“Because Progressives chiefly represented the interests and values of the middle class, they totally neglected the interests of the working class.” Assess the validity of this statement
The statement as primarily invalid as the Progressives successfully carried out the interests of the working class as a result of effectively representing the interests of the middle class with reforms of
1) Improving working conditions
2) Increasing economic equality through disintegrating bad monopolies and trust-busting
3) Advocating suffrage for women, more political rights, as well as increasing standard of living which greatly favored the interests of the working class.
About the Progressive Movement (to be in introduction or distributed throughout paragraphs)
Progressive movement designed to correct the abuses which reformers felt had crept into American society + gov as a result of industrialization, corruption and urbanization.
- Result of poor working conditions, lack of social services due to government’s laissez-faire policy, corruption which had the “democratic machine” including Tammany Hall and Credit Mobilier, as well as poor living standards.
- Inspired by the muckrakers who brought to light many of the abuses the Progressives were campaigning against.
o Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle, which told of the horrible conditions of a Chicago meatpacking industry. Though the effect made America recoil away from meat, increased awareness.
o Lincoln Steffens wrote Shame of the Cities regarding the abundant corruption in city governments.
o Frank Norris writes The Octopus, which attacked Southern Pacific Company’s monopoly on the railroads.
o Ida Tarbell writes about the History of Standard Oil which attacked Rockefeller as well as monopolistic practices of horizontal integration.
o Jacob Riis talked about the despair of the poor in America who are living under the poverty line with How the Other Half Lives.
o McClures a magazine which carried History of Standard Oil and Shame of the Cities
- Muckrakers responsible for pointing out evils, though not necessarily for proposing remedies.
o “Cure for American democracy was more democracy”.
- Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson considered the Progressive Presidents.
o Roosevelt called for his Square Deal which later in his reelection, called for New Nationalism which was more government regulation of business and unions, women’s suffrage and more social welfare programs.
o Wilson pledged New Freedom which limited both big business and big government, and revive competition by supporting small businesses.
- Progressive movement primarily aimed for:
o Cleaner, safer cities
o End to political corruption, which resulted in money in the wrong hands.
o Regulation of monopolies and big businesses
o Labor unions- better working conditions
o Religious groups for prohibition and temperance
o Women suffrage
o Blacks and their civil rights.
- Of the above, the three points stated above as part of the Progressive movement, greatly benefited the working class.
Thesis: The statement that “…” is primarily invalid; even though the Progressives chiefly represented the interests and values of the middle class, the accomplishments in improving working conditions, increasing economic equality through breaking unfair practices in the economy, as well as increasing political, social rights and standards of living were to benefit not only the middle class but the benefit the working class as well.
Improving Working Conditions
o Lochner v. New York where the Supreme Court case invalidated a New York law establishing a 10 hour day for bakers.
- In Roosevelt’s Term
o Largely thinks that Americans deserved an “honest opportunity”, a Square Deal.
o Anthracite Coal Strike an example of public indifference to worker conditions.
§ Used his big stick.
§ Strike broke out in mines where many of the miners, illiterate immigrants, demanded a 20% increase and reduction of working day.
§ Mine owners were confident that it wouldn’t succeed and refused to even negotiate.
· One of the owners George F. Baer reflected the condescending attitude of owners as he made a condescending remark.
§ Would later be handled by Roosevelt’s Square Deal which threatened to seize the mines and operate them with federal troops.
· For first time, federal force used for labor, rather than against labor.
§ Marked DEPARTURE from pro-business position, which greatly helped working conditions.
o Was a victory as there was a 9 hour workday granted to kminers.
- Taft’s Term
o Established an 8 hour work day for all employees on government contracts.
o Established the Department of Labor and Commerce which improved working conditions and supervised commercial development.
o Had the 16th Amendment which established the graduated income tax.
- Wilson’s Term
o Keating-Owen Act which effectively banned factory child labor under the age of 14
o La Follette Seamen’s Act which required decent treatment and a living wage on American merchant ships
o Clayton-Antitrust Act which exempted strikes boycotts and picketing from the Sherman Antitrust Act. Trade unions were not classified as “trusts”
§ Empowered the power of the laborers, which gave them the right to respond in the face of harsh working conditions.
o Workingmen’s Compensation Act which granted federal civil-service employees during periods of disability, assistance.
o Also approved an act restricting child labor on products flowing into interstate commerce.
§ Though Supreme Court soon invalidated law.
o Adamson Act of 1916 provided an 8 hour workday for railroad workers.
§ Extra pay overtime.
o Very beneficial for 1.7 million railroad workers in nation.
o Child Labor Act, which reformed rights of children.
§ Prohibited shipment in interstate commerce of products manufactured by children under 14 years old.
- Final Results
o Safety and sanitation codes for industry achieved.
o Prohibiting hiring of juveniles in harmful working conditions
o Increase of workmen’s compensation laws as well as max hour days and against minimum wages.
§ Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City had locked doors and violations of the fire code due to unregulated hours and conditions of sweatshops.
· In a fire, would kill 146 workers, most of them young immigrant women.
o Eventually NY legislature would pass stronger laws regulating hours and conditions.
· Other legislatures followed and by 1917 30 states would have worker’s compensation laws on books and provided insurance to workers in industrial accidents.
o Samuel Gompers (AFL) understood need for reform in working conditions for his labor union members and supported the Progressives.
Increase economic equality through trust-busting
- Roosevelt’s term
o Supported prosecution of Northern Securities Company under his 3 Cs of the Square Deal.
· Control through 3 Cs of “control of corps, consumer protection, and conservation of natural resources”.
§ Sherman Antitrust Act failed to check the merging of businesses into huge aggregations of capitals, or “trusts”.
§ Company managed railroads of northwest, roughly ¼ of US area.
