The Maine Connection: Progressivism

The Maine Connection: Progressivism

Business and Politics

Old and New Business for Maine

• People involved in older businesses, like shipbuilding, farming, and fishing, searched for better ways to produce and market their products.

• Schooners make a comeback for being perfectly suited for trading goods up and down the coast

• Schooners took ice from Maine and traded it for pine in Georgia. Then took that to Pennsylvania where they exchanged it for coal. Then sailed back and used coal for electricity.

New Plows for Potato Farmers

Potatoes continue to be a big crop, but now there's competition in Idaho and California. In 1890, farmers in Aroostook County started using "Hoover Diggers"

This separated the dirt and weeds from the potatoes and made processing faster.

The Lobster Takes Center Stage

Lobsters became the catch that provided the greatest profits. This was a big change from when English settlers first came and used them as fertilizer and bait to catch other fish.

Today, Maine's yearly lobster catch is worth more than the catch of all other fish in Maine combined.

The New Business of Tourism

• Through the work of famous artists, wealthy Americans came to know the beauty of Maine

• Were called 'rusticators' - people who wanted to experience all the nature Maine could provide while living in luxury.

• Built huge mansions they called 'cottages' and hired guides to take them hunting and fishing

• York beach became especially popular with visitors on the railroad and steamship

• As more and more visitors came, one of the original rusticators, John D. Rockefeller, decided that land must be preserved from too much development so he bought and set aside much of the land that is Acadia National Park today

Multiple Select

Check all that were industries in Maine

• Lobstering

• Tourism

• Boating

• Steel production

Changes in 20th Century Politics at Home

• Many grew tired of Republican domination (pro-business)

• Republicans wanted high tariffs on imports and low taxes on businesses to help the economy grow

• Republicans didn't listen to the problems of American workers who toiled long hours for low wages

• Republicans tended to be supported by wealthier people

Democrats

• "Party of the People"

• Many working people, immigrants, and most white southerners were Democrats

• Wanted to help the average American rather than wealthy businessmen, but didn't have any specifics on how to do this

Rise of the Populists

• Farmers in the West and South organized this third party

• Believed in "positive government" - meaning laws should be passed that would solve the problems faced by Americans

• Graduated Income Tax - The more money you earn, the more tax you would pay (later the 16th amendment)

• Popular Election of Senators (later the 17th amendment)

• Right to Organize - Workers should be allowed to join labor unions

• Publicly-Owned Industries - The government should take control of all utilities, communications, and bankrupt railroads

• Greater Opportunities for Direct Participation in Politics - Initiative (vote on things proposed by people), Referendum (vote on things proposed by legislature), Recall (vote to remove an elected official)

The Populists

• Elected many candidates through the nation at the local and state levels

• Tremendous impact on politics

• Gave rise to Progressive Movement

• Influenced the Democratic Party - most of their ideas were adopted by them

• By 1900, the party had disappeared, but its goals lived on

• Donald Trump claimed to be a populist president

Progressive Reform in Maine

• As the Democratic Party became more responsive to the needs of the people, Mainers started voting for them

• In 1910, a Democrat was elected governor, and both houses had a Democratic majority

• Maine's Initiative Law - When 10% of the voters sign a petition asking for a new law, the state legislators debate and vote on it. If it is not approved, it is put on the ballot

• Maine's Referendum Law: If 10% of voters sign a petition asking to vote on a law passed by the state legislators, the law must be placed on a statewide ballot. If a majority of voters disapprove of the law, the law cannot go into effect. Can also be used to ask voters to approve/disapprove a law they already passed

Multiple Choice

Political Party who wanted high tariffs on imported goods and low taxes on Business

• Republican

• Democrat

• Populist

Multiple Choice

Political Party who were in favor of the graduated income tax

• Republican

• Democrat

• Populist

Multiple Choice

Political Party who were in favor of the right to organize

• Republican

• Democrat

• Populist

Multiple Choice

Political Party who claimed to want to help average Americans rather than wealthy businessmen BUT didn't know how.

• Republican

• Democrat

• Populist