The Lesson in this Unit discusses the Progressive Era from the late 1890’s through the 1912 Presidential Election. The political cartoons provided allow students to analyze opinions  and economic changes that took place.

The Progressive Era began at the turn of the 1900s and lasted through World War I. This period represented a time of economic and social reform.  The landscape of America was rapidly changing from an agrarian society to an urban one.  This rapid shift of industrialization caused drastic changes in the economy.  Large corporations and trusts quickly arose and amassed significant power and finally controlled much industry.  An atmosphere of materialism and greed overwhelmed the market, often resulting in poor living conditions and long hours for working class people.  The combination of poor housing, sanitation, healthcare, and exploitation of workers led to a call for immense reform.  The Progressive leaders pushed for an agenda of reform for the broken political and economic system that perpetuated the disenfranchisement of the working people.

The drastic rise in economic activity at this time was mainly due to industrialization and the practice of cheap labor led by the predominant big businesses.  This explosive growth in business led to the emergence of large corporations and trusts that controlled their industries by taking over smaller companies and creating a monopoly in the market.  One of the most notable examples of this was the U.S. Steel Corporation that was controlled by Andrew Carnegie.  Between the years of 1887 and 1904, a total of nine steel companies were consolidated, and the corporation was able to practice ruthless tactics to monopolize the industry without consequences from the government.

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Some people during the Progressive Era called for major social reforms and for an expanded role of the government to regulate business practices.  Previously, the government promoted a free market and held a laissez-faire attitude that meant the government would not become involved in regulating business practices. The old belief was that the market would adjust itself without the help of the government. The Progressive Era saw the corruption that stemmed from belief of a free market, and the progressives worked to enforce regulations of corrupt business practices in order to protect the interests of the public.

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The first US president to seriously become involved in domestic economic affairs was President Theodore Roosevelt, also commonly referred to as TR.  He brought a new wave of reform under the banner of “The New Nationalism.” His years in office promoted the rights of organized labor to exert its power over employers and the creation of government agencies to regulate the market.  His successor, President William Howard Taft was Roosevelt’s protégé, yet he was more conservative than Roosevelt.  While his presidency began with several large “trust busting” cases, he eventually resorted to a more conservative agenda which angered Roosevelt. In the presidential election of 1912, Roosevelt decided to run under the “Bull-Moose Party” in direct conflict with Taft. Alhough TR did not win, he managed to split the Republican vote, which led to the Democrats winning the election and President Woodrow Wilson stepping into office. These years between Roosevelt and Wilson are now remembered as the Progressive Era, and the decisions made during this period still reflect in our economy today.

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Topics

Education

Government and civics

Politics

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Big Ideas

Cause and Effect

US History

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Essential Questions

How has social disagreement and collaboration been beneficial to American society?

What role do multiple causations play in describing a historic event?

What role does analysis have in historical construction?

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Concepts

• Historical comprehension involves evidence-based discussion and explanation, an analysis of sources including multiple points of view, and an ability to read critically to recognize fact from conjecture and evidence from assertion

• Historical skills are used by an analytical thinker to create a historical constructio

• Textual evidence, material artifacts, the built environment, and historic sites are central to understanding United States history.

Competencies

• Contrast multiple perspectives of individuals and groups in interpreting other times, cultures and place.

• Articulate the context of a historical event or action

• Analyze a primary source for accuracy and bias and connect it to a time and place in United States history

Background Material for Teacher

Use this website for an overview of the Progressive Era and its multiple facets.

Youtube video on the Progressive Era, 15 minutes long

Youtube video on Progressive Presidents, 15 minutes long.

End of Unit Assessment

As a final assignment, ask students to compare and contrast the different perspectives from the political cartoons used in the lesson plan. Ask students how the cartoons displayed main figures in the Progressive Era, such as the presidents, business leaders and the economy.

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