UNIT 3: REFORM, EXPANSION, AND WAR
CHAPTER 7: PROGRESSIVE REFORMS
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
—Many Americans called for reform in the late 1800s. Progressive reformers focused on urban
problems, government, and business. They claimed that government and big business were
taking advantage of the American people rather than serving them. Many politicians were
corrupt and found numerous ways to make money. They accepted bribes from tenement
landlords in return for overlooking violations of city housing codes. They received campaign
contributions from contractors hoping to do business with the city. Many corrupt politicians
became powerful enough to control the police, the courts, and some newspapers. The spoils
system—rewarding political supporters with jobs and favors—had been common practice which
had led to numerous abuses. Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and James Garfield wanted to
change the spoils system. They were both unsuccessful, but President Chester A. Arthur was
able to convince Congress to pass the Pendleton Act in 1883, which established the Civil Service
Commission to set up competitive examinations for federal jobs. Applicants had to demonstrate
their abilities in this examination.
—Progressivism was not a single organization, goal, or outlook. It represented several
overlapping beliefs and ideas. Many progressives were alarmed by the concentration of wealth
and power in the hands of a few. They supported government efforts to regulate industry. They
also sought to reform government, to make it more efficient and better able to resist the influence
of powerful business interests. Progressives also believed that society had an obligation to
protect and help all its members.
—The Progressives wanted to regulate the railroads to make them charge reasonable rates to their
customers. They also believed that the tariffs should be lowered; President Grover Cleveland
supported lower tariffs. Some Progressives focused on industries such as food production. After
some investigation, journalists called muckrakers uncovered information of how unsanitary
American food was produced. The muckrakers informed Americans about the social problems
affecting our country. Upton Sinclair wrote the famous book The Jungle, which highlighted
unsanitary conditions of our factories and meat packing facilities. Jacob Riis was a
photographer who exposed bad working and living conditions, particularly in tenements. He
also published a book called How the Other Half Lives. Because of the work of the muckrakers
the government took action. The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 created a set of laws for meat
packing industries which required federal inspection of meat-processing plants. The Pure Food
and Drug Act required accurate labeling of food and medicine and banning the sale of harmful
food. Additionally, because of the work of another muckraker named Ida Tarbell, who exposed
the corruption of Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, many Progressives were trying to fight
against monopolies and big businesses in general (like in the first paragraph of this section).
WOMEN AND PROGRESSIVES
—The situation of middle class women changed during the late 1800s. Many more middle-class
women were gaining higher education; about 40% of all college students in 1910 were women.
Women were also starting professional careers—mostly in teaching but also in nursing,
medicine, and other fields. These changes created the “new woman”—a popular term for
educated, up-to-date women who pursued interests outside their homes. Women joined women’s
clubs, which rapidly increased in number. Many clubs focused on music and painting, but they
gradually became more concerned with social problems. These clubs offered many opportunities
for self-improvement. A club in New York ran a library and held classes in typing and
bookkeeping. Some clubs also gave their members a chance to continue their education.
—Issues about voting were erupting at this time. Many women felt they should have the right to
vote. For many years women had been fighting for suffrage—the right to vote—and by 1890
the movement gained strength. By 1917 the national tide was turning in favor of women’s
suffrage. By 1920 the 19th Amendment was ratified by Congress which gave women the right
to vote.
PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENTS
—Theodore Roosevelt had served in the New York State assembly, headed New York City’s
police commission, and became assistant secretary of the navy. He then was elected governor of
New York, and then was selected to run as vice-president with William McKinley in the
presidential election of 1900. They won the election, but in 1901 President McKinley was
assassinated, making Theodore Roosevelt (republican) the youngest president in U.S. history.
President Roosevelt was known to support business regulation and other progressive reforms. In
1902 Roosevelt ordered the Justice Department to take legal action against certain trusts that had
violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. After successfully defeating these trusts, Roosevelt earned
the nickname “trustbuster”. Roosevelt wanted to prove that the federal government had authority
over big business.
—Roosevelt ran for the presidency in 1904, promising the people a square deal—fair and equal
treatment for all. Roosevelt’s “square deal” called for a considerable amount of government
