The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era

A time of change

Around 1890...

Rapid industrialization, immigration, and urbanization in the late 1800s led to national growth and prosperity. The rapid growth also caused poverty, unemployment, horrible working conditions and political corruption.

Many ‘Progressives’ believed that political action and reform, not private charities, were the methods to bring about progress in society. 

What was the Progressive Era?

The Progressive Era was

a national movement in the early 1900’s that focused on the belief that humans could keep improving their society to make it better.

Today's lesson will focus on identifying the Progressive Era reforms, issues, people, and changes that came from this time period.

Multiple Choice

When is the Progressive Era?

• from about 1890-1920

• 1861-1865

• 1865-1877

• 1960s

Multiple Select

What do you think were some reform movements from the Progressive Era?

• Anti-Trust (controlling corporate power & breaking up monopolies)

• banning child labor

• labor rights, aka the rights of workers

• stopping political corruption

With the rapid industrialization growth of the late 1800s,

all sorts of problems with businesses and industry arose. Issues regarding the rights of factory workers, child labor, the out of control power of corporations, and the political corruption tied to this power all required reforms. The Progressives will attempt to address and reform these issues.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are ALSO Progressive Era reforms?

• Education

• prohibition...of alcohol

• prison reform

• Women's suffrage (the right to vote)

Women were central and critical to the Progressive Era,

and issues that were important and affected women were issues that found the center of this movement. In addition to child labor, education reform, the prohibition of alcohol, prison reform, and the right to vote were major topics that politically active women (with or without the right to vote) were going to address.

The Progressive Era

meant an expanded role for government with the goal of government leading the way in reform of society's problems. Early reforms tried to address poverty, municipal (city) issues like sewage, utilities (water, gas, electricity--it's new), and public services like parks, playgrounds, and public baths/swimming pools.

Multiple Select

As the Progressives expanded to the national and federal level, we begin to see the White House take a lead. Which of the following were Presidents during the Progressive Era?

• Teddy Roosevelt

• William H. Taft

• Woodrow Wilson

• Benjamin Harrison

• William McKinley

There are three presidents associated with the Progressive Era

• Teddy Roosevelt

• William H. Taft

• Woodrow Wilson

Of the Progressive Era presidents, Teddy Roosevelt was the most progressive. He called for:

• business regulation & Anti-Trust laws

• welfare laws

• workplace protection for women

• child labor laws

• income minimums (minimum wage)

• inheritance taxes

• voting reform

Taft follows Roosevelt, but ...

he isn't very proactive in carrying out the reform movements set forth by Roosevelt. As a result, Roosevelt will run for a third term in 1912 as the "Bull Moose Party" candidate (aka the Progressive Party). Many progressive Republicans will follow Roosevelt to this party. How's Teddy going to do in 1912?

Multiple Choice

Who wins the Presidential Election of 1912?

• Teddy Roosevelt (Progressive Party--former Republican )

• William H. Taft (Republican)

• Woodrow Wilson (Democrat)

• Eugene Debs (Socialist Party)

Wilson wins the 1912 election

by Taft and Roosevelt (yellow) splitting the Republican vote.

Wilson will prioritze tariff reduction and Anti-Trust legislation.

Although he initially opposed the right to vote for women, suffragist groups will target and relentlessly pressure Wilson to take action.

Multiple Select

What Constitutional Amendments will emerge from the Progressive Era?

• the 16th Amendment- Income Tax

• the 17th Amendment- direct election of Senators

• the 18th Amendment- the prohibition of alcohol

• the 19th Amendment- women's suffrage, the right to vote

Four Constitutional Amendments come from the Progressive Era

1. An income tax

2. The direct election of Senators (state legislatures used to appoint them)

3. The prohibition of alcohol

4. the right to vote for women

Multiple Select

Although Progressives will make significant reforms in this time period, which of the following do you think were FAILURES of the Progressives? Which issues did they FAIL to reform or improve?

• migrant farm workers

• racial and social justice

• segregation

• poverty

The biggest failure of the Progressive Era

was not correcting the contraction of Civil Rights that occurred at the end of Reconstruction. With the Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896, a new effort to restore Civil Rights will begin with the creation of the NAACP in 1909 with W.E.B. DuBois as its founding leader. A restoration of Civil Rights will take over half a century.

Multiple Choice

True or False: a major source of labor in North Carolina textile mills was CHILD LABOR?

• true

• false

Child Labor was a major source of labor in NC textile mills

In NC, the Progressive Era doesn't quite succeed in stopping the use of children in factories. North Carolina won't limit child labor until 1933.

