Progressive Progressive AmericaAmericaUnit 2: Notes #6Unit 2: Notes #6

Mr. WelchMr. Welch

10/26/1210/26/12

Reforming the WorkplaceReforming the Workplace

Progressives took up Progressives took up the cause of working the cause of working women & childrenwomen & children

In 1893 Florence Kelley In 1893 Florence Kelley helped persuade Illinois helped persuade Illinois to prohibit child labor to prohibit child labor and to limit the number and to limit the number of hours women were of hours women were forced to workforced to work Yet many employers Yet many employers

continued hiring children, continued hiring children, and states did not and states did not enforce child labor lawsenforce child labor laws

Muller v. OregonMuller v. Oregon (1908) (1908)

Louis Brandeis along with Florence Kelley Louis Brandeis along with Florence Kelley argued that working women needed the argued that working women needed the protection of the state against powerful protection of the state against powerful employersemployers

Brandeis was able to convince the court to Brandeis was able to convince the court to uphold an Oregon law that limiting the uphold an Oregon law that limiting the workday for women to 10 hoursworkday for women to 10 hours Other states responded by enacting similar lawsOther states responded by enacting similar laws

Progressive were also successful in winning Progressive were also successful in winning workersworkers’’ compensation to aid the families of compensation to aid the families of workers who were hurt or killed on the jobworkers who were hurt or killed on the job

Dangerous ConditionsDangerous Conditions

In 1911 a fire broke out in the Triangle In 1911 a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York CityShirtwaist Factory in New York City

The fire spread quickly throughout the oil-The fire spread quickly throughout the oil-soaked machines and piles of clothsoaked machines and piles of clothLocked doors kept the workers trapped insideLocked doors kept the workers trapped insideThe factory had no sprinkler system, and the The factory had no sprinkler system, and the

fire escape collapsed immediatelyfire escape collapsed immediately146 women died146 women died

The state of New York started an The state of New York started an investigation to study factory working investigation to study factory working conditionsconditions

Reforming the GovernmentReforming the Government

Progressives wanted to eliminate corruption Progressives wanted to eliminate corruption and make the govand make the gov’’t more efficientt more efficient

They also wanted to reform elections to They also wanted to reform elections to make them fairer and make politicians make them fairer and make politicians more accountable to votersmore accountable to voters

Progressives pushed for a direct primaryProgressives pushed for a direct primary An election in which voters choose candidates to An election in which voters choose candidates to

run in a general electionrun in a general election The The 17th Amendment17th Amendment, ratified in 1913, gave , ratified in 1913, gave

voters rather than the state legislature the voters rather than the state legislature the power to directly elect senatorspower to directly elect senators

Election ReformsElection Reforms A secret ballot was A secret ballot was

introducedintroduced Progressives urged Progressives urged

states to adopt three states to adopt three additional election additional election reform measures: reform measures: InitiativeInitiative allowed allowed

citizens to propose new citizens to propose new lawslaws

ReferendumReferendum allowed allowed citizens to vote on citizens to vote on proposed or existing lawproposed or existing law

RecallRecall allowed voters to allowed voters to remove an elected remove an elected official from officeofficial from office

Reforming Big BusinessReforming Big Business In 1890 Congress passed In 1890 Congress passed

the the Sherman Anti-Trust Sherman Anti-Trust ActAct which made it illegal which made it illegal to form trusts that to form trusts that interfered with free tradeinterfered with free trade The govThe gov’’t prosecuted so few t prosecuted so few

companiescompanies Companies found loopholes Companies found loopholes

which made this act which made this act ineffective ineffective

Two presidents are Two presidents are remembered for their remembered for their efforts to regulate big efforts to regulate big business: Theodore business: Theodore Roosevelt & William Roosevelt & William Howard TaftHoward Taft

WomenWomen’’s Suffrages Suffrage The National Woman Suffrage Association The National Woman Suffrage Association

(NWSA) was formed in 1869 by Elizabeth (NWSA) was formed in 1869 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. AnthonyCady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Their goal: pass a constitutional amendment to Their goal: pass a constitutional amendment to

give women the right to votegive women the right to vote The American Woman Suffrage Association The American Woman Suffrage Association

(AWSA) was also formed in 1869(AWSA) was also formed in 1869 Their goal was to win the right to vote on a state-Their goal was to win the right to vote on a state-

by-state basisby-state basis Anti-suffragists believed that voting would Anti-suffragists believed that voting would

interfere with a womaninterfere with a woman’’s duties at home or s duties at home or would destroy familieswould destroy families

Women & TemperanceWomen & Temperance Some Progressive Some Progressive

reform minded women reform minded women believed that alcohol believed that alcohol was often responsible was often responsible for crime, poverty, and for crime, poverty, and violence toward women violence toward women & children& children

The WomanThe Woman’’s Christian s Christian Temperance Union led Temperance Union led an organized movement an organized movement against alcoholagainst alcohol

The anti-alcohol The anti-alcohol message was spread in message was spread in Protestant churches Protestant churches