Governors and the Progressive Movement

David R. Berman

• Publisher: University Press of Colorado
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781607329152
• eBook ISBN:
  9781607329169
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Governors and the Progressive Movement is the first comprehensive overview of the Progressive movement's unfolding at the state level, covering every state in existence at the time through the words and actions of state governors. It explores the personalities, ideas, and activities of this period's governors, including lesser-known but important ones who deserve far more attention than they have previously been given.

During this time of greedy corporations, political bosses, corrupt legislators, and conflict along racial, class, labor/management, urban/rural, and state/local lines, debates raged over the role of government and issues involving corporate power, racism, voting rights, and gender equality—issues that still characterize American politics. Author David R. Berman describes the different roles each governor played in the unfolding of reform around these concerns in their states. He details their diverse leadership qualities, governing styles, and accomplishments, as well as the sharp regional differences in their outlooks and performance, and finds that while they were often disposed toward reform, governors held differing views on issues—and how to resolve them.

Governors and the Progressive Movement examines a time of major changes in US history using relatively rare and unexplored collections of letters, newspaper articles, and government records written by and for minority group members, labor activists, and those on both the far right and far left. By analyzing the governors of the era, Berman presents an interesting perspective on the birth and implementation of controversial reforms that have acted as cornerstones for many current political issues. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of US history, political science, public policy, and administration.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• 1. Progressive Reform and the Governors
• 2. The Flow of Party Politics and Reform, 1890–1920
• 3. Midwesterners Paving the Way: Altgeld, Pingree, La Follette, with Follow-ups by Deneen, Dunne, Osborn, and McGovern
• 4. More from the Midwest: Cummins, Johnson, Folk, Harmon, Cox, and Marshall
• 5. Raising Hell on the Plains: Lewelling, Hoch, Stubbs, Sheldon, Burke, and Norbeck
• 6. Mixing Race and Reform in the South: The Deep South, with Tillman, Blease, Vardaman, Bilbo, Hoke Smith, and Comer
• 7. The Southern Periphery: Broward, Davis, Hogg, and Haskell
• 8. The Upper South: Not So Southern, a Succession of Progressive Governors
• 9. Going East: Roosevelt, Hughes, Al Smith, Governing and Dealing with the Bosses
• 10. Wilson of New Jersey, Scholar and Tactician, Confronting the Bosses
• 11. The Rest of the East: Republican and Conservative, Doing What Could Be Done with Boss and Corporate Control and Only Limited Power
• 12. Western “Radicalism”: Hiram Johnson, Curtailing the Railroads, Getting beyond Politics as Usual
• 13. Agitation and Activity in the Northwest: Chamberlain, West, Rogers, and Carey
• 14. The Southwest: Shafroth, Bamberger, and Hunt
• 15. Governors and Reform: The Record and the Legacy
• Bibliography
• Index