Essential Question Question How did progressives bring

■ Essential Question: Question –How did progressives bring reform to local, state, and national governments?

Political Progressivism in the Cities & States

Most cities formed. Reform in the Cities Many cities used Progressive committees to focus on “gas & water ■ Political progressivism began in improving quality of life socialism” to control cities in response public utility costs to corrupt Many mid-sized or political machines & deteriorating Galveston, Texas was small cities hired a the 1 st city to use a city non-partisan city urban conditions manager to oversee commission rather than the ■ “Good government” reformers city bureaucracy a mayor & city council created the National Municipal League in 1894 to find ways to make city governments less These urban reforms were less democratic political & less partisanless corrupt but much more efficient &

Progressive Reform in the States ■ Progressive reformers impacted state governments too: –A New York corruption scandal linked politicians & utility suppliers leading NY to form a utilities regulatory board –Most states created regulatory commissions to oversee state spending & initiate investigations

Progressive Reform in the States Allowed citizens to create laws by petitioning to have an issue placed on a state ballot & ■ Progressives helped make state allowing voters (notmore democratic: politicians) to decide governments –Western states were the 1 st to allow public initiatives, referendums, & recalls –Passage of the 17 th amendment in 1912 to vote on an issue (such Allowed citizensallowed for the direct as tax increases) suggested by the state legislature election of Senators –By 1916, mostdirectly remove an Allowed voters to states had direct elected official by popular vote primaries to allow voters to choose candidates, not parties

TR called Wisconsin the Action in the States “Laboratory of Democracy” ■ The most significant state reform California, Missouri, Iowa, & was governor Robert La Texas copied La Follette’s plan. Follette’s “Wisconsin Idea”: –Used academic “experts” from the University of Wisconsin to help research & write state bills –Wisconsin was the 1 st state to use direct primary & income tax, create industrial commissions, set utility prices, & regulate RRs

■ Essential Question: Question –To what degree were Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, & Woodrow Wilson different in their approaches to national progressive reform?

National Progressivism

The Republican Roosevelt The president assassinationa(1901) The TR thought of “a steward of the Mc. Kinley is presidency as people bound actively & affirmatively bully. Teddyto advocate his agenda pulpit made do all he Roosevelt president: to can for the people” Elihu–TR was an activist president who Root to Sec of State knew how NYC) public opinion (district attorney of to guide. Gifford Pinchot as – Taft to most Gilded Agechief W. H. Unlike. Sec of War (governor of Philippines) conservationist Republicans, Roosevelt refused to ignore social inequalities –He believed gov’t agencies should be run by experts ■

The Square Deal In 1902, the United Mine Workers went on strike to demand higher pay & an eight-hour work day –The strike lasted 11 months –TR brought both sides to arbitration & threatened gov’t seizure of the coal mine ■ The result was a “square deal” for labor (higher wages) & owners (no formal recognition of the union) ■

TR the Trustbuster? ■ TR saw the benefit of good trusts, but wanted to control bad trusts: –He pushed for the Dept of Commerce & Labor to investigate business misconduct –In 1902, TR ordered the Justice Dept to charge the Northern Securities Co in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act; The Supreme Court ordered the company to be broken up

TR accepted monopolies as a fact of life for 20 th century business but viewed regulation as the best way to tame trusts who use corrupt business practices

TR the Trustbuster? ■ TR was not always consistent: –Initiated suits against beef trust, American Tobacco, Du. Pont, Standard Oil, & New Haven RR –But he relied on business to gain re-election in 1904; sought the advice of JPmonopolies allowed Taft busted 43 Morgan; in 4 years some monopolistic mergers –The Roosevelt administration only “busted” 25 trusts in 7 years

■ TR was a popular president & won a landslide victory in 1904 “Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept another nomination”

Regulating the Railroads ■ TR’s re-election agenda focused on business regulation: –Hepburn Act (1906) increased the ICC’s power to set maximum RR rates & investigate RR company financial records –The Food & Drug Act (1906) & Meat Inspection Act (1906) protected consumers

Conserving the Land ■ TR created the 1 st comprehensive national conservation policy: –TR defined “conservation” as wise use of natural resources –Created the Reclamation Service to place natural resources (oil, trees, coal) under federal domain –From 1901 to 1908, U. S. gov’t preserves grew from 45 million acres to 195 million acres

National Parks and Forests

The Presidency of William Howard Taft

The Taft Presidency TR remained true to his promise not to run for a 3 rd term & chose William Howard Taft as the “I feel a bit like a fish out of for president Republican nominee ■ water…I hate the limelight. ” ■ Taft seemed ready to carry out TR’s political agenda

