The Rebirth of Reform Social Criticism Henry George wrote Progress & Poverty. His treatise was on how America had become so rich but still had poverty. Georges solution was to give folks land and a single tax that would make society equal. George challenged the laissez-faire system & Social Darwinism. Reform Darwinism Humans were different from animals and had the ability to think ahead &make plans to produce future outcomes. People succeeded because they were able to cooperate. Looking Backward 1888 Edward Bellamy publishes Looking Backward.
Book is about 2000 America where society is perfect. Government owns all industry & shares the wealth with all Americans. Bellamys idea were socialists. Naturalism Criticism of the industrial society in writing.
Naturalists believed people failed because they were caught in circumstances that they could not control. Did not believe that an unregulated society and economy lead to the best results. Stephen Crane, Frank Norris & jack London were a few of the Naturalist writers. Helping the Urban Poor Critics of the industrial society were workig to reform society. From this effort rose the Social Gospel Movement, Salvation Army, YMCA, womens clubs, settlement houses and the temperance movement. Helping the urban Poor The Social gospel movement worked to help better peoples conditions in accordance with the bible. Walter Rauschenbusch , Baptist minister led the Social gospel mvmt. Believed that competition was making good people behave badly. Helping the Urban Poor The Salvation Army & YMCA both were started in England. Offered religious counseling to the urban poor. Dwight Moody, President of the Chicago Y began organizing and have church revivals and meetings. Helped the poor but rejected Social Darwinism & The Social gospel Movement. Settlement Houses Idealistic reformers who believed that it was their Christian duty to help the poor. Jane Addams established settlement houses in poor neighborhoods. Middle class people lived with and helped poor families. Opened Hull House in Chicago in 1889. Provided medical care, recreation programs & Enghlish classes. Public Education By 1900 the number of children attending school was well over 17 million students. Public schools were crucial for immigrant children to learn the American culture. This became known as Americanization. Schools taught English, American history, the responsibilities of citizenship, discipline & a strong work ethic. Public Education Some parents of immigrant children thought that this process would make their children forget the ways of the old country. Blacks did not have access to schools like others. Booker T. Washington and others opened schools for black children. Colleges also multiplied with the Morrill Land grant of 1862. By 1900 land-grant colleges were all across the Midwest.