§ Ordered the merger dissolved and was government’s FIRST substantial victory over business combination.
· Was an end to the “immunity from government control” by big businesses in spite of Interstate Commerce Act and Sherman Antitrust Act.
o Encouraged strengthening of the Interstate Commerce Act with the Elkins Act which rebates were illegal and the recipient of the rebate could be prosecuted.
§ Elkins responsible for giving the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to suspend new railroad rates and oversee telephone, telegraph and cable companies.
§ Also established the Hepburn Act which government could reduce railroad freight rates if it saw that it was too high.
o Known as the “trust buster”
§ Busted twice as many trusts as all preious administrations.
§ Though he saw a difference between big and bad and didn’t think big was always bad. Was more of a “trust tamer”.
o Pure Food and Drug Act as well as Meat Inspection Act in direct response to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
§ Increased awareness for meat-packing conditions in addition to caring for the consumer.
§ STANDARD OF LIVING increases
- Taft’s Term
o Continued the trust-busting policies, would bust twice the amount of trusts as his predecessor.
§ Would be involved in 90 antitrust suits
o Dissolved Standard Oil for being an illegal monopoly under Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
§ Same time Court handed down the “rule of reason” which held that only combinations that “unreasonably” restrained trade were illegal.
· Made antitrust legislation more effective
o Later decided to attack US Steel Corporation.
o Charles Evan Hughs gov of New York famous for investigating malpractices of gas and insurance companies and coal trust.
- Wilson’s Term
o Defined by his New Freedom program
§ Fought for stronger antitrust legislation, banking reform, tariff reductions.
§ Had a triple wall of privilege with the tariff, the banks, the trust.
o Established the Federal Farm Loan Act where farmers could get longer loans at better rates than that from commercial banks.
o Further protected the economic rights of wage workers when he established the Warehouse Act which authorized loans on security of staple crops.
o Established the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Trade Commission
§ Federal Reserve – A nationwide system of 12 regional reserve districts, each with its own central bank.
§ Final authority of Federal Reserve Board guaranteed a substantial measure of public control.
§ Federal Trade Commission used to investigate and expose unfair practices of corporations which led to the Clayton Antitrust Act that instituted antitrust proceedings in 92 cases.
· Expanded on Sherman Antitrust Act’s list of objectional practices incl. price discrimination, prevented interlocking directorates.
o Led to conferring benefits of labor, which had been previously prevented by Sherman Act.
§ Samuel Gompers, leader of the AF of L called the Clayton Antitrust Act the Magna Carta of Labor.
o Applied directly to New Freedom because by that he meant freedom for consumers from workers from unfair practices commonly associated w/ monopolies.
o Underwood Tariff which was first substantial reduction of taxes in 56 years.
§ First part was a graduated income tax which was made legal by 16th Amendmentwhich greatly benefited the poor.
Advocated suffrage for women, and temperance
- Roosevelt’s administration
o Established much of Wisconsin Republican Senator Robert La Follette
§ His Wisconsin Plan
· Referendum which allowed voters to have a direct say in proposing laws.
· Recall which allowed voters to have special election to remove office holders.
· Direct Primary where voters can directly vote for person they want as their party’s candidate.
o Previously party bosses made the decision
· Direct election of senators
o Previously US senators to be selected by each state’s legislature as opposed to people.
§ Nickname was “Fighting Bob” as he was one of the most militant of Progressive reformers for voting rights.
o Initiative also launched during his term
§ Gave people the right of petition. If enough people signed a law, it can be proposed to the state legislature, which then must act on it.
- Taft’s Administration
o 16th Amendment passed under Taft, which enabled Congress to collect a graduated income tax.
o Hiram W. Johnson helped break grip of Southern Pacific Railroad on Cali politics.
- Campaign for Women’s Rights
o Anti-liquor campaign led by Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) led by Frances E. Willard succeeded in getting “dry laws” passed.
§ Alcoholism was leading cause of crime, poverty, draining of money, and did much to alleviate the burdens of poverty on the working class.
o Carrie Chapman Catt became president of National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).
§ Argued for the vote as broadening democracy, enabling them to more accurately care for families in an industrial society
§ Applied to workers
o Margaret Sanger advocated birth control, pushed for reproductive rights for women, which were a large part of the working class.
o Alice Paul leader of the National Woman’s Party.
- Voter’s rights
o Had the Australian (secret) ballot where political parties could no longer control the working class and middle class by manipulating their votes. By 1910 all states voted this way.
o Increase of social welfare
§ Settlement houses including the Hull House established by Jane Addams, as well as Frances Kelly and other leaders of social justice movement worked for needs of immigrants and working class.
· Florence Kelley to become Illinois’ first chief factory inspector and one of nation’s leading advocates for improved factory conditions.
· Took control of the National Consumers’ League which mobilized female consumers to pressure for laws safeguarding women and children in workplace.
§ Lobbied vigorously for successes in schools, juvenile courts, liberalized divorce laws, and regulations for facotires.
§ Believed criminals could be more effective citizens through reform, and fought for system of parole, separate reformatories for juveniles as well as limits on death penalty.
- Wilson’s Administration
o 3 Amendments launched while Wilson was president.
§ 17th Amendment led to direct election of US senators
· Increased rights were greater representation where workers could talk of their working conditions.
§ 18th Amendment which instituted prohibition greatly alleviated burden of poverty on working class
§ 19th Amendment where women received the vote
· As a result of women’s devoted support in war efforts.
Conclusion
Several planks of the Progressive platform applied directly and benefited the working class, from improving the working conditions that previously plagued the working class to increasing economic equality by taming or busting trusts that endangered the economic state of the poor working class, to finally advocating social and political rights to increase the power of the poor in politics, as well as caring for them through social reform.
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