Early 20th century history and cultural developments

American History

Early 20th Century

Across the first two decades of the twentieth century, was a reform movement through which Americans struggled to cope with a wide range of social, economic, and cultural changes. Progressives varied in their perceptions of the nature of the nation's problems and of how best to resolve them, but most shared the conviction that government at all levels must play an active role in reform. They wanted legislation to broaden the state's power to curb the excesses of large-scale corporate capitalism and to address the host of inequities that had resulted from rapid and unprecedented economic and social change. Since their visualization of the function of government was somewhat unorthodox by traditional American standards, reformers had not only to secure the passage of new legislation but also to persuade the judicial system that such laws were both warranted and constitutional (Progressive Movement, 2010).

The dawn of the 20th century across the nation signaled the birth of the Progressive Movement. Followers of the movement were found in both major political parties, Democrat and Republican. While some of the alternative parties were still in existence, their experiences in the 1890s had shown how hard it is to succeed outside of the two major parties. Reformers attempted to improve social conditions by putting into practice forward-thinking or progressive ideas (Progressing into the 20th Century the Progressive Movement, n.d.).

Many of the progressive concerns in the 20th Century had roots in things that had come before. One of these things was suffrage. When the U.S. was founded, only white men were permitted to vote and elect representatives into the government. In the new 20th Century, many women were demanding the right to vote. Another thing was that of prohibition. Many social reformers saw alcohol as a social evil that caused the breakdown of marriages, violence and abuse. There were many in the country who wanted to ban liquor. Race was also a factor. African-American slaves were freed during the 1800's and became citizens. As they began to move about the country, tensions between the races heated up. Also all through the 1800s, Native American tribes were pushed west and finally onto small parcels of land known as reservations. But their legal status within the country had not been determined. Throughout history children were often forced to work long hours in back breaking jobs. The 20th Century saw a movement to outlaw child labor. Another factor had to do with workers. People were simply out on the street if they were injured on the job. Workers' compensation systems were developed during the early 1900s. Direct Elections are also a factor. Previous to the turn of the century, members of the Senate were elected by the politicians in each state legislature. The direct election of senators by the voters was a key change. Another influence was that of political reform. In a lot of states, progressive reformers wanted to give more power to the people by allowing citizen groups to initiate new laws themselves. These reformers lobbied for Initiative and Referendum systems that allowed citizens to circulate petitions to put issues and proposals on the ballot. They also pushed through systems that allowed for the recall of elected officials. The last influence was that of anti-monopoly reforms. Many businesses were becoming big business. The U.S. was a huge market with lots of potential consumers, and businesses began to try and monopolize that market. They wanted to limit competition so they could control prices and profits. Reformers thought that these business practices were unfair and sought to break up the monopolies or trusts (Progressing into the 20th Century the Progressive Movement, n.d.).

Progressives encountered tremendous resistance from conservatives who tended to support unregulated social and economic systems, and opposed unions, reformers, socialists, communists, and anarchists. These people believed that progressive reforms would take power away from the traditional powers. The conservatives disputed that reform would lead to the destruction of capitalism and democracy. The Progressive Movement, for all its passion and expression, would not completely dominate the news in the first quarter of the 20th Century. World War I appeared on the horizon and would share the center stage. The war would have a major impact on society and politics, locally, nationally and internationally (Progressing into the 20th Century the Progressive Movement, n.d.).

Progressivism was embedded in the belief that man was capable of improving the lot of all within society. It was a dismissal of Social Darwinism, the position taken by many of the rich and powerful figures. Progressivism was also instilled with strong political overtones and rejected the church as the driving force for change. Specific goals included: 1)the wish to remove corruption and undue influence from government through the calming of bosses and political machines, 2)the attempt to include more people more directly in the political process and 3)the passion that government must play a role to solve social problems and establish fairness in economic matters (the Progressive Movement, n.d.).

The success of Progressivism was owed to publicity that was generated by the muckrakers. The achievements were many. They began with the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) and the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890). Progressives were never close minded and differed sharply over the most effective means in which to deal with the ills generated by the trusts. Some favored an activist approach to trust-busting while others preferred a regulatory approach. A verbal minority supported socialism with government ownership of the means of production. Other Progressive reforms came in the form of a conservation movement, railroad legislation, and food and drug laws. The Progressive spirit was evident in new amendments that were added to the Constitution, which provided for a new means to elect senators, protect society through prohibition and extend the right to vote to women (the Progressive Movement, n.d.).

Urban troubles were addressed by professional social workers who operated settlement houses as a means to protect and improve the prospects of the poor. Efforts to place limits on child labor were routinely upset by the courts. The desires of blacks and Native Americans were poorly served or not served at all which was a major shortcoming of the Progressive Movement. Progressive reforms were enacted not only on the national level, but in the states and municipalities as well. Prominent governors dedicated to change included Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin and Hiram Johnson of California. Reforms such as the direct primary, secret ballot, and the initiative, referendum and recall were affected. Local governments were reinforced by the widespread use of trained professionals, particularly with the city manager system replacing the corrupt mayoral system (the Progressive Movement, n.d.).

But politics was only one area in which progressivism flourished. Journalism and social work were other ways in which it was influential. In literature, many novelists told about prison conditions, political corruption, prostitution, and other evils. The best known book is the Jungle (1906), Upton Sinclair's socialist examination of Chicago's packing town, its savage working conditions and unsanitary products. Painters went into the slums, the sporting halls, and the circuses to produce the Ashcan school of realistic portrayal that held manifest political content. The poetry of Vachel Lindsay remembered William Jennings Bryan and William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, and that of Carl Sandburg celebrated Chicago. Charles Beard and Frederick Jackson Turner wrote progressive accounts, reinterpreting the past so it would be useful and relevant. John Dewey's practicality entered the public schools and dominated pedagogy for three generations, making progressive education perhaps the most enduring (Progressive Movement, 2010).