Chapter 21: Progressivism

Chapter 21: Progressivism

1. What was Progressivism, and which groups spearheaded the movement?

Simply put, Progressivism was a reformation movement. With a goal to cleanse and rejuvenate the America they saw in political and societal declination. Retaining a libertarian aspect, they fought prostitution, gambling, drinking and other vices. They made their first appearances ousting crooked mayors and breaking up local monopolies. They believed in having an active government to identify and resolve political, economic and social wrongs. Originating from a group of reformers and those who gathered around the lead of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

2. What were the key similarities and differences in the progressive politics of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson?

Both presidents’ had a significant role in the progressive era, rejuvenating and reforming the societal and political flaws in America. Wilson was a democrat while Roosevelt was a republican, Wilson sought to break trusts where Roosevelt sought to regulate and increase power in the ICC, Roosevelt was an advocate of war and Wilson was not, Roosevelt fought to increase wages for miners. Both presidents’ gave hope to African Americans, re-evaluated the tariff act, and reformed the economic system establishing the Federal Reserve act for more federal banks and currency.

3. Why did Anti-Alcohol ideas gain momentum in the Progressive era?

By definition itself, the progressive movement sought to reform, rejuvenate, and abolish all vices including alcohol which they saw similar too prostitution. It was a cultural conservatism with similar attitudes seen in Jane Addams and others on female sexuality. They saw alcohol as an unmitigated evil that caused violence and fights; they sought to shut down the saloons. Evidently the immigrants opposed the prohibition movement, as they did not desire to be "reformed".

4. What did Progressive reformers mean by a 'virtuous electorate'?

Progressive reformers were on the brink of shifting America into the new generation. They sought to disenfranchise the voters who were deemed vulnerable to corruption and coercion. They wanted to build an electorate pool of citizens who understood the significance of their vote and were deterred from intimidation and coercion. By doing such, the government has great power over regulating the elections.

5. Which states granted women the right to vote prior to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment?

Wyoming
Colorado
Utah
Idaho
Washington
California
Arizona
Kansas
Oregon
Montana
Nevada
New York
Michigan
Oklahoma
South Dakota 

6. Why were public lands protected by Progressive administrations?

During the conversationalist movement and the apex of Roosevelt’s presidency, Roosevelt sought to preserve America’s roots and destiny by establishing 5 national parks in the west. Not only that but he appointed the Public lands commission to survey, inventory and regulate the use of lands. Not only that, but he also authorized scientists to take place of the politicians in the distribution of land as an objective scientific aspect of distribution is preferred over political connection leading to corruption and misuse of public lands for monopolies.

7. Why did Roosevelt challenge for the Presidency in 1912?

Roosevelt originally found Taft as his secretary of war and ideal successor. They worked together on foreign and domestic and policies. When Taft's candidacy for president challenged and was detrimental his competitor, Roosevelt quickly announced his own candidacy.

Terms:

Muckrakers:

At the epicenter of realizing America's dilemmas, this class exposed the foundation of vices and issues the Progressivism era sought to reform. Members of the Muckrakers or investigative journalists sent corrupt government officials to jail by putting pressure on the city and state government. They also sought out to expose and prosecute sources of vice and corruption. As a result, the government became involved launching several investigations on prostitution and the "Trusts" or the power in the hands of large industries and financiers.

Billy Sunday:

Significant for being one of the precedent "ministers of reform", Billy Sunday grew up in the middle class and felt outcast by his society. Amongst many others, Billy was raised in a protestant home. Evidently, he was expected to be a minister and did in fact become one of the most theatrical evangelical priests of his day opposing saloons and the liquor trust. However he was also a major league baseball player.

Jane Addams:

Amidst the progressive era where all vices and corruption had seemed to plague society, Jane Addams and Ellen Starr established the first settlement house. They provided food, education, entertainment, and many other social services to the community. They also inspired many young extraordinary women to enlist. Their services included a nursery for mothers, a penny savings bank, employment bureau and several social clubs. This in turn widened the reformers circle of talented intellectuals, artist, and politicians to contribute to their enterprise.

Mann Act:

Reformers of the progressive era, specifically feminists sought to equate female sexuality and abolish prostitution. These attitudes carried on through Jane Addams and many other zealous feminists. Unfortunately, the problem was exaggerated leading to questionable legislation, The Mann act of 1910. This act made it illegal to transport a woman across state lines for immoral purposes, or rather prostitution and human trafficking. However it also enable government interference in private consenting sexual relation of adults. This further pushed into attitudes opposing alcohol and saloons.

17th Amendment:

Preceding the Progressive era, populist proposed direct election of US senators and initiative and referendum. Initiative enabled the right to put in legislative proposals to voters in the general elections without having the state legislatures to act. Referendum gave voters in general election to repeal an unpopular to act that a state legislature had passed. It essentially mandated the direct election of senator by general voters, balancing political honesty and strengthening the vote of citizens.

Australian Ballot:

In the progressive era government regulation of citizens societal, economic, and political influence toward a better and reformed America was essential. Aside from the many vices, voting had also become corrupt, lobbyists would bribe voters with offerings of alcohol, food, and other objects to steer their vote. However the government adopted the secret ballot in which each voter was required to vote in private under the supervision of a party official eliminating the chance of a bribed vote. This was revolutionary in the fact that the secret ballot was predated to the progressive era.

