POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

1. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! The Progressive Movement and its impact upon U.S. History Click on the video, “Progressives” to start the show!

2. What are the Issues of the Progressive Movement? • Reform is needed to combat society’s ills • Destruction of the environment and depletion of natural resources • Social Darwinism leaves many cold (and hungry) • Rights of individual voters are trampled upon or denied altogether • Many minorities are left out of the political process • Political Machines controlled much of the power which prevented reform

3. Just what is meant by “The Gilded Age?” • Gold on the outside but rotten on the inside. (Ask Mr. Morman about his alternative definition) • It was an age of extremes. On one hand were the mighty industrialists—men who molded this country with their own strength and foresight • There were also reformers—who saw these men as abusing their workers for their own greed • And the middle class (as always) was in the middle—who just wanted to left alone to raise their children. • Great inventions which shaped the future were developed—the electric light bulb, the elevator, the skyscraper. • Great abuses and misuse of the environment was also evident.

4. Triumph of the Gilded Age • Click on “Panama Canal” in Eduphoria How are trusts abusive to the American people? What advantages did the Panama Canal give to America?

5. Tragedy in the Gilded Age • Click on “The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire” How many women were killed? What was to blame for the high rate of death? How did the American People react to this tragedy? How were women not given the same rights that men enjoyed in the working place?

6. So like any age (including our own) There’s some good and some bad.

7. A Recap of Our Heroes • Andrew Carnegie: Wealthy industrialist • Eugene Debs: Labor Activist • William Du Bois: African-American civil rights activist and sociologist • Mother Jones: Labor Activist • Robert La Follette: Progressive political leader • Alice Paul: Feminist and Suffragist • John D. Rockefeller: Wealthy Indusrialist • Teddy Roosevelt: Progressive President of the U.S. • Ida Tarbell: Investigative Reporter

8. Referendum, Recall, and Initiative • Many voters, who followed “Fighting Bob” Follettes fight with the political bosses instituted many reforms to our law making. • First was the “initiative” which allowed a group of citizens to introduce legislation and required the legislature to vote on it! • Second was the “referendum” which allowed proposed legislation to be submitted to the voters for approval! • And finally, the third big reform was recall which allowed voters to demand a special election to remove an elected official from office BEFORE his or her term expired.

9. The 17th Amendment • Before this amendment was passed in 1911, state legislatures would elect the senators from each state. This contributed unfortunately to corruption as each state’s election was different and some legislatures did not even appoint senators when a vacancy occurred. This resulted in state’s not being represented. • The 17th Amendment changed the election of senators from the state legislatures to the DIRECT ELECTION OF THE PEOPLE! Yeah Baby!

10. The 19th Amendment (1920) Women are finally given the right to vote! (Play “Seeking Reform” on Eduphoria.)