progressivism. era of progressivism progressivism: action- oriented political response to...

Progressivism

Era of Progressivism

• Progressivism: action-oriented political response to industrialization and its social by-products: – Immigrants’ suffering– urban growth– growth of corporate power– widening class divisions

• Differed from Populism: urban movement, not agrarian

• Never cohesive, aided by intellectuals, journalists, unionists, socialists

The “Social Gospel”• Social Gospel

– Belief that Christians should work for social reform

– Belief that desire for wealth had led to corrupted some Americans

– Belief that society must take responsibility for the poor and less fortunate

• Progressives believed that

– government should actively defend average people from power of corporations and the rich

– Capitalist system was good, but could be fairer

– government could improve society

Jane Addams and Hull House• Jane Addams founded “Hull

House,” a settlement house in Chicago

• Worked to improve living conditions for Chicago immigrants

• University women provided services to poor immigrants

• Education, day care, medical care

• Advocated for first public play ground in Chicago

• Worked for a child labor law, women’s suffrage, occupational safety, mandatory education, and immigrant rights

• Eventually became 13 buildings

Ending Child Labor• 1893: Hull House worker

Florence Kelly led Illinois to outlaw child labor

• 1904: She founded the National Child Labor Committee to pressure states to outlaw child labor

• By 1912, 39 states had outlawed child labor

• By 1930, half of US children attended high school

• By 1915, 48 states had separate juvenile courts: help young delinquents

Women’s Suffrage

• 1848: Seneca Falls conference women demanded right to vote

• National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) worked toward national suffrage

• Some states gave women right to vote

• 1876: Wyoming

• 1893: Colorado!

• 1914: Montana elected a woman to the House of Representatives

• 1919: Congress passed 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, giving women full voting rights

Jeanette Rankin, first female representative

Improving Life for Blacks

• Opposing views held by prominent Black leaders

• Booker T. Washington:– Blacks should work hard and

improve their conditions themselves

– Work with dignity, even if in low-paying agriculture

– “Accommodate” to the existing system

• W.E.B. Du Bois wanted to go further:– Push hard for civil rights through

political action

– Protest unfair treatment

– Fight for equality