Progressive Era

1ProgressiveEraTheProgressiveEraintheUnitedStateswasaperiodofreformwhichlastedfromthe1880stothe1920s.InresponsetoindustrializationProgressivesadvocatedawiderangeofeconomic,political,social,andmoralreforms.PurificationofpoliticswasamainProgressivegoal,withmanyProgressivestryingtoexposeandundercutpoliticalmachinesandbosses.Inparticular,theirattemptstoexcludeilliterates,blacks,andothersfromvoting,andtoreduceimmigrationfromSouthernandEasternEuropethroughdevicessuchasaliteracytest.Manysupportedprohibitioninordertodestroythepoliticalpowerbasedinsaloons.Atthesametime,womansuffragewaspromotedtobringapurerfemalevoteintothearena.Initiallythemovementwassuccessfulatlocallevels;lateritprogressedtostateandnationallevels.Progressivesdrewsupportfromthemiddleclass,andincludedmanylawyers,teachersandbusinesspeople.Contents1Politicalreform1.1Exposingcorruption1.2Modernization1.3Democracy1.4Municipalreform1.5Constitutionalchange2SocialReform2.1Prohibition3Economicpolicy4NotableprogressivesPoliticalreformDisturbedbythedecadenceoftheGildedAge,theprogressiveswerecommittedtochangingandreformingthecountry.SignificantchangesenactedatthenationallevelsincludedtheincometaxwiththeSixteenthAmendment,directelectionofSenatorswiththeSeventeenthAmendment,ProhibitionwiththeEighteenthAmendment,andwomen'ssuffragethroughtheNineteenthAmendmenttotheU.S.Constitution.ExposingcorruptionMuckrakerswerejournalistswhoexposedwaste,corruption,andscandalinthehighlyinfluentialnewmediumofnationalmagazines,suchasMcClure's.Progressivessharedacommonbeliefintheabilityofscience,technologyanddisinterestedexpertisetoidentifyproblemsandcomeupwiththebestsolution.ModernizationTheprogressiveswereavidmodernizers.Theybelievedinscience,technology,expertise—andespeciallyeducation—asthegrandsolutiontosociety'sweaknesses.Characteristicsofprogressivismincludedafavorableattitudetowardurban-industrialsociety,beliefinmankind'sabilitytoimprovetheenvironmentandconditionsoflife,beliefinobligationtointerveneineconomicandsocialaffairs,andabeliefintheabilityofexpertsandinefficiencyofgovernmentintervention.DemocracyProgressivesmovedtoenablethecitizenrytorulemoredirectlyandcircumventpoliticalbosses;California,Wisconsin,andOregontookthelead.CaliforniagovernorHiramJohnsonestablishedtheinitiative,referendum,andrecall,viewingthemasgoodinfluencesforcitizenparticipationagainstthehistoricinfluenceoflargecorporationsonstateassemblyincludingjobreform.2About16statesbeganusingprimaryelectionstoreducethepowerofbossesandmachines.TheSeventeenthAmendmentwasratifiedin1913,requiringthatallsenatorsbeelectedbythepeople(insteadofthestatelegislature).MunicipalreformManycitiessetupmunicipalreferencebureaustostudythebudgetsandadministrativestructuresoflocalgovernments.InIllinois,GovernorFrankLowdenundertookamajorreorganizationofstategovernment.InWisconsin,thestrongholdofRobertLaFollette,theWisconsinIdea,usedthestateuniversityasthesourceofideasandexpertise.ConstitutionalchangeTheProgressivestriedtopermanentlyfixtheirreformsintolawbyconstitutionalamendments,includedProhibitionwiththe18thAmendmentandwomen'ssuffragebythe19thamendment,bothin1920aswellasthefederalincometaxwiththe16thamendmentanddirectelectionofsenatorswiththe17thamendment.AfterProgressivismcollapsed,the18thamendmentwasrepealed(in1933).SocialReformProhibitionProhibitionreferstotheperiodduringwhichthemanufacture,saleandtransportofalcoholwasprohibited.ThroughouttheProgressiveEra,itremainedoneofthemaincausesatthelocal,stateandnationallevel.Itachievednationalsuccesswiththepassageofthe18thAmendmentbyCongressinlate1917,andtheratificationbythree-fourthsofthestatesin1919.Prohibitionwasessentiallyareligiousmovementbackedbyevangelicalchurches.ActivistsweremobilizedbythehighlyeffectiveAnti-SaloonLeague.Agitationforprohibition,however,originatedasearlyasthestartofthenineteenthcenturywhenconcernforAmericandrinkingcamefromtheclergy(especiallyevangelicalProtestants),politicians,businessleaders,socialreformers,etc.Themovementbeganwithadesireformoderation(i.e.,temperance).Thefirstwaveofprohibitionagitationledtonumberofstateprohibitionlaws;Mainepassedthefirstprohibitionlawin1850.Inthefollowingdecade,twelveotherstatesdidlikewise,althoughmostwererepealedduringtheCivilWar.Religiousinterestsprecipitatedthesecondwaveofprohibitionlegislationduringthe1880s,whichhadasitsaimlocalandstateprohibition.Duringthe1880s,referendumswereheldatthestateleveltoenactprohibitionamendments.Twoimportantgroupswereformedduringthisperiod.TheWomen’sChristianTemperanceUnion(WCTU)wasformedin1874.TheAnti-SaloonLeaguewasformedin1893,unitingactivistsfromdifferentreligiousgroups.Thethirdwaveofprohibitionlegislation,ofwhichnationalprohibitionwasaresult,beganin1907,whenGeorgiapassedastate-wideprohibitionlaw.By1917,twothirdsofthestateshadsomeformofprohibitionlawsandroughlythreequartersofthepopulationlivedindryareas.InNovember,1913,theAnti-SaloonLeaguefirstpubliclyappealedforaprohibitionamendment.Theypreferredaconstitutionalamendmentoverafederalstatutebecausealthoughhardertoachieve,theyfeltitwouldbeharderto