AHG 505A: The Progressive Era

Sunday, June 28, 2009 to Friday, July 3, 2009

Instructors: John Moser and Gordon Lloyd

Course Description:

American government underwent major changes in the twentieth century as a result of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. These changes, in many ways, continue to define American politics and society today. But the political principles that drove the New Deal and the Great Society did not originate with FDR or Johnson; they were introduced into America by the Progressives of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This course will examine the political principles of the Progressive movement in America and will address both the historical developments that gave rise to Progressivism and the consequences of the Progressive movement for the course of American history. The course will concentrate on prominent national Progressives such as Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, John Dewey, and Herbert Croly. It will also seek to understand the way in which Progressivism has influenced not only American domestic policy, but foreign policy as well; and particular attention will be paid to World War I and its relevance today for thinking about America's relationship to the rest of the world.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will learn who the Progressives were, and will learn the nature of the circumstances of their day. They will develop an understanding of the major issues faced by the nation during the Progressive era.
2. Students will learn about the Progressive conception of government — of its scope and ends. Students will also learn about the Progressive conception of society, and the relationship between government and society.
3. Students will learn about the political theory of Progressivism, and will understand how this political theory shaped and informed the Progressive view of government.
4. Students will learn how the principles of Progressivism related to the original principles of American constitutionalism. They will learn what Progressives thought about the political ideas of the American founders.
5. Students will learn the principles and the facts of the important social movements shaped by the Progressive movement.
6. Students will learn how Progressives sought to implement their principles in the reform of national political institutions, such as Congress, the presidency, and the judiciary. They will also learn about the Progressive vision for the reform of political parties, and the implementation of mechanisms of direct democracy.
7. Students will learn that Progressives occasionally differed among themselves in terms of their visions for reforming national, state, and local politics, and will come to an understanding of these differences and the reasons for them.
8. Students will learn about the Progressive presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, and will learn what these presidencies tell us about both the broad principles of Progressivism and the application of Progressive principles to the circumstances of the day.
9. Students will learn about the relationship of Progressive ideas to the foreign policy controversies and international conflicts of the Progressive Era.

Course Requirements:
Completion of all assigned readings
Participation in all course sessions
Final examination

Students auditing the course as a part of a Teaching American History Grant program must complete the readings and attend all of the seminars and fully participate during the week.

Required Reading:

• Herbert Croly, The Promise of American Life (Filibust, 2007), ISBN 159986597.
• Gordon T. Lloyd, ed., The Two Faces of Liberalism: How the Hoover-Roosevelt Debate Shapes the 21st Century (M & M Scrivener, 2006), ISBN 097640412.
• Ronald J. Pestritto and William J. Atto, eds., American Progressivism: A Reader (Lexington, 2008), ISBN 073912304.
• Robert H. Wiebe, The Search for Order, 1877-1920 (Hill and Wang, 1967), ISBN 080900104.

Online Readings. Schedule

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

4:30 - 6:00 Session 1 (Professor Moser)

Topic: Introduction to the Progressive Era

Focus: What did it mean to be a Progressive? Where and when did the Progressive Movement originate? What were the circumstances of the Progressive Era, both domestically and internationally? How did these circumstances bear on the Progressive Movement? What, if anything, did the Progressives inherit from Populism?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 35-64.
• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 1-75.
• Populist Party, The Omaha Platform, 1892 (CP pg 3)

7:30 - 9:00 Session 2: Institute Lecture (required)

MONDAY, JUNE 29

9:00 - 10:30 Session 3 (Professor Lloyd)

Topic: The Founders' Improved Science of Politics

Focus: Readings for this session focus on specific essays in The Federalist, arguably the most authoritative presentation of the American Founding. The authors of these essays argue that adoption of the Constitution is necessary to secure the principles of the Declaration. They claim to have discovered a republican remedy for the ills of republicanism. What are these ills and what are the remedies? Would the Progressives agree or disagree with the claim? Are the ideas of the Founders still coherent and relevant in the twenty-first century? Is it time that we get beyond checks and balances and separation of powers?

Reading:

• Declaration of Independence (CP pg 7)
• Constitution of the United States (CP pg 12)
• Federalist 9 (CP pg 22)
• Federalist 10 (CP pg 26)
• Federalist 51 (CP pg 31)
• Federalist 70 (CP pg 34)
• Federalist 71 (CP pg 39)

10:50 - 12:20 Session 4 (Professor Moser)

Topic: Progressive Interpretations of History

Focus: What are the characteristics of a progressive historian? How did Progressives try to develop a "usable" past? What were the sources of anxiety in late 19th century society, and how did various groups attempt to address them? Finally, how did the election of 1896 shape the subsequent course of U.S. history?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 67-95.
• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 76-110.

1:45 - 3:15 Session 5 (Professor Moser)

Topic: The Progressive Vision for Society

Focus: What were the characteristics of the "new middle class" from which progressivism arose? What inspired their agenda, and what sort of society did they seek to create? Where did religion and education fit into their plans?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 99-137.
• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 111-163.

TUESDAY, JUNE 30

9:00 - 10:30 Session 6 (Professor Lloyd)

Topic: Herbert Croly's American Dream

Focus: Readings for this session will focus on four chapters from Herbert Croly's 1909 influential work defending the Progressive agenda. Croly argues that twentieth century America is critically different from the Founding period. What does Croly mean by "the promise of American life," and why is that promise not being fulfilled? Where does he stand on the Founders' optimism? Does he think human nature is basically rotten or is there really a given a human nature? What are his views on the Madison model of economic competition?