NAACP:Seeking to better America into a modern day land of opportunity, many progressives realized the inequality and discriminatory barriers set to deter African Americans and those of color. Immigrants and African Americans struggled for societal and political equality. However Du Bois and many young black activists met at Niagara Falls to announce their political agenda, demanding the right to vote and the abolishment of segregation. Later on the Springfield riot of 1908 shook up several whites. In order to sufficiently fight racial prejudice and discrimination the progressives established the National Association of Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Essentially the NAACP marked the beginning of the modern civil rights movement. Not only did gain a list of employment opportunities, but it also enable housing, and eased the adjustment of rural migrants.

18th Amendment:

In the attempts to rejuvenate America and cleanse society of all vices and corruption, the 18th amendment was set in place. It consists of three sections. The first prohibits the transportation, sale, and manufacturing of alcohol. The second justifies the power for congress to enforce the article under appropriate legislation. The third, exclaims that the article is only effective if established as an amendment and processed and approved to the constitution by the legislature of several states. Essentially this disable the use of alcoholic beverages and brought the attitude seen by Jane Addams and many feminists had toward prostitution to alcohol and saloon. Evidently immigrants rejected this attempt of reformation.

Volstead Act:

During the progressive era negative attitudes toward liquor began. Liquor was seen as an intoxicated vice that had to be abolished. Wayne Wheeler sought to abolish the liquor monopoly by approaching the saloons. He later collected several members for his anti-saloon league and managed to gain enough votes to approve the 18the amendment restricting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.

NAWSA:

During the late 19th century the women's rights movement lead to a group of suffragists coming together to form the National American Women's Suffrage Association. With the ratification of the 19th amendment they saw to fight for the rights and equality of women. Although it had been established that men and women were equal, NAWSA tried to exclaim that women were different. Rather, that they possessed a moral nurturing quality that men lacked.

19th Amendment:

Square Deal:

Evidently, during the industrial era, much of the workers suffered long workday, terrible working condition, and insufficient wages. However, President Roosevelt amidst the progressive era took initiative. He displayed such by protecting the economically weak, specifically the coal miners of PA. When miners demanded recognition of their union (UMW) and were rejected they went on strike. Roosevelt then summoned the president of the company and managed to get them to go along with the requests. The fact that the federal government ordered employers to compromise with employees gained a vast amount of support. Essentially he used the slogan a square deal as the epitome of helping working class Americans.

'Trust-Buster':

During his presidency, Roosevelt pursued several monopolies and became the first American president to utilize the Sherman Anti-trust act to break up business monopolies. He ordered the justice department to prosecute the Northern Securities companies, a 400 million dollar monopoly that controlled all railroad lines. As a result JP Morgan rushed to the white house told him "if we have done anything wrong, send you man to man and we can fix it" and Roosevelt said, "there will be no fixing".

ICC:

As Roosevelt sought to extend government regulation of economic affairs, he proposed to give the government power to set shipping rates on railroads, eliminate the markets discriminatory practices. The ICC is a regulatory body established by Congress in 1887 that the courts had weakened to a point of futility. However Roosevelt managed to increase ICC's power through the Hepburn act.

Ballinger-Pinchot controversy:

After Roosevelt's administration had bought acres of land under federal protection, Richard Ballinger released 1 million acres for private commercial use. As a result, this raised the suspicion of the progressives. Gifford Pinchot then obtained info of Ballinger selling Alaskan coal deposits to private syndicates. He also discovered that Ballinger profited from the sale to Taft. Taft defended him but his hopes were shattered when Roosevelt returned.

Bull Moose:

Bull moose was used as an adjective to define Roosevelt's persistence and strength. His candidacy in 1912 gained many supporters whom called themselves bullmoosers. However they knew that their mission was futile, as they had to gain the approval of many Republican insurgents that were skeptical to begin with.

Federal Reserve Act:

The Federal Reserve act was the most significant law passed in president's Wilson's administration. It established 12 regional banks under the control of the private banks in its region. It also required every bank to deposit 6% on average of its assets to the regional federal bank in order to issue federal notes and loans. Not only that, but it eased flow, demand, and distress of credit under any situation. This system strengthened the nation's financial structure, but it seemed as if Wilson was retreating from his New Freedom pledge.

New Nationalism:

During his Presidency, Wilson not only fought to eliminate the monopolization of large industries, but he also made things easier on the middle class.  Wilson supported the Federal Trade commission, which governmentally regulated the industrial behavior, in such terms Wilson became known as a new nationalist. He also denied the insistence of the implementation of the Clay Antitrust act that exempted antitrust prosecutions toward labor and farmer organizations, all in all his left wing strategy aided his re-election in 1916.

Upton Sinclair:

Detachment, skepticism, and objectivity are the characteristics America's middles class sought as they grew intellectually. It was a movement toward realism; they criticized the emulation of European styles and demanded reconstruction of their modern day literature. Inevitably Artist, philosophers, and novelists were reinventing themselves toward a truer and more integral representation of American society. One of the significant contributors was Upton Sinclair, a famous novelist.