Spring 2015 Revision

Name: ____Period: _ Date: ____

American Cultures– [America in the 20th Century] – [Content Outline] – Academic

Mr. Dellinger and Mrs. Gilbert

THE PROGRESSIVE REFORM ERA (1890 – 1920)

TIMELINE QUESTIONS:

Directions: You should use only the timeline on pages 380-381 of the textbook to answer the

following questions about this particular time period.

1. What were areas of necessary reforms during this era?

- Women’s suffrage (right to vote)

- workers’ and consumers’ rights

- poor workplace conditions (safety issues)

- business monopolies

2. What was the importance of the book, The Jungle?

- It exposed the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry.

3. What is the significance of the Bull Moose Party?

- It split the GOP vote, which resulting in Woodrow Wilson winning the election.

4. What was the goal of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act?

- The Clayton Anti-Trust Act gave the federal government broad anti-monopoly power. In

other words, it specified big business activities that weren’t allowed.

5. Of the world events listed, which is the most significant?

- WWI begins in Europe (1914-1918)

Presidential Timeline:

Grover ClevelandTheodore RooseveltWoodrow Wilson

1893 – 18971901 – 19091913 - 1921

1890190019101920

B. HarrisonWilliam McKinleyWilliam H. Taft

1889 – 18931897 – 19011909 - 1913

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

1. What was The Jungle? Who wrote it?

- A novel written by Journalist Upton Sinclair that exposed to the public his investigations of the

unsanitary and unsafe working conditions in the meat-packing industry

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

2. Historians refer to the period from about 1890 to 1920 as the Progressive Era. What does

Progressive Era mean and who were the Progressives?

(A)Progressive Era –Period of social activism and political reform in the U.S., which occurred from

the 1890s to the 1920s.

(B)Progressives –Reformers, including members from all political parties and people of average

wealth, who fought for social, moral, economic, and political reform (changes)

3. List the four [4] basic beliefs that Progressives held in common:

Government Should…

be more accountable to its citizens

/ Government Should…

limit the power and influence of wealthy businesses

Four Basic Progressive Beliefs
Government Should…

be given more powers so that it could become more active in improving the lives of its citizens

/ Government Should…

become more efficient and less corrupt so that they could competently handle a bigger role

IGNITING REFORM: WRITERS AND THEIR NEW IDEAS

1. According to reformer Henry George in Progress and Poverty[1879]:

(A) Why was their poverty?

- Some people bought and held on to land until its price went up (called speculation), which

prevented others from using the land productively.

(B) What should government do to solve the problem?

- They should charge landowners a single tax on the value of the land itself because it would

increase the cost of holding land without using it (rather than increasing only when

improvements were made to the land)

2. What was the main idea of newspaper editor Edward Bellamy in Looking Backward[1888]?

- The main idea of this novel was to promote the idea that in the utopian (idealistic and perfect)

country of the U.S., gov’t should take over the largest companies and reorganize them to focus more

on human needs than on making profits.

3. (A) Who were the Muckrakers?

- Writers who uncovered and publicized the wrongdoings in politics or business.

(B) How did they bring more attention to reform?

- They publicized the results of their investigations so that the public would pressure legislators

to pass and enforce new laws.

- Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, and Ida Tarbell

PROGRESSIVE REFORM ORGANIZATIONS

1. (A) Define Socialism–

- Economic and political philosophy that favors public or government control of property and

income.

(B) What did the American Socialists favor?

- They wanted to end the capitalist system, distribute wealth more equally, and have government

ownership of American industries.

- Unlike the Socialists, most Progressives did not support major economic and political changes

because they did not want to lose the high standard of living and personal freedoms that

democracy and a free enterprise system had given them. They simply wanted to rid the

government of corruption and refocus its energies towards the welfare of the workers and the

poor.

PROGRESSIVE REFORMS MEET WITH RESISTANCE

1. Why were Progressives sometimes accused of being insensitive to the poor?

- Some of the reforms Progressives were fighting for negatively impacted and caused even more

problems among the very people they were trying to fight for. For example, Progressives saw child

labor laws as critical to social progress. Yet, poor families who couldn’t survive without the wages

of their working children were against these child labor laws.

1. How did the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire show the need for Progressive reforms to be enacted?

- 146 workers died in a fire, unable to escape the building because of doors being locked from the

outside, the collapse of the rusted fire escape, and fire truck ladders not being long enough to reach

those workers who were trapped. These concerns paved the way for reforms to be made, such as

appointing fire inspectors, making fire drills mandatory, unlocking and fireproofing exits, and

requiring automatic sprinklers in buildings more than 7 feet high.

AN EXPANDED ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT

1. (A) Define Social Welfare Programs–Programs designed to ensure a basic standard of living for all

citizens

(B) Why were they needed in America?

- To increase government’s responsibility for the well-being of people by providing them with

more services, such as unemployment benefits, accident/health insurance, and a social security

system for the disabled and the elderly.

