Moral Reform in the Late 1800’s to Early 1900’s
By Anna Lai and Julia Diesel
Progressivism
Beginning in the late 1800’s a reform movement was sparked and pushed forward by the Populist ideas that had previously been present in society. Though this Populist party began to die out, their ideas influenced the progressive reforms that soon took place.
The Problem with Morals
Progressives believed that morals needed improvement alongside societal reform. This applied to areas such as family, prohibition, prostitution, birth control and much more.
They approached each of these problems with ideas about legislation and solutions. These will be explored on individual slides. (Anti-Saloon League, 18th Amendment, Democracy and Social Ethic, etc.)
Overall, they hoped that improving peoples morals would better the country and allow for further advancement, alongside lessening internal conflict.
Muckrakers and Leaders of the Movement for Moral Reform
Muckrakers played a large role in informing the public to issues at hand. They used varying art forms along with resources like newspapers, magazines and books. There were countless muckrakers who were authors during this time period.
In some cases these muckrakers and leaders went hand and hand a few examples of leaders of the progressives are people such as Jane Addams, Theodore Roosevelt and Anthony Comstock.
Family Breakdown
Young men and women would leave their homes to start new lives in urban cities. This extended to immigrants who would leave their home countries to work in the U.S.
The traditional family structure was quickly fading away.
- One of the largest differences was that many women were now working out of the home.
Reformers in the middle class would try to promote the traditional victorian society; advocate separate spheres
- Tried to bring the women back into households and only let the men work. (separate spheres)
An example of a muckraker at this time would be Jane Addam
- She wrote Democracy and Social Ethic (1902) and Twenty Years at Hull House (1910)
“In the mid-1800s, society began to change rapidly. Civil war, industrialization, and a huge immigrant influx of Irish, then later, Germans. As fathers left to fight wars and work in factories, there developed a belief that the father was the earner/in charge of the family’s societal and financial affairs, and that the women were in charge of domestic life/raising the family. This wasn’t the reality, since women and children were working in factories as well, but it was a middle class concept which took hold” |
Progressive Views on Family Structure
Progressives ...
Believed family was the basis of society.
- Wanted to encourage womens expansion in the
workplace.
- Wanted to put an end to Child Labor
- Encouraged use of contraceptives. ( Making an
emphasis on a smaller, more centralized family. )
The Prohibition Movement
Hooray for Political Cartoons ….
Progressive Steps Towards
Prohibition
Progressives believed that allowing alcohol within society limited the true potential of workers.
Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
- Argued that Saloons wasted family income and should be shut down.
Anti-Saloon League
- This was a group that lobbied heavily for the prohibition of alcohol.
The 18th Amendment allowed for Prohibition.
- This didn’t outlaw drinking altogether. It simply prohibited the sale and trade of liquor Though this was eventually repealed, it marked a large progressive success.
The Conflict Over Prostitution
Women were faced with limited opportunities and low wages in the late 1800’s. This is one reason that many looked to prostitution.
- Negative results were things such as divorce increases,
spread of STD’s, the establishment of brothels and illegal trade
of women.
Progressives wanted to get rid of Prostitution altogether.
- They viewed it as very immoral and a danger to society.
- Laws were discussed to close and ban all brothels and
officially make prostitution illegal.
“A green mansion is a place of filth and shame
Of lost chastity and lost virtue
Most repulsive is it to kiss the customers on the lips
And let them fondle every part of my body
I hesitate, I resist;
All the more ashamed, beyond words.
I must by all means leave this troupe of flowers and rouge;
Find a nice man and follow him as his woman.”
---Written by a Chinese prostitute in California, circa 19th century
Prostitution Images
Leaders and Advocates for Prostitution Reform
Anthony Comstock founded New York Society for the Suppression of Vice (1873)
-Devoted his life to censoring public mention of sex in print or art.
-Comstock Acts: Outlaw mailing of obscene material
As prostitution continued to rise reformers turned to not only legislation but also to medicine.
-Birth Control: Margaret Sanger-”Birth Control Review” + Planned Parenthood federation.
-Abortions: But a very controversial subject because it was seen as immoral.
-Gynecology: Used to study the womans body. Also controversial since the doctors were mostly male.
Success of the Progressive movement Towards Moral Reform
Progressives faced mixed results when it came to their ideas for the future.
The most successful movement of the Progressives was in relation to families. They encouraged family development. Child Labor was reduced and women expanded in the workplace.
While prostitution never fully ceased, the Progressives did achieve its passing as an illegal act.
The approach to Prohibition achieved mixed results. While the 18th amendment outlawed the sell and trade of alcohol there were countless citizens upset with this decision. In a sense this law led to the rise of organized crime as people grouped together to sell bootleg liquor.
Moral Conflicts Present Day
While vast equality has been achieved alongside regulation in areas of conflict (business, alcohol, prostitution, tariffs, etc.) there are still areas in need of improvement today. These are the topics of political debate.
- A few examples would be abortion, gay marriage or immigration.
Citations! (MLA)
"Way More than Your Textbook." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
"Cartoons." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
Marlon K. Hom, Songs of Gold Mountain: Cantonese Rhymes from San Francisco Chinatown (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987).
"Chinese American Women: A History of Resilience and Resistance." Chinese American Women: A History of Resilience and Resistance. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014
"Prostitution in the Gilded Age." Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
Boyer, Paul Samuel, Clifford E. Clark, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, Neal Salisbury, Harvard Sitkoff, and Nancy Woloch. The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People. 6th ed. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Print.
http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~wbroadwe/03%20Social%20Movements.pdf