Progressive Era

Progressive Era

1. Conditions

   • The working conditions were unsafe and unrewarding. Laborers would work for fourteen to sixteen hours and still have to cram into tenements at night. The workers began to strike because they could not continue to deal with the issues, and it led into reform movements. The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, labor unions, and books about factory conditions (The Jungle) helped bring change.
     • Upton Sinclair wrote a book called The Jungle, which drew attention to immigrant conditions and problems with safety and cleanliness in factories. It led to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act and helped expose the issues of the day.
       • The Meat Inspection Act came after Upton Sinclair's novel, and it brought up the issue of the meat industry. They were packing and selling spoiled meat and meat which was not as advertised, which was unfair to their consumers and caused a lot of health problems. The act was one of the first things done to truly help fix the problems and not just cover them up.
       • The Pure Food and Drug Act came after Sinclair's novel and muckraking, as well. It helped buyers be safe because the products had to be inspected, and it required proper packaging, factual labels, and certain purity levels. This act was a victory for the Progressive Era because it began to regulate conditions in workplaces and ensure quality at the same time.
   • The living conditions were terrible, and there were many people, like Jacob Riis and others, wanted to improve the conditions of the slums. They were overcrowded, unsafe, and led to large amounts of violence and disease. These problems were overlooked in the Gilded Age, but the Progressive Era put them front and center.
   • Like Sinclair and many others, Jacob Riis worked to expose and document the conditions, people, and horrors of the slums and factories. He was a photographer known for muckraking, which meant he helped feed the media all of the secrets and disgusting things that factory owners wanted to keep hidden. It helped the ProgressiveEra greatly because the "bandages" put on during the Gilded Age to cover up the wounds and evils could not hold anymore.
   • Big business meant that a meatpacking, railroad, telegraph, oil, or steel companies were supplying their goods and services to people nationwide and not just in a certain area. It made it hard to decide who would regulate their methods and check their products. It led to many states passing Granger Laws and other things to ensure the companies were following the rules, and it was one more roadblock that got in the way of regulations and fixing problems in factories and companies.
     • The Sherman Antitrust Act was put in place to limit monopolies and stop them from taking over their entire industries by creating obstacles for free trade. It set rules for "competition," but it was vague and unsuccessful. It ended up hurting labor unions instead regulating companies.
       • The Clayton Antitrust Act was an improvement from the Sherman Antitrust Act. It was more specific and fixed the loopholes. This act discouraged and stopped anticompetitive tactics used by monopolies, which the previous act could not do. It helped smaller businesses and free trade, and it limited companies' power.

2. Women

   • Women's rights were heavily debated during the Progressive Era. The did not have suffrage, and many believed they were inferior to men and belonged in the home. Marches, rallies, and petitions were used to promote women's rights, and people (men and women) that supported the Progressive Era wanted to change the standards and stereotypes.
     • The National American Suffrage Association was one of the lead organizations in the Women's Rights movement, along with the American Women's Suffrage Association. They were the most radical of the two groups, and they were led by women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. They helped push for the 19th Amendment, but they did not support the 15th Amendment because it used the word "male." It was a key group that worked for suffrage in the Progressive Era.
       • The 19th Amendment declared that no one could be denied the right to vote based on sex. It was a huge step forward for the time period, and it helped encourage more social change. It did not solve the issue of gender equality, but it definitely pushed toward a solution.
     • Jane Addams, "the mother of social work," wanted to leave the world better than she found it, and she encouraged women's rights and education. She opened the Hull House to help those who could not support themselves or had disadvantages. She was important to the Progressive Era because she saw problems and fixed them herself instead of waiting for someone else to do it. She received a Nobel Peace Prize, gave speeches, and was in the heart of the fights for causes she believed in.
       • The Hull House helped disadvantaged people groups and helped them get educations and get involved in society. It worked to expose "social crimes," and it pushed for better working conditions in sweat shops and factories. It was a very active way to promote change and meet people's needs.
     • Alice Paul was a suffragette who encouraged the passing of the 19th Ammendment. She organized rallies and campaigned for women's rights. Her contributions were important to the Progressive Era because they were proactive and led to social changes.

3. Environment

   • Environmentalism and conservation brought a new cause into play. It focused on pollution, sustainability, and protection of the earth. Things like the Panama Canal and national parks were popular topics for conservationists, and it led to a new progressive movement outside of the cities. It did work with urban setting, though, and it helped keep up parks and provide public services.
     • John Muir was an environmentalist and philosopher who became known as the "father of the National Parks." He wanted to save forests and landscapes that could have been overtaken by industries. He helped convince the government to control some of the western lands and preserve their beauty so that people could enjoy it.
       • National Wildlife Refuges helped protect endangered species. The Audubon Society and the Lacey Act also helped with this, and hunting regulations were also enforced. It goes along with conservatism, and it saved many beautiful fish, birds, and animals from becoming extinct.
       • Gifford Pinchot worked with the national forests and believed that using the forests and their resources was not bad as long as they were replaced. He wanted to renew the resourced instead of just protecting them. He was a major player in the campaign for those things, and he helped spread the ideas through his use of politics.

4. Racial Issues

   • Racial discrimination in society and the work place was also a big issue since the emancipation of slaves. Former slaves were seen as inferior, and they were paid less than other laborers. Progressive Era movements were started to promote equality among races, to grant voting rights to other races, and to help different races of immigrants succeed, as well. Racial discrimination was not just and issue for one race, but for all minority races, so the Progressive Era tried to prevent that.
     • Booker T. Washington fought for equal opportunities for African Americans. He wanted them to have voting rights and quality educations, and he started the Tuskegee Institute. He was not completely opposed to segregation, though, which was unique most Progressive Era leaders. He instead wanted self-reliance for his race.
       • The Tuskegee Institute was an opportunity for African Americans to get an education during a time of discrimination. The teachers were skilled, and they were able to pass down their knowledge to a new generation. This was important because it helped African Americans be better prepared to get jobs, and it also promoted education which would lead to equality.
     • The NAACP was founded by leaders like Ida B. Wells and W. E. B. Du Bois to promote equality and success for African Americans. It allowed whites and blacks to come together to promote change and help fight for justice. It also tried to protect blacks from violence and pushed toward the Civil Rights movement.

5. Theodore Roosevelt was a major contributor to the Progressive Era by questioning the power of capitalists and passing acts like the Pure Food and Drug Act, the Meat Inspection Act, and the Sherman Antitrust Act. He was known as the "trust buster," and he also believed in conservation and cultural changes. He was very important in negotiations and passing laws during this time.

6. William Howard Taft did not have as progressive as a Presidency as Roosevelt. He worked against trusts and dealt with the environment and the Panama Canal, but he was more conservative than Roosevelt. He still played a part in the Progressive Era, though.

7. Woodrow Wilson was a progressive Democrat who beat Taft for the Presidency. He passed the Clayton Antitrust Act, and he wanted to keep American democracy and freedom strong. He wanted peace, but he was also willing to fight for what he believed was right for the American people. His presidency brought many changes, mostly for the economy and the working class.

8. The Progressive Era was a time to fix the issues that had been avoided in the Gilded Age. They could not be avoided for much longer, so leaders of the time stepped up to promote social and cultural changes. They fought for women's rights, racial equality, working and living condition improvements, and environmental protections.