Poll

Poll question: Do you think children (below 16) should be employed to work on a job?

• yes

• no

Poll

Poll question: What do you think is an appropriate age for someone to begin working a job?

• 10

• 12

• 14

• 16

• 20

Labor Rights and the safety of workers

was one of the major reform movements of the Progressive Era. Since the industrialization of America, workers have labored for fair wages and in some cases, against dangerous working environments.

Multiple Select

What rights do you think a worker/laborer should have?

• safe working conditions

• a fair and living wage

• reasonable hours for work

• reasonable job security

• the right to disagree about working conditions, pay, and the work

The Labor Movement

At the turn of the 20th Century, the American Industrial Revolution is in full swing with millions of Americans entering factories for work. However, wages were small and working conditions were often dangerous.  

Industrial workers began to question their rights as workers in regards to safety, wages, working hours, and the amount of profit owners made from their labor.

As a result, workers often used strikes as the major tool of protest for better conditions.

Poll

A strike is a protest technique used by workers to demand better working conditions. It means you refuse to work until the conditions are met. It might mean lost wages or even being fired from the job. If you disagreed with working conditions, a wage, or other labor related issues, would you use a strike to protest?

• yes

• no

• maybe, it depends on the job and my circumstances in life

Monopolies

A monopoly is a company or group of companies that controls the supply of a product or a service. In the late 1800s, individuals such as John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan established large monopolies that came to be known as "Trusts."

Poll

Imagine there is only one company that makes blue jeans. How do you think that would affect the price, supply, and variety of blue jeans available?

• That would be great! No more having to decide. I hate decisions.

• That would be...interesting. I've always been interested in trying women's jeans.

• That would be awful. Look at all those tight pants. Go upstairs and put on your big pants! We're big pants people!

• I heard that people stopped wearing blue jeans during Covid, so I've been wearing sweatpants since July.

• It means less variety and prices that are not affected by the market or competition. The company can just make and sell however they want, without concern about the consumer.

Anti-Trust

The movement to control corporate power grew at the turn of the 20th Century as America saw single corporations within key industries grow extremely powerful--to the point that no other companies could compete.

-Companies such as the Standard Oil Company, Carnegie Steel, and American Tobacco were virtually untouchable by competitors

-In 1890, Congress passed the Sherman Anti-Trust act to break up these monopolies. However, little progress was made against these giants until President Theodore Roosevelt takes up the cause.

Multiple Choice

True or False: the United States banned alcohol by Constitutional Amendment in the early 20th Century.

• true

• false

Prohibition

Prohibition grew from the recognition that public drunkenness was a problem and threat to the safety of people. Groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) organized under the belief that drunken men were a threat to women in the home. The Prohibition movement grew in N.C. from the creation in 1902 of the Anti-Saloon League to the 1908 passage of a statewide law on the prohibition of alcohol. Federal law banned the sale of alcohol in 1913, and the 18th Amendment (banning alcohol) followed in 1919.

Multiple Choice

Were women able to vote in the United States in the year 1900?

• yes

• no

• in some western states, yes

Women's Suffrage

Women were political activists in many of the Progressive Era reforms, yet, they did not have the right to vote in most states.

A central issue of the Progressive Era was Women’s Suffrage or the right to vote for women.

We'll look more closely at the Women's Suffrage movement in lessons later this week.

Circle Discussion

The Progressive Era was about making positive changes in society. What changes do you want to see in our modern society?

Your assignment

Go to Canvas and access the Newsela article: "Story of Women's Suffrage" aka Things you didn't know (or maybe forgot) about how women got the vote

Your Great Aunt Bessie has died.

She was a strong supporter of Progressive Era reforms such as Women's suffrage, banning child labor, environmental protection, and food safety.

She has left you and your siblings $1 million dollars to donate to the Progressive issue of your choice. She also left you $250,000 each for personal use, and her cat, Mr. Roosevelt.

Aunt Bessie's Inheritance

In this activity, you will read four Progressive Era primary sources and then decide which or how you will divide the $1 million of Aunt Bessie's money to donate to that reform movement.

Have someone at your table read the document aloud (or rotate).

Have someone record your decisions on the "Aunt Bessie's Inheritance" doc (linked on Canvas) & share that w/ the teacher.

Poll

Which Progressive cause do you think is most important?

• environmental protection

• Women's suffrage

• food safety

• child labor

• labor

Poll

Which of these Progressive causes do you think is most important?

• prohibition

• prison reform

• labor

• Anti-Trust/controlling monopolies

• political corruption