2. What are the THREE [3]levels of government in the United States?

More PowerLevel: Federal

Example: Roosevelt’s “Square Deal;” anti-trust acts

Level: State

Example: Direct primaries

Level: Local (Municipal)

Less Power Example: Welfare services; cities take over utilities

MUNICIPAL REFORMS (CITIES/LOCAL GOVERNMENTS)

1. Define Municipal–Relating to a city (level)

STATE REFORMS

1. How did these reforms for state government work?

(A) Direct Primaries –Voters, not the party leaders, choose candidates for elections in state and

local offices.

(B) Initiative –Voters can propose/introduce a law/bill to the legislature to be voted on at the next

election.

(D) Recall –Voters can remove elected government officials from office.

(E) Direct Election of U.S. Senators –U.S. Senators are elected by popular vote (17th Amendment).

2. What work related improvements were made by Progressives?

- Safety, labor departments, workers’ accident insurance and compensation, limiting work hours, child

labor legislation, improved wages

3. Who was Robert M. Lafollette?

- A Progressive Republican governor in Wisconsin who made great efforts to clean up government

and produce social welfare reforms. During his 3 terms, he ousted party bosses and brought about

structural changes, such as a direct primary and civil service reform.

FEDERAL REFORMS

1. List the Presidents of the Progressive Era:

Theodore Roosevelt William H. Taft Woodrow Wilson

2. Explain how Roosevelt dealt with these national problems:

(A) United Mine Workers (1902) -He insisted that both sides submit to arbitration. To pressure

mine owners to agree to this, Roosevelt threatened to bring in

Federal troops to seize and operate the mines

(B) Breaking Up Trusts– He passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, which outlawed big businesses from

monopolizing

Commerce Commission (ICC) to regulate railroad rates (so they

couldn’t monopolize)

(D) Safety of Food and Drugs –He passed the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act,

which required accurate labeling of ingredients, strict sanitary

conditions, and a rating system for meats

(E) Conservation–The National Reclamation Act and National Park Service were created to

build irrigation systems in arid states and protect the nation’s natural resources

3. What was done by each of the three (3) Progressive Era Amendments?

(A)16th Amendment (1913) –Federal Income Tax (graduated tax- more income, more tax)

(B)17th Amendment (1913) –Direct election of senators

TAFT’S PRESIDENCY

1. How did Taft easily become the 27th President of the United States?

- Theodore Roosevelt personally nominated him and backed him to be the next U.S. president

2. How did he disappoint the people in these ways:

(A)Progressive Reform –He did not appoint any Progressives to his Cabinet

(B)Tariff Reforms –He failed in lowering tariffs (taxes on products)

conservation policies on federal lands in the West and sided with business

interests that sought unrestricted development

3. How did the Ballinger-Pinchot Affair hurt Taft?

- Taft fired Gifford Pinchot, head of the U.S. Forest Service, for trying to expose corruption in the

leasing of Federal land by Secretary of the Interior, Richard Ballinger

THE ELECTION OF 1912

1. (A) Why did the Progressive Party form?

- Many Progressives were disappointed in the way Taft handled a few key issues (see #2) and

were furious when Taft, who controlled the Republican convention in Chicago, won the GOP

primary in 1912. They charged Taft’s group with fraud, marched out of the convention, and

vowed to form their own party.

(B) What else was the party called? The Bull Moose Party

2. What was President Taft’s track record with regards to Progressive causes?

-He achieved a notable record on progressive causes – reserved more public lands and brought more

antitrust lawsuits than Roosevelt; he also supported the Children’s Bureau, the 16th and 17th

Amendments, and the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission

(ICC) the power to regulate telephone and telegraph rates.

3. (A) Who was the Democratic candidate in the election of 1912? Woodrow Wilson

(B) What was his platform?

- Like Roosevelt, he ran on a reform platform; unlike Roosevelt, however, he criticized big

business and big government.

4. List the results of the Election of 1912:(Republican Party was split, allowing Wilson to be the victor)

Candidates Name

Political Party

Popular Votes

Electoral Votes

William H. Taft

Republicans

3,486,720 (23%)

8 (1.5%)

Woodrow Wilson

Democrats

6,296,547 (42%)

435 (82%)

Theodore Roosevelt

Progressives

4,118,571 (27%)

88 (17%)

Eugene Debs

Socialist

1,135,697 (8.2%)

WILSON’S POLICIES AS PRESIDENT

1. What was his stand on the following issues?

(A)Tariffs –Wilsonsucceeded in reducing tariffs from 40% to 25% (Underwood Tariff Act of 1913)

(B)Income Tax –With the passing of the 16thAmendment, he signed into law a Federal Income Tax

(graduated tax- more income, more tax)

the restriction of free enterprise. Therefore, he sought to get rid of trusts

altogether.

