevate” the “tone” and possibly bring about prohibition- 18th Amendment… Women cried out “taxation without representation,” (due to the passage of the 16th amendment – income tax) Many states in the West (Wyoming 1st – “The equality state”) gradually extended the vote-suffrage to women… but was not passed until 1920 NATIONALLY…

Progressivism in the Cities and States

***The Progressive movement BEGAN locally first…in the cities and states.***

Frustrated by the inefficiency and corruption (remember Boss Tweed in NYC-Tammany Hall Political Machine, NYC) in local government…many cities follow the GALVESTON IDEA*** Texas…. They appoint expert COMMISSIONS to manage their urban affairs.. THE CITY-MANAGER SYSTEM is ALSO DESIGNED to take “politics” out of city administration… although this could be seen as less democratic – appointed officials instead of elected officials… many cities begin to attack their problems; slumlords, juvenile delinquency, prostitution-“red-light’ districts, gambling, etc…

State Level Progressive Movement: Wisconsin led the way…Robert M. La Follette (fighting Bob), Gov. of the State emerged as the most militant of the crusading progressive state leaders… he wrestled control of the states lumbering and RR interests from the Trusts and Bosses.. and returned it to the people… he BEGAN TO REGULATE “PUBLIC UTILITIES” – Water/electricity… AND USED EXPERTS FROM THE STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TO MAKE STATE GOVERNMENT MORE ‘EFFICIENT AND TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE PEOPLE… (like the new deal under FDR in the 30’s using his “Brain Trust” of professors in an attempt to relieve the worst effects of the great depression)Hiram Johmson of California, Charles Evans Hughes of New York, and George Chamberlin of Oregon, were all very successful “Progressive Governors in Progressive States.

Progressive Women

The Settlement House Movement led byJane Addams-Florence Kelley-Lillian Wald[National Consumers League} was a crucial focus for women’s activism… this movement offered women a chance to enter the public arena and work for reform… This ORGANIZATION GAVE SKILLS TO WOMEN THAT THEY ADAPT TO MANY DIFFERENT REFORM MOVEMENTS… (similar to women’s experience in the modern civil rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s gives them the experience for their own women’s movement that develops in the late 60’s and into the 1970’s)

***“SEPARATE-SPHERES” (CULT OF DOMESTICITY/REPUBLICAN MOTHERHOOD) – dictated that a WOMAN’S PLACE WAS IN THE HOME****

The Settlement House Movement and other activities of reform within the Progressive Movement…Women argued was JUST AN EXTENSION OF THEIR “HOME SPHERE”… not…a rejection of their role as mothers and homemakers…an extension… issues such as; child labor, slums and disease, pensions for mothers with dependent children, safe foods, safer work places, temperance-prohibition…all captured the attention of Progressive women… THEY FORM THE WOMEN’S TRADE UNION LEAGUE, NATIONAL CONSUMERS LEAGUE – NEW FEDERAL GOVT AGENCIES ARE CREATED- CHILDRENS BUREAU (1912) AND WOMEN’S BUREAU (1920) …

******Women were critical in the battle over alcohol*********PROHIBITION-TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT - by 1900 there is one saloon for every 200 people in most major cities… this was connected to prostitution and gambling and most of all FAMILY SUFFERING….AS WELL AS POOR WORK HABITS…. Accidents etc..