Progressive Power Point - Kirkwood School District

Abby, Clarke, Chan, and Chris

• Urban, middle class and upper class educated
people
• People who believed in the importance of
changing values with the times
• Political leaders who tried to use government
as the main agent of reform for those who had
very little political or economic power

• The progressive movement began outside
the goverrnment and eventually forced
government to take stands and deal with
growing problems.
• In general, they tried to guarantee everyone
an equal opportunity to participate fully in
American life.

That changing times require new ideas and
solutions to society’s problems
That action by government leaders can help
solve social, economic, and political problems
by guaranteeing more equal opportunity
That government should act to protect
Americans from the evils of society and in
some cases from themselves
More democracy means more progress.

• Progressives believed in the relative nature
of truth and that truth had to be practical
(pragmatic) to be really true;
• And that because truth had to be practical,
truth changed with the times.
“Test every concept by the question, 'What sensible
difference to anybody will its truth make?'“
• Henry James, philosopher

CR
Born and raised in
Massachusetts, he
became the black leader
of the Progressive
Movement.
Dubois and 29 others
secrectly adopted the
resolutions which led to
the founding of the
Niagara Movement.

We refuse to allow the impression
to remain that the Negro-American
assents to inferiority, is submissive
under oppression and apologetic
before insults.

• For What:
• An end to discrimination and
humiliation for African-
Americans.
• Equal opportunity for African-
Americans through classical
education (not manual training)

• He and others founded the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People

• Bob LaFollette, governor of Wisconsin
• Teddy Roosevelt, governor of New York
• Woodrow Wilson, governor of New Jersey

• He created the “Wisconsin Idea” which
became the foundation for the Progressive
Movement.
“Wisconsin Idea”
• Direct primary elections by public
• Broke up monopolies
• Defended small farmers
• Gave stricter regulations of the
• railroad companies
• Passed laws for factory safety
• AE

• “Trust Buster”:
TR broke up
monopolies

• “Square Dealer”:
Acted as a labor
mediator in a
nationwide coal
strike

• “Purified Food and Drugs”: Created the
Pure Food and Drug Administration

• “Attacked Racism”: Appointed many
black Americans to civil service jobs;
invited Booker T. Washington to a White
House dinner in his honor.

• “Conserved National Parks”: Set aside
millions of acres of land for conservation

Advocate for “New
Nationalism”:
• the Federal
Government would
exert its power for
“the welfare of the
people.”
• advocated woman
suffrage,
• an eight hour work
day,
• a federal law against
child labor, and
• a federal trade
commission to
regulate business.

• “New Freedom”-Promised/pledged to
improve the market place by getting rid
of monopolies so that everyone had new
opportunities.

• Signed the Federal Reserve Act- Made a
flexible money supply, to help avoid another
depression and end the silver v. gold debate.

• Wilson signed the Keating-Owen Act
forbidding child labor.

• Supported 19 th amendment

• Signed a law guaranteeing an 8 hour
work day for all railroad workers

• America’s direct involvement in the
Great War 1917 marked the end of a
national progressive movement.