2. How did the following bring improvements in the Progressive Era?

(A) Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) –It strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 by spelling

out specific activities that big businesses could not do, such as preventing their buyers from

purchasing goods from competitors, using holding companies to create monopolies, and cutting

prices in local markets to squeeze out competitors.

(1) What was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890) – [Page 242]?

- It was an act passed by Theodore Roosevelt, which outlaws monopolies.

(B) Federal Trade Commission (1914) –Created by Wilson to enforce the Clayton Act and set up

fair-trade laws by ordering firms to “cease and desist” the practice of unfair business tactics (it

protects consumers by making sure companies are following the laws fairly).

3. (A) What did the Federal Reserve Act (1913) do to change banking in the United States?

- It created a Federal Reserve System of governmentbanks to supervise private banks.

(B) How did the Federal Reserve work?

- It divided the country into 12 districts, each with a Federal Reserve bank owned by its member

banks. The system was supervised by a Federal Reserve Board appointed by the President.

The Federal Reserve banks were the central banks for their regions – the “bankers’ banks.”

Every national bank was required to become a member of the Federal Reserve bank in its district

and to deposit some of its capital and cash reserve in that bank. Member banks could borrow

from the Federal Reserve to meet short-term demands (to help prevent bank failures).

- It created a new national currency known as Federal Reserve notes

4. What did the Federal Farm Loan Board(1916) do?

- It made loans available to farmers by allowing them to borrow money for 5-40 yrs. at rates lower

than those offered by commercial banks.

THE LIMITS OF PROGRESSIVISM

1. What successes did Progressives have?

- They made broad changes in society, government, and business. They also had redefined and

enlarged the role of government.

2. Where did they fall short?

- Their influence was limited to certain sectors of society. Focused mainly on municipal (city level)

problems, Progressives did little to help tenant and migrant farmers and nonunionized workers.

They also took little action to pursue social justice reforms and initially opposed a constitutional

amendment on women’s suffrage. In addition, many African-Americans felt ignored
(i.e., worsening race relations and continued lynchings).

3. What brought Progressivism to an end?

- People began to worry more about preparing for WWI than in fighting for reform in America. By the

end of 1916, the reform spirit had nearly died out, except for the drive for women’s suffrage.

1. What were common arguments against women voting?

- Some viewed the idea of women’s suffrage as unnecessary and saw it as a threat to the stability of

American society and government. Those against suffrage feared that women would become too

“masculine,” easily manipulated by politicians, or would be distracted from their home duties.

Others argued that according to some opinion polls in some areas, women simply did not want to

vote.

ANTHONY AND STANTON: PREPARING THE WAY

1. (A) Where did American women activists first formally demand the right to vote?

- Seneca Falls Convention in New York

(B) Who were early leaders in the women’s suffrage movement?

- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott

2. (A) What was Civil Disobedience?

- Nonviolent refusal to obey a law in an effort to change it

(B) How did Susan B. Anthony practice civil disobedience?

- She led a group of women to the polls in Rochester, NY, where she insisted on voting.

SUFFRAGIST STRATEGIES

1. What two [2] paths were used to try to get suffrage for women?

SUFFRAGE AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

1. (A) What was National American Woman Suffrage Association [NAWSA]?

- An organization founded in 1890 by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton to continue the

pursuit of women’s rights, especially the right to vote

(B) What was the Congressional Union [CU]?

- A radical organization formed in 1913 and led by Alice Paul that campaigned for a

constitutional amendment guaranteeing women’s suffrage.

- NAWSA was more passive in their tactics and focused its efforts more on winning the vote in

individual states, whereas the CU called for a more aggressive, militant campaign (via rallies,

demonstrations, etc.,) for the constitutional amendment

VICTORY FOR SUFFRAGE

1. (A) When was suffrage finally granted?1920

(B) Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women’s suffrage?19th Amendment

STUDENT REFLECTION JOURNAL
Overview: Reflective thinking is an important step in the process of understanding and retaining information. Therefore, you will be required at the conclusion of each class to record your thoughts, opinions, questions, etc… in response to class discussions and the essential question(s) for each lesson – [see left column]. Student reflections should be neat, concise, and demonstrate a high degree of student analysis and thought. Please record your responses in the column entitled “Student Reflection”. If a student is absent, he or she is responsible for any entry completed during that class,
Lesson
Essential
Question / Student
Reflection
How had rapid urbanization and industrialization caused conditions that were deemed in need of reform? / ______
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What opportunities for success did the Progressive movement offer earliest promoters of reform? / ______
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What role did the media play in generating support for progressive reforms? / ______
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How did the movement effect changes at the local level of government? / ______
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How did changes at the state level result in an expansion of participatory democracy and government responsibility? / ______
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How did the Progressive reforms at the federal level dramatically increase the role of government in America? / ______
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Who were the “winners” and “losers” of this era of change in America? / ______
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Spring 2015 Revision