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The Progressives
Men and women of the middle class doctors, engineers, ministers, small-business owners, social workers, and teachers. These middle class found progressivism particulary attractive. The urban middle class had grown from some 750,000 in 1870 to about 10 million in 1910 -
Tarbell and Standard oil
McClure's ran the first installment of "History of the Standard Oil Company". Ida has a very deep abgered when John D. Rockerfeller's Standard Oil Company. Ida's father company went bankrupt -
The muckraking press
A speech from Theodore Roosevelt described a man with a muckrake who "fixes his eyes only on that which is vile and debasing. The vivid image stuck, and investigative journalists became know as muckrakers. They are called these because exposed the muck, filth, of the society. -
City Planning
The city-planning movement grew out of progressives' belief that cleaner cities would produce better citizens.. The meeting of city planning hoped that wise planning could halt the spread of slims nad beatify cities. Beatiful cities and impressive public architecture, they urgued, would instill patriotism among the immigrant population. -
A dangerous workplace
In 1910 70% of all american industrial laborers worked an average of 54 hours a week. This made a higher accident rate. In a pittsburgh steel mill 25% of its workforce was injured or killed. -
Labor laws
Florence Kelly helped to persuade the illinois legislature in 1893 to prohibirt child labor and to limit the number of hours women could work. Although most children worked in agriculture, children in the factories more than 2 million by 1910. 1910 faced the worst condition, reformers heard stories of supervisors splashing cold water on children;s faces to keep them awake. -
The Progressive Spirit
Economic growth led to a rise in the number of new goods and services as well as an expansion of middle class. Industrialization led to unsafe working conditions and crowded cities. These problems aroused a spirit of reform know as progressivism, members of the Populist Party had protested what they saw as unfair business pratices and pressured the government for action to stop them. -
The AFL
The major labor organization in these years remained the American Federation of Labor. The AFL favored working within the system. The AFL has been started from 1900 and to 1914. -
Female and Child laborers
The Commission of Industrial Relations reported in 1916 thst salary "means that every penny must be counted, every normal desire stifled, and each basic necessity of life barel satisfied." Women often faced significant barriers when they tried to increase their income. Pieceworkers could be penalized for working too fast.
