Progressive Era Reforms: Labor, Business, Government, and Social Changes
Reforms of the Progressive Era
Labor, business, government, social
Labor, business, government, social
issues, environment, safety
issues, environment, safety
Progressive Labor Reforms
•
Labor unions became more powerful
–
AFL (American Federation of Labor) achieved shorter hours
& higher pay for the average worker
•
Child labor laws
–
Put restrictions on how young full-time workers could be
–
Children were not allowed to do certain jobs
•
What might be an example?
Progressive Labor Reforms
•
Other workplace & labor reforms
–
eight-hour work day
–
improved safety & health conditions in factories
•
What might be an example?
–
workers compensation laws
•
If you got hurt on the job, you could get paid time off
–
minimum wage laws
–
unionization was more accepted
•
The boss could not fire you for joining a union
•
Unions negotiated with bosses for fair conditions in a contract
(agreement between employer & employees)
•
Department of labor was created to enforce these
laws
Reforming the Spoils System
Two big worries of voters:
1.
Rich people had too much power and were
controlling the government and business
2.
The government was corrupt; politicians
were acting unfairly, taking bribes, and giving
out jobs to people who did not deserve
them
*
Brainstorm: how do you think people worked
to fix these things?
Reforming the Spoils System
The
spoils system
= the system in which
politicians gave jobs to people who had
supported them
◦
This is also called
patronage
Problems:
◦
The people who were given these government
jobs were not always GOOD for the job
Some stole money from their departments
Some did not know how to do their jobs well
*
Example: On pg. 631, read the 2
nd
paragraph under “Reforming
the Spoils System”. In this example, a man was made court
reporter even though he could not…
Reforming the Spoils System
Political corruption in cities
◦
Many cities were run by
political machines
These were groups that controlled all government actions
and policies in a city or state
The machines were run by
political bosses
- powerful
politicians who ran city or state governments
◦
These groups did some good things:
Helping the poor with food, money, or jobs
Putting in new systems for the city (like sewers or gas
heat)
◦
They also did some bad things:
Took bribes and made businesses pay them fees
Stole government money for themselves
Reforming the Spoils System
*
On pg. 633, find the red heading, “Boss Tweed”. What city was
Boss Tweed from? How much money did he take from the
city?
◦
In many cities, groups of citizens set up
good
government leagues
Their goal was to replace corrupt officials with
honest politicians and leaders
Reforming the Spoils System
Presidents who worked to reform the
unfair system
1.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Set up a group to investigate
patronage
in New
York
Found HUNDREDS of government workers who
were getting lots of money but doing NOTHING
Had two top officials fired for this
2.
James A. Garfield
Also believed that the
spoils system
should be
changed
Thought that government jobs should be given to
people who were best qualified
He was assassinated by Charles Guiteau, someone
who wanted to be given a job but wasn’t
3.
Chester A. Arthur
Worked with Congress to pass the
Pendleton Act
This law set up the
Civil Service Commission
, a
group who hired people for government jobs by
interviewing them and giving them a test to make
sure they had the necessary skills for the job
During the Progressive Era, significant reforms were implemented in labor, business, government, and social issues. Labor unions gained power, child labor laws were enforced, workplace safety improved, and the spoils system was reformed to address corruption. Political machines in cities were also challenged, leading to positive changes in governance.
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Presentation Transcript
Reforms of the Progressive Era Labor, business, government, social issues, environment, safety
Progressive Labor Reforms Labor unions became more powerful AFL (American Federation of Labor) achieved shorter hours & higher pay for the average worker Child labor laws Put restrictions on how young full-time workers could be Children were not allowed to do certain jobs What might be an example?
Progressive Labor Reforms Other workplace & labor reforms eight-hour work day improved safety & health conditions in factories What might be an example? workers compensation laws If you got hurt on the job, you could get paid time off minimum wage laws unionization was more accepted The boss could not fire you for joining a union Unions negotiated with bosses for fair conditions in a contract (agreement between employer & employees) Department of labor was created to enforce these laws
Reforming the Spoils System Two big worries of voters: 1. Rich people had too much power and were controlling the government and business 2. The government was corrupt; politicians were acting unfairly, taking bribes, and giving out jobs to people who did not deserve them * Brainstorm: how do you think people worked to fix these things?
Reforming the Spoils System The spoils system = the system in which politicians gave jobs to people who had supported them This is also called patronage Problems: The people who were given these government jobs were not always GOOD for the job Some stole money from their departments Some did not know how to do their jobs well * Example: On pg. 631, read the 2ndparagraph under Reforming the Spoils System . In this example, a man was made court reporter even though he could not
Reforming the Spoils System Political corruption in cities Many cities were run by political machines These were groups that controlled all government actions and policies in a city or state The machines were run by political bosses - powerful politicians who ran city or state governments These groups did some good things: Helping the poor with food, money, or jobs Putting in new systems for the city (like sewers or gas heat) They also did some bad things: Took bribes and made businesses pay them fees Stole government money for themselves
Reforming the Spoils System * On pg. 633, find the red heading, Boss Tweed . What city was Boss Tweed from? How much money did he take from the city? In many cities, groups of citizens set up good government leagues Their goal was to replace corrupt officials with honest politicians and leaders
Reforming the Spoils System Presidents who worked to reform the unfair system 1. Rutherford B. Hayes Set up a group to investigate patronage in New York Found HUNDREDS of government workers who were getting lots of money but doing NOTHING Had two top officials fired for this
2. James A. Garfield Also believed that the spoils system should be changed Thought that government jobs should be given to people who were best qualified He was assassinated by Charles Guiteau, someone who wanted to be given a job but wasn t 3. Chester A. Arthur Worked with Congress to pass the Pendleton Act This law set up the Civil Service Commission, a group who hired people for government jobs by interviewing them and giving them a test to make sure they had the necessary skills for the job
