US History since 1865

1
US History since 1865

• Progressive Reform

2
When What

• i. 1900-1917
• ii. Democracy, efficiency, regulation, social
  justice and active government
• iii. Liberty v. equality statism v.
  anti-statism laissez faire v. planning

3
Accomplishments

• i. 16th Amendment (1913), federal income tax
• ii. 17th Amendment (1913), popular election of
  senators
• iii. 18th Amendment (1919), Prohibition
• iv. 19th Amendment (1920), women suffrage

4
Defining Progressivism

• i. an attitude of mind change and improvement
• ii. continued response to industrialization
• against corruption
• against political machines in the cities
• against the growing influence of large
  corporations
• regulation and control of big business
• direct participation of American people in the
  political process
• protection of the weak and unprivileged
• iii. the search for order America becoming more
  urban, industrial, mechanized, centralized--more
  complex iv. a status revolution for moderately
  successful businessmen and members of the
  professions that were threatened by the tycoons

5
Key Players, at the top

• Theodore Roosevelt
• From Joseph Bishop "My dear fellow, do you know
  the two most extraordinary things I have seen in
  your country?  Niagara Falls and the president of
  the U.S., both great wonders of nature."
• becoming president in 1901 at 43
• politician, cowboy, soldier, hunter, naturalist,
  explorer, trust-buster
• elected in 1904
• his mom and wife died on the same night in 1884

6
Square Deal

• Square Deal attack on social problems
  regulation of big businesses broader control of
  the railroad and conservation of resources
• won Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the
  Russo-Japanese War in 1905
• Ran for president in 1912 on the ticket of
  National Progressive Party and lost to Wilson

7
The New Nationalism (1910)

• he democratic America had the duty to lead the
  world into a new age
• national need before sectional or personal
  advantage
• government supervision of all interstate commerce
  
• cooperation between labor and capital
• help any one who stumbles
• protection of women and children

8
President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

• president of Princeton
• governor of New Jersey
• prolific political scientist
• Underwood Act to lower tariff attached to the
  measure was a graduated Federal income tax the
  Federal Reserve Act1914 antitrust legislation
  established a Federal Trade Commission to
  prohibit unfair business practices Another burst
  of legislation followed in 1916. One new law
  prohibited child labor another limited railroad
  workers to an eight-hour day. By virtue of this
  legislation and the slogan "he kept us out of
  war," Wilson narrowly won re-election.

9
The New Freedom (1913)

• personal freedoms infringed by big corporations
• the economic system was heartless, grinding
  Americana down and doing them injustice
• government's association with businesses was evil
  and disastrous
• needs radical reconstruction to prevent the
  turmoil from becoming a revolution

10
Key players in the middle

• city managers San Francisco, Toledo, Cleveland,
  New York, Detroit
• governors Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Colorado,
  New Jersey and New York

11
Robert M. La Follette
Robert Marion La Follette, Sr. (June 14, 1855
June 20, 1925) (also known as "Fighting Bob" La
Follette) was an American politician who served
as a U.S. Congressman, the 20th Governor of
Wisconsin (1901-1906), and Republican Senator
from Wisconsin (1905-1925). He ran for President
of the United States as the nominee of his own
Progressive Party in 1924, carrying Wisconsin and
17 of the national popular vote.
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The Wisconsin Idea

• people would always do the right thing if
  properly informed and inspired
• machine control is based on misrepresentation and
  ignorance and democracy is based on knowledge
• direct primary system for nominating candidates
• laws established to limit campaign expenditure
  and lobbying activities
• special commissions to study social issues
• legislative reference services

13
Other Players
Jane Addams her Hull House Settlement Homes.
Jane Addams succeeded in helping the homeless by
giving them a hot meal and a warm bed to sleep,
but most importantly, she gave them hope
14
Social Workers

• Jane Addams and the Settlement Houses, won Nobel
  Peace price in 1931--interpeting American ways to
  immigrants, creating a community spirit and
  teaching right living through social relations

15
Muckrakers
Muckrakers new journalist with social
conscience, exposes in Atlantic and McClure Ida
Tarbell--History of the Standard Oil Company
(1904) Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives
(1890), Sinclair Upton, The Jungle (1906) and
Lincoln Steffens, The Shame of the Cities (1904)
16
Mugwumps

• slang term in U.S. political history for the
  Republicans who in 1884 deserted their party
  nominee, James G. Blaine, to vote for the
  Democratic nominee, Grover Cleveland.
• gentlemen reformers who had fought the spoils
  system and promoted a civil service based on
  merit

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Consequences

• democracy, efficiency, regulations, choice and
  social justice
• 8-hour working day law
• child labor law
• minimum wage for women
• workers' compensation
• the idea of the state active government public
  serves including schools, good roads,
  conservation, public health and welfare

18
Howard Taft (1909-1913)
i. TR's handpicked man, secretary of war
governor of the Philippine Commission ii. "I can
never forget that the power I now exercise was a
voluntary transfer from you to me." iii. lacked
the physical and mental stamina requested of a
modern chief executive iv. golf, afternoon nap,
hated making speeches lack of ambition to impose
his will, leading to the break of the Republican
party v. dollar diplomacy vi. in the election
of 1912, Woodrow Wilson won 435 electoral votes,
Taft 8 and TR of the National Progressive Party
(the Bull Moose Party) won 88.
19
Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

• Like TR before him, WW regarded himself as the
  personal representative of the people. "No one
  but the President seems to be expected ... to
  look out for the general interests of the
  country." He developed a program of progressive
  reform and asserted international leadership in
  building a new world order. In 1917 he proclaimed
  American entrance into World War I a crusade to
  make the world "safe for democracy."
• i. domestic reform ii. advance democracy and
  moral progress in the world iii. renouncing
  Taft's dollar diplomacy and active intervention
  in Latin America