2 Chapter 2: The Progressive Era’s Response to Social Needs
Section 2.1: Early 20th Century Reforms and Child Welfare
The time between 1900 and World War I is referred to as the Progressive Era. Although this time was generally prosperous there was a growing resentment towards the ultrarich and powerful and concern about societal problems impacting daily life, especially in the big cities. Reformers believed that problems such as disability, disease and poverty were the result of the social environment and could best be addressed through education, workplace and environmental safety and the involvement of a fair government.
Progressive women were prominent during this time and their organizations, and their advocacy, led to significant change, including the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union, established in the late 1800’s was focused on a range of issues including labor, child welfare, public health and suffrage.
Children were the focus of much of the reform during this period. The Children’s Bureau was established in 1912 and was the first federal agency in the world developed exclusively for the welfare of children, (Warren & Kavanagh, 2023). The Bureau, originally led by Chicago social worker Julia Lathrop, began educating the public and legislators about the importance of maternity care and early childhood development. This work led to the first piece of federal funded legislation focused on maternal and child health, the Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Care Act of 1921. This legislation was discontinued after a couple years but paved the way for the inclusion of programs for women and children in the Social Security Act of 1935.
Section 2.2: Immigration Policy:
During the Progressive Era, immigration policy in the United States reflected a mix of reformist ideals and growing nativist sentiments. Concern grew as native-born Americans feared job competition and cultural and religious differences from the massive influx of immigrants from Italy, Poland, Russa, Asia and Mexico. These immigrants were more likely to be fleeing poverty, political oppression and religious persecution. The result was a focus on who was American and what it meant to be American.
The new Immigrants were seen as suspect because they tended to settle in less ethnically diverse communities. They were accused of holding on to their languages, traditions and cultures instead of acculturating themselves as Americans. The Settlement House movement actively worked in ethnic communities to encourage new immigrants to learn English and the democratic process.
The Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 was the first piece of targeted immigration legislation, banning Chinese laborers. This was followed by legislation aimed at controlling who was allowed to immigrate. From this point, the concept of Eugenics was closely tied to immigration law. Eugenics is the idea that society can be improved through selective breeding and by prohibiting certain people from procreating, you can improve the overall population. Immigration policy was seen as one way to limit the “watering down” or weakening the most admirable American traits. To proponents of this theory, the ideal American was Anglo-Saxon and had adapted to the culture, character and language of Anglo-America.
A list of the major U.S. Immigration Policies between 1790 and 2006 can be found here.
Section 2.3: The Social Security Act: Laying the Groundwork for Modern Welfare
The opulence and laissez faire capitalism of the 1920s ended abruptly in the bottom falling out of the stock market in October of 1929. The crash led to bankruptcies, tightening of credit and mortgages and bank failures. This, combined with a drought in the west and Midwest, ushered in the Great Depression. The American belief that hard work and living a moral life led to prosperity was challenged as a quarter of the labor force was unemployed. Properties, especially farms, were lost as people were unable to keep up with mortgage payments.
President Herbert Hoover’s actions reflected the American belief that the federal government had very little authority to intervene in economic matters and that recovery and relief should come from the local and state level. This approach, however, was unsuccessful due to the sheer level of need. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President, and he developed a two pronged attack – first, there needed to be swift and comprehensive federal action to address the current crisis. Second, he felt that there must be regulations and processes in place to ensure that an economic disaster of this magnitude could not ever occur again. Congress and FDR’s administration established the New Deal, a wide-ranging package including programs to address the “3 Rs – relief for the unemployed, recovery of the economy and reform of the financial system” (Berkin et al., 2011, pg. ***)
The Social Security Act of 1935 established various public assistance and social insurance programs, including old-age pensions and unemployment insurance, as well as aid for children and mothers. Despite immediate challenges in the Supreme Court, the Social Security Act marked the real beginning of the federal government’s responsibility for the general health and welfare of all citizens. Since 1935, the Social Security Act has been expanded to cover spouses and children of the working population, people with disabilities and to provide healthcare for people in poverty.
