The Progressive Era and Political Reform
Political corruption was pervasive after the Civil War. Since government employees were hired on the basis of political affiliation, they had little incentive to prioritize the law over doing what their political bosses directed them to do. Votes were often bought for a $2.50 coin known as the “quarter-eagle.” With no limits on how much wealthy corporations could contribute to favored candidates, it was easy for them to purchase what Will Rogers would later refer to as “the best Congress money can buy.” This meant little legislative concern for safe working conditions, shorter regular hours, and fair wages.
This unit presents the work of several Americans whose work can be characterized as “progressive.” This means that they focused on applying a scientific approach to public policy to solve social ills. Lincoln Steffens identified the problem as the conflation of business and politics; since businesses were largely unregulated and could deceive consumers with impunity, Americans had come to view politics as a similar no-holds-barred activity. Upton Sinclair gained fame as a “muckraker” by taking a job in the meatpacking industry and uncovering the various ways that it sold spoiled meat to the public while preventing government oversight and regulatory legislation. Through their writings, progressives such as Steffens and Sinclair alerted Americans to the need for political reform.
Other progressives sought to implement reforms that would restore the value of equality under the law. Their major targets were the corrupt spoils system that based employment on subservience to political leaders rather than the law, and unregulated businesses that pursued profit through practices that harmed consumers and exploited laborers. Herbert Croly argued that “The Promise of American Life”—which he interpreted as a fair opportunity for all to pursue happiness—required reducing the role of money in politics and regulating businesses in the public interest. This is what President Theodore Roosevelt sought to do in his political career, as he initiated numerous reforms that reduced the power of businesses to operate with impunity. His 1910 speech at Osawatomie, Kansas, suggested that he been elected president in 1912 he would have done far more to pursue this goal. However, his vision of the US was founded upon the belief that white Anglo-Saxons were a superior race and justified in controlling other racial groups through restrictive legislation and discriminatory practices.
President Woodrow Wilson shared many of Theodore Roosevelt’s racial prejudices, which he implemented by resegregating federal offices and maintaining a segregated military. His progressive vision involved the US spreading democracy throughout the world in the interest of establishing a firm foundation for peace. He spent much of his presidency trying to establish a worldwide organization that could settle international disputes through rational discussion rather than war. He outlined these goals in a speech he gave three months before the United States entered World War I. Although the Senate refused to join the League of Nations, Wilson insisted to the end of his presidency that the US could best promote peace by improving its domestic programs to show that democratic government could succeed in maintaining order and promoting social progress.