The Taft Presidency ■ Taft was poorly equipped to Taft backed the high Payne-Aldrich tariff continue Roosevelt’s agenda: Taft fired Pinchot, TR’s chief conservationist after the Ballinger-Pinchot Affair –Taft did not trust the gov’t to Progressivebusiness behavior regulate Republicans no longer looked to Taft for leadership & –He didn’talmost all his policies criticized have the flair of TR; Taft was “too honest & sincere” –Taft tended to side with conservative Republicans rather than progressive Republicans

The Taft Presidency ■ Despite these set backs, Taft helped push through significant progressive legislation: – 16 th Amendment was written; created a national income tax – 17 th Amendment was written; direct election of U. S. Senators –Safety codes for miners & RRs –Created the Children’s Bureau

“I’m feeling like a Bull Moose!” The Election of 1912 TR decided to run against Taft for the Republican nomination in 1912 This deeply divided the Republican Party but conservative Republicans refused to take him over Taft ■ TR was nominated to the new Progressive (Bull Moose) Party ■ Democrats nominated former Princeton president & NJ governor Woodrow Wilson who ran as a progressive reformer ■

The Election of 1912 TR’s New Nationalism WW’s New Freedom The 1912 election was the most significant 3■way election since 1860: ■ U. S. needs small U. S. needs a nat’l Lincoln (Republican), approach Douglas (Northern Democrat), & & gov’t, free trade Stephen to reform John Breckenridge & a strong president(Southern Democrat) competition ■ Social-Justice ■ Both plans saw the reforms; protection economy as the of women, children, central issue, but workers; “good” Wilson distrusted trusts to help growth federal power & nat’l planning ■ Democrats not only won the presidency, but 1 st to enlist women also outright control of both House & Senate

Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom

Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom ■ Wilson believed in strong, activist 1% tax for & helped push through leadershipall, but 2% for the rich many “New Freedom” ideas: The 1 st efficient national banking system since Jackson destroyed the BUS in 1832 –Underwood Tariff Act reduced tariffs & created America’s 1 st graduated income tax –Federal Reserve Act created a Federal Reserve to regulate the economy by adjusting the money supply & interest rates

Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom –Clayton Anti-Trust Act banned Federal Farm Endorsed an 8 -hour interlocking directorates & held Loan Act day for all workers business officers personally Defended unions’ monopolies; helped Supported liable for right to collectively bargain women’s suffrage workers by allowing strikes & banning injunctions ■ As the 1916 elections neared, Wilson pushed for more social reforms…but U. S. involvement in WWI in 1917 distracted Americans from progressive reform

Wilson and Civil Rights ■ During his first term in office, the House passed a law making racial intermarriage a felony in the District of Columbia. ■ His new Postmaster General also ordered that his Washington offices be segregated, with the Treasury and Navy soon doing the same. ■ Suddenly, photographs were required of all applicants for federal jobs. When pressed by black leaders, Wilson replied, "The purpose of these measures was to reduce the friction. It is as far as possible from being a movement against the Negroes. I sincerely believe it to be in their interest. "

Wilson and Civil Rights As president, Wilson confronted a new generation of militant African American leaders, men like William Monroe Trotter, W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey, who had begun to challenge their more conservative elders - and the expectations and assumptions of much of white marcus Garvey America. W. E. B. Du. Bois Universal Negro Improvement Association

Conclusions: Conclusions The Fruits of Progressivism

The Fruits of Progressivism ■ ■ Progressive reforms led to: – Urban & labor improvements – Direct primaries & female voting – More government responsibility for social welfare – Regulatory commissions – Increased importance of interest groups & public opinion polls – An “expert” bureaucracy – A more powerful presidency WWI ended the Progressive Era

The Progressive Era: Summary ■ ■ ■ ■ Progressives were diverse in outlook and geographic location, but shared commitment to progress and reform Progressives sought to reform society and business, and their achievements included “settlement houses, ” protective legislation for child and women workers Prohibition of alcohol was a Progressive method for cleaning up society, controlling immigrants Political reform more successful: Progressives achieved women’s suffrage and numerous reforms of electoral process Reformers in state governments provided model for an expansion of presidential power under Teddy Roosevelt was active in regulating big business, labor disputes, conservation of natural resources Three-way election of 1912 split Republicans on issue of Progressivism and elected Woodrow Wilson, a “limited progressive”