Name: Date:
U.S. History & Government
Early Reformers and Progressives
Early Reform: 1800s
In the mid-1800s, several reform movements worked to improve American society. During this time laws were passed, schools were opened, and other changes were made in an attempt to improve life in the United States. Much of this spirit of reform stemmed from the renewal of religious faith in the late 1700s and early 1800s known as the Second Great Awakening. This rebirth of religious faith led people to want to help others.
Early reform movements included:
(1) The Temperance Movement aimed to outlaw alcohol – stating that all of America’s problems, especially poverty and crime, were caused by alcohol. The movement worked to get laws passed outlawing the consumption of alcohol, and was successful in several states such as Maine.
(2) As working conditions in big cities worsened and the use of sweatshop labor grew, labor unions developed. Led by men like Samuel Gompers (founder of the American Federation of Labor), labor organizers fought for shorter working hours, better working conditions and higher pay.
(3) Horace Mann led the way in the movement for public education. In the 1830s Americans began demanding better schools – led by Mann, Massachusetts became the first state to set up a board of education in 1837. Mann argued that education was essential and “created and developed new treasures.”
(4) As some promoted education, others tried to improve society’s care for the needy and mentally ill. Dorothea Dix saw the harsh treatment of the mentally ill – she was shocked by the fact that they were often chained and beaten. Her efforts led to creation of new hospitals who took better care of the mentally ill. Members of this reform movement also aimed to improve conditions for people with disabilities, such as deafness, as well as prisoners.
(5) The fight for women’s rights began in the mid 1800s as women demanded equal rights. Women such as Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton led this movement and concentrated on the issue of women’s suffrage (the right to vote). Reformers for women’s rights met at the Seneca Falls Convention – a women’s rights convention held in upstate New York in 1848 – to discuss the issue of women’s suffrage. It was here that the “Declaration of Sentiments” was written – modeled after the Declaration of Independence, it called for equal rights for all MEN and WOMEN.
The Progressives
The Progressives, like earlier reformers, organized in response to the horrors of society. In the late 19th Century urban life was riddled with problems, such as poverty, the growth of slums, political corruption, and poor conditions in factories. Progressives sought to alleviate these problems by reforming society, the government and the economy. Most progressives were native-born Americans who were middle-class – they believed in the basic goodness of people and democracy.
Theodore Roosevelt, the first progressive president, provided strength and leadership in the enforcement of progressive ideals. Roosevelt felt that the purpose of the government was to ensure fairness for workers, consumers and big business. As president, Roosevelt had a great deal of power to push progressive ideas and make these ideas into laws. Roosevelt was responsible for passing many Progressive era laws – for example, the Meat Inspection Act created a government regulated meat inspection process; the Pure Food and Drug Act banned the sale of impure foods and medicines; the Sherman Anti-Trust Act regulated corporations and made it illegal to for one company to control an entire industry. Another important goal for Roosevelt was the conservation of natural resources – Roosevelt established a national park system in order to control America’s use of its natural resources.
Another important group of progressive reformers were the muckrakers. The muckrakers were journalists and writers who exposed the problems in society in their writing. Muckrakers, such as Jacob Riis, Ida Tarbell, and Upton Sinclair all exposed different problems in society through their writing.
(1) Jacob Riis was a photojournalist and author who wrote about the problems of the urban poor, especially in the tenements. Riis wrote the book “How the Other Half Lives,” exposing the terrible living conditions in the Lower Eastside tenement districts in New York City.
(2) Ida Tarbell was a journalist who wrote a series of articles about John D. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Trust entitled, “The History of Standard Oil.” The articles accused Rockefeller of dishonest business tactics and exposed the abuses of corporations and trusts on the public and small businesses.
(3) Upton Sinclair was a writer who exposed the horrors of the meat packing industry in Chicago. His book, “The Jungle,” exposed problems such as rotten meat being processed and sold, vermin and insects in ground meat, as well as “sell by dates” being altered to increase profits.
The Progressives were successful in getting four amendments added to the Constitution in an attempt to improve society.
(1) The Sixteenth Amendment was ratified in 1913 – it gave Congress the power to create a federal income tax. This amendment was intended to provide a means of spreading the cost of running the government among more people.
(2) The Seventeenth Amendment was also ratified in 1913 and provided for the direct election of senators by the people of a state. This replaced the old system, wherein the state legislatures had chosen US senators because it was a system that was highly corrupt.
(3) The Eighteenth Amendment was ratified in 1919 was known as the Prohibition Amendment because it banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in the United States – a goal of the earlier reform movement (the Temperance Movement).
(4) The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920 and granted women’s suffrage – in other words, women got the right to VOTE.
Overall, both early reformers and the Progressives worked hard to improve America society for the better. Whether by improving the government, regulating the economy, or protecting people’s rights, these reformers changed American society forever.
Directions: Please answer the following questions - in your own words – in clear, complete paragraphs. This will count as a QUIZ GRADE.
1. How did the Second Great Awakening motivate reformers of the 1800s? How did these early reform movements seek to improve society? ______
2. Why did the Progressive Reform movement begin? What were the goals of the Progressives? Explain. ______
3. Who were the muckrakers? How did their actions influence the American people and government? ______
4. Were the Progressives successful in achieving their goals? Explain. ______