Reading:

• Croly,
• The Promise of American Life, Chapters I, VI, XII, XIII.

10:50 - 12:20 Session 7 (Professor Lloyd)

Topic: The Progressives and the Presidency

Focus: What, in Wilson's view, constitutes good leadership? Is there a general theory that "Leaders of Men" can learn or is leadership relative to time and place? What is Wilson's understanding of the proper role of the Congress and the Presidency? Would the authors of The Federalist concur? Is there a fundamental agreement between Roosevelt and Wilson on the status of the Presidency in American Life? Is there a continuity or discontinuity between the content and style of the Inaugural Address of 1907 and that of 2009?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 141-187.

1:45 - 3:15 Session 8 (Professor Moser)

Topic: Progressivism and Empire

Focus: How did Progressive ideas translate into an agenda for foreign policy? Did they necessarily dictate a policy of imperialism? What role did race play in the Progressives' views on this subject?

Reading:

• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 224-255.
• Albert B. Beveridge, "In Support of an American Empire" (CP pg 43)
• Theodore Roosevelt, "The Strenuous Life" (CP pg 51)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1

9:00 - 10:30 Session 9 (Professor Lloyd)

Topic: The Progressives and the Science of Administration

Focus: Which founding principles did the progressives believe were outdated, or inadequate to deal with the circumstances of their times? What did they think about the principles that informed the Constitution, and the individuals who wrote it? How did their ideas translate into proposals for reforming national political institutions?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 191-223.

10:50 - 12:20 Session 10 (Professor Moser)

Topic: The Progressives and National Politics

Focus: How did progressivism move from the local and state level to the national scene? What did Progressives think of the party system, and how did they seek to change it? How did Theodore Roosevelt implement progressivism on a national level?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 227-269.
• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 164-195.

1:45 - 3:15 Session 11 (Professor Lloyd)

Topic: The Progressive Election of 1912

Focus: What is Progressive about the Progressive Platform of 1912? How does this Platform answer the question: What should the federal government do with respect to the economic and social questions? What does Croly mean by democracy and what reforms would he recommend to make America more democratic?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 273-297.
• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 196-223.

THURSDAY, JULY 2

9:00 - 10:30 Session 12 (Professor Moser)

Topic: Progressives at War

Focus: Why did Wilson take the country to war in 1917? What progressive arguments were used for and against the war? How did Wilson's approach to peace divide the progressives?

Reading:

• Pestritto and Atto (eds.), American Progressivism, pp. 301-322.
• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 256-285.
• John Dewey, "The Social Possibilities of War" (CP pg 58)

10:50 - 12:20 Session 13 (Professor Moser)

Topic: The 1920s: Repudiation or Triumph of Progressivism?

Focus: Did the 1920s represent a repudiation of progressive reform, or the ultimate triumph of progressive sentiments? What elements of progressive concern seem to have been rejected during this period, and which were embraced?

Reading:

• Wiebe, The Search for Order, pp. 286-302.
• A. Mitchell Palmer, "The Case Against the Reds,", 1920 (CP pg 63)
• Calvin Coolidge, Destiny of America Speech, 1923 (CP pg 66)
• Excerpts from the Imperial Nighthawk, 1923 (CP pg 71)
• "Shut the Door": A Senator Speaks for Immigration Restriction, 1924 (CP pg 72)
• Calvin Coolidge on the Spirituality of Commerce, 1925 (CP pg 75)
• John T. Flynn, "Who Owns America?", 1926 (CP pg 78)
• Calvin Coolidge, Speech on the Declaration of Independence, 1926 (CP pg 87)

1:45 - 3:15 Session 14 (Professor Lloyd)

Topic: Progressives and Overcoming "Fear Itself"

Focus: This session will focus on the events and speeches leading up to the 1932 election and the inauguration of the New Deal. What are the similarities and differences between Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's conception of the proper role of the federal government? What was at stake in the election of 1932? Was the New Deal a comprehensive program intent on solving America's economic woes, or was it simply a bundle of ad hoc propositions? The FDR readings include explicit references (by Roosevelt) to the "New Deal," and all of Roosevelt's speeches here lay out a bold plan for the potential of federal government intervention in the economy and in society. The readings from Hoover accentuate his conviction that "bold experimentation" is the wrong approach to solving the country's problems.

Reading:

• Lloyd, The Two Faces of Liberalism, pp.35-53, 66-75, 95-129, 154-174, 181-189, 201-211.

FRIDAY, JULY 3

9:00 - 10:30 Session 15 (Professor Lloyd)

Topic: Progressives and the "Challenge to Liberty"

Focus: This session will consider one of the least appreciated aspects of the New Deal conversation; that is, Herbert Hoover's campaigning against New Deal policy long after Roosevelt had defeated him. In particular, this second phase of the Hoover-FDR exchange raises several questions: What is the relationship between political liberty and economic liberty? Does the spectre of class struggle and revolution haunt the exchange? Do they agree in their understanding of "equality of opportunity" and the role the federal government must play in securing this goal? What was the balance between equality and liberty under the New Deal? What are we to make of FDR's "Court Packing" Plan and their respective positions on the role of the judiciary?

Reading:

• Lloyd, The Two Faces of Liberalism, pp. 257-280, 307-327, 332-342, 350-364, 375-386, 392-415.

10:50 - 12:20 Session 16 (Professors Moser and Lloyd)

Topic: Review Session

Focus: Professors Moser and Lloyd will answer questions in preparation for the final exam.

Reading: No additional reading.

1:45 - 3:15 Session 17: FINAL EXAMINATION