Goal 7.01: Explain the Conditions That Led to the Rise of Progressivism

Goal 7.01: Explain the conditions that led to the rise of Progressivism.

I.  Progressivism

a.  Not a unified political movement, but rather a broad range of reform movements

b.  Rejected Social Darwinism, laissez-faire economics, & Individualism

c.  Blamed industrialization & urbanization for the filth, crime, and poverty of American cities, yet embraced the power of ______& ______to build a better society

d.  Believed change can only come through ______regulation of the economy and providing direct help to those in need

e.  Progressives tended to be urban, educated, middle-class Americans

f.  Leadership came from journalists, educators, social workers, and the clergy

II.  ______

a.  Journalists who investigate social conditions, unfair business practices, and political corruption (today, this is called “investigative journalism”)

b.  Ida ______(1857 – 1944)

i.  Wrote The History of Standard Oil Company (1904), an exposé of Rockefeller’s unethical business practices

ii. For many Americans, this was their first lesson in the dangers of trusts and monopolies

c.  Charles Edward ______(1860 – 1941)

i.  Exposed the conditions in Chicago’s stockyards, badly damaging the reputation of the beef industry

ii. One of the founders of the NAACP in 1909

d.  David Graham ______(1867 – 1911)

i.  Exposed how campaign contributions had led to corruption in the Senate; the public uproar that followed led to the passage of the 17th Amendment, changing how Senators are elected

ii. Shot and killed by a man who believed Phillips’ exposé had led to the downfall of his family’s reputation

e.  Lincoln ______(1846 – 1936)

i.  Wrote The Shame of the Cities (1904), an exposé on political corruption within the US’ major cities

ii. Later became a communist, declaring after a visit to the Soviet Union in 1919: “I've seen the future, and it works”

f.  Jacob ______(1840 – 1914)

i.  Worked as a journalist and as a police crime scene photographer

ii. Wrote How the Other Half Lives (1890): Used photographs to expose the squalor and horrible living conditions in the tenements and slums of NYC

III.  Progressive Philosophers

a.  Henry ______(1839 – 1897)

i.  Wrote Progress and Poverty (1879)

ii. Argued that a gap was opening up between the rich and poor due to industrialization

iii.  Wanted government to tax the wealthy (through property taxes) to raise the money for social programs to help the poor

iv.  Also supported free trade, limits on Chinese immigration, use of secret ballots in voting

b.  Lester Frank ______(1841 – 1913)

i.  Wrote Dynamic Sociology (1883)

ii. Used Darwin’s ideas to argue that humans were different from animals because of the ability to think and plan; we succeed not because of the ability to compete, but rather because we have the ability to cooperate (through government)

iii.  This idea is called ______

c.  Edward ______(1850 – 1898)

i.  Wrote Looking Backward, 2000 – 1887 (1888)

ii. Predicted a future where the US has become a utopia – no crime, poverty, or politics, government owns all industry and distributes wealth equally (socialism)

d.  The Naturalists

i.  Group of novelists who argued that, contrary to “survival of the fittest,” sometimes people fail through no fault of their own – they are caught up in circumstances that they can’t control; part of the Realism movement

ii. Stephen ______(1871 – 1900)

1.  Wrote Maggie, A Girl of the Streets (1893): tale of a girl forced by family circumstances into prostitution and death

2.  Also wrote The Red Badge of Courage (1895), the short-story The Open Boat

3.  Died of tuberculosis which he contracted while covering the Spanish-American War

iii.  Jack ______(1876 – 1916)

1.  Author of The Call of the Wild (1903)

2.  Wrote stories of man’s struggle against the uncontrollable power of nature

iv.  Theodore ______(1871 – 1945)

1.  Wrote Sister Carrie (1900): a story of how sex and wealth can slowly corrupt the innocent without them even being aware of it; sin isn’t always punished, sometimes the guilty go free and the innocent suffer

IV.  The ______Movement (1870 – 1920)

a.  Work to improve society through the biblical ideals of charity and justice

b.  Primarily church-centered

c.  Churches began to evolve from being simply places of worship to being community centers and taking on missions designed to help the poor – provide gyms, social programs, day care, etc.

d.  The ______

i.  Began in England in 1865 as the Christian Mission, spread to US in 1880

ii. Dedicated to “The advancement of the Christian religion as promulgated in the religious doctrines . . . the advancement of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole.”

e.  The ______

i.  The Young Men’s Christian Association

ii. Began in England in 1844, spread quickly throughout US

iii.  Aim was to help urban workers by offering Bible studies, prayer meetings, citizenship classes

iv.  Facilities included gyms, pools, libraries, auditoriums, and temporary low-cost lodging

f.  Jane ______(1860 – 1935)

i.  Founded Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago

ii. First woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize

iii.  Supported the idea that Christians have a moral responsibility to fix society’s problems & help the less fortunate

g.  Settlement Houses

i.  Most famous settlement house = Chicago’s Hull House

ii. Middle class “settlers” moved into working class neighborhoods to help provide education, meals, childcare, medical care, and general advice to immigrants and poor workers

V.  Public Education

a.  Industrialization increased demand for a trained, educated workforce

b.  Schools were also necessary for ______immigrants’ children: they learned English, US History, patriotism, responsibilities of citizenship

c.  Schools were used to teach the traits necessary to succeed in the industrial workforce: punctuality, attendance, neatness, efficiency, attention to detail, obedience to authority

d.  High schools offered a variety of technical and vocational skills

e.  Public Universities

i.  Due to the Morrill Land Grant Act, the number of public universities rose dramatically

ii. Between 1870 and 1890, the number of American students in college tripled

iii.  New colleges opened to educate ______& ______students