Progressivism Notes

AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1865

PROGRESSIVISM

‘A middle-class movement responding to middle-class concerns’. Is this an accurate description of Progressivism?

Introduction

Emergence of Progressivism/Difference of a Mugwamp

Muckraking

Business

Municipal reform

Class

Religion

Immigration

Politics

Conclusion

Who Were the Progressives?: G.E. Gilmore

- Historians asked to define progressivism give contradicting answers.

- Most progressives justified sex-based wage discrimination on the basis that women were living in homes with male wage earners, typically.

- Progressives taught immigrants to be Americans, providing English language classes and aiding civic understanding and employment finding.

- Women were key to progressivism, contributing to its intellectual and organisational framework.

- ‘Reforms’ pursued by some progressives included the implementation of poll taxes or restricting the voting rights of the illiterate.

- In 1912 some Republicans splintered into the Progressive Party, headed by Theodore Roosevelt, and advocate a ‘New Nationalism’; he lost the election to Woodrow Wilson’s Democrats¹.

- Hofstadter has been called a ‘counter-progressive’. He has argued that progressivism was not a popular revolution, but a re-ordering, coming from the middle-classes, and seeking to make their world more manageable².

- The middle-classes were concerned by the chaos caused by urbanisation, industrialisation, and mass immigration.

- Kolko disagrees, and argues that the middle-class element of progressivism stifled forces for real change, such as the Socialists and the IWW.

- After 1900 populism and progressivism merge, although dual urban and rural origins are still evident.

- Mugwamp? Favoured tariff reform and sounds money.

- Growing wealth inequality and the emergence of a plutocracy was causing discontent among America’s middle-classes, who were seeing their social status steadily denuded.

- Bourbon Democrats/Redeemers – Southern white democrats who came to power after the end of Reconstruction.

- Rather than seeking endless legislative compromise, urban progressives focussed on the better enforcement and administration of existing rules. For example, instead of seeking more stringent factory legislation, they instead ensured proper adherence to basic employment law.

- McKinley was assassinated in September 1901.

- Progressivism did restructure chaotic commerce, but it also strengthened federal and state regulatory powers. They also drove an expansion in the power and remit of the presidency, and the administrative structure that supports it.

- Progressive morality? Unchecked commercial development threatened republican government by spreading inequality and greed, and by encouraging the ministry to conspire with monied interests, thereby undermining the independence of the legislature³.

- Women had long been looking for ways to influence politics without being fully enfranchised citizens.

Progressivism in America: A.A. Ekirch

- Progressives were those who sought novel solutions to the problems facing modern industrial America, bringing about a social and political reformation. Progressive activity had strong moral and religious overtones.

- Progressives turned to federal and state legislation to bring about regulatory measures for poor relief. They also pushed for an expansion in private charitable poor relief.

- The campaign to eliminate child labour was central to this. Infant mortality was far higher in the US than in Western Europe, particularly in cities. Measures adopted included improved standards in milk and the adoption of municipally provided nursing aid and day-care centres.

- By 1900 as many as 2million children were employed in America, predominantly on farms but a large number also in factories and other industry. In 1904 the National Child Labour Committee was formed to co-ordinate efforts to abolish child labour. However, due to arguments over the limits of federal authority to constrain state activity, it was not until 1916 that the Keating-Own Bill was passed and the products of child labour were banned from interstate commerce. It was declared unconstitutional two years later, but by the most states had legislated to limit child labour⁴.

- This partial success by the Progressives in eliminating child labour was mirrored in their campaign for educational improvements. Between 1898 and 1914 the number of children receiving an elementary education rose from 6million to 20million; registrations in colleges and high schools doubled. The South lagged behind the rest of the country in terms of educational progress, with illiteracy rates particularly high among blacks⁵.

- Outside of the cities, Progressivism had a broader appeal, reaching the middle-classes as well as the ethnic and working-class demographics attracted in urban areas⁶. However, Progressives were conflicted over issues such as laws restricting personal rights and liberties.

- By 1910 every state in the union had adopted the secret ballot at elections; a large number had also legislated to limit campaign contributions and expenses.

- Progressives dogmatically believed that regulation and legislation could deliver efficiency and overcome privilege and corruption. The danger being, that regulatory commissions exercised authority without responsibility.

- Roosevelt as leader of Progressivism:

- He oversaw the establishment of the Bureau of Corporations, which investigated corporate abuses and prosecuted offenders; it also put in his hands considerable discretion when it came to controlling big business.

- With Roosevelt’s aid, progressives in congress were able to pass the Hepburn Railroad Rate Bill, the Meat Inspection Act, and the Pure Food and Drug law⁷. He also pressured Congress to expand the national parks, a good example of his progressivism beyond labour and business legislation. Funding for Forestry rose from c$30,000 in 1898 to c$3.5million in 1908.

- Roosevelt did consider blacks inferior to Anglo-Saxons,...

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