Essay On Progressive Reform

Essay On Progressive Reform
Alaina Holland
March 1, 2016
HIST 2020
Final Exam Essay #2
Progressive Reform Progressives believed in the saying out with the old and in with the new. They sought to create a new order for the industrial
age. Progressives were groups of reformers that worked to improve social and political problems in the 1800's through the 1900's (Aboukhadijeh).
They wanted government at all levels to be strong and democratic. Progressive reformers addressed problems such as the struggle for women's rights,
child labor, and slavery.
It all began in 1848 with the Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention. Susan B. Anthony was an early advocate for women's rights and helped
organize the convention along with other women's rights suffragists. They circulated petitions and pushed Congress to...show more content...
Child labor was a major issue at the time especially in factories since children had no voice and labor was cheap. Children would be paid less than
adults and less likely to break out in strike. They could also fit in tight spaces. Children were not even able to learn they had to work all the time
(Aboukhadijeh). Since work deprived them of an education most children did not know their ABC's. Without an education a new middle class of
uneducated would be formed (Aboukhadijeh). Another problem children faced was their health. Typically people did not care about their health this
quote explains that "children should not be allowed to labor in the factories from morning till night, without any time for healthy recreation and mental
culture," for it "endangers their well being and health" (Child). Finally this was resolved in 1832 by the New England unions (Child). In the United
States today, child labor remains a problem in agriculture, especially among migrant farm families. It is also an issue that comes up in protests of
United States companies who buy products made by child laborers abroad
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The Progressive Era Essay
The Progressive Era was a time in which there was a lot of social activism and political reform as a result of the lack of equality in the nation between
the social classes, sexes, and job amongst other things. During this time, there were a lot of political figures that rose up and spoke about the
inequalities that the society had. Ultimately, this caused political disputes and the people of the nation wanted to see a change. This change came from
two presidents that sought to help the nation progress; Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Both presidents fought for the same general vision;
however, they achieved different things. Progressivism became the ultimate goal for the two presidents, where they sought to "clear up corruption in all
...show more content...
As a result, his motivation was his desire to win the power to investigate the activities of corporations and publicize the results. To do this, Roosevelt
the new Department of Commerce and Labor was established to assist this task through its investigatory arm. As a result of this vision that Roosevelt
had, he ordered the Justice Department to invoke the Sherman Anti–Trust Act against a railroad monopoly called Northern Securities Company. This
was one of the things that the Muckrakers discussed in its awareness of social issues. An investigation was done, and thanks to Roosevelt, the Supreme
Court ruled that the Northern Securities Company be dissolved in 1904. Following the court decision, Roosevelt made it a point to bring about justice
to all of the corruption and injustice that different industries had. The establishment of the Hepburn Act was yet another way in which Roosevelt
sought to bring justice. This act gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to restore some regulatory authority to the government.
Roosevelt also pressured Congress to enact the Pure Food and Drug Act, which "restricted the sale of dangerous or ineffective medicines." This had
also become a major issue as the Muckrakers publicized this problem and it was brought to light. In 1906, Roosevelt pushed for passage of the Meat
Inspection Act which helped eliminate many diseases once transmitted in impure

The Progressive Era And Political Reform
The Progressive era was a period around 1890–1920, in which the rise of social activism became apparent as well as political reform. Americans
during this time began to move away from rural and began to colonize cities. Progressive activists at the time sought to eliminate government
corruption, increase regulation in business practices, and address and resolve health issues in the work force. Journalists known as muckrakers were
catalysts of change by informing the public about prominent issues at the time including, child labor, corruption in government, and unlawful practices
acted out by business men. One of the key contributors to the rise of the progressive era was immigration. From 1800 to 1900, the US received a large
influx of in the number of immigrants, fueled by economic freedom and emancipation from there socially restrictive homeland. It is estimated that a
total of "more than 15 million immigrants arrived in the US" during this time. A large number of these immigrants settled in densely populated cities.
"In 1910, three–fourths of New York's City's population was either immigrants or first generation Americans". The second reason was the rise of the
middle class. A majority of progressivists came from the middle class. One of the motives that drove progressivists was to give the public direct
control over the government; this was accomplished by direct primaries that would elect candidates for public office. The third primary factor which
led to the rise of

Progressive Reforms
Progressive Reforms
Prior to the progressive Movement there were many social and political conditions that existed in America. Without the progressive reform these
problems would not have been solved – the most important progressive era reforms were: women's suffrage, racism, and working conditions. While the
Progressives differed in their assessment of the problems and how to resolve them, they generally shared in common the view that government at every
level must be actively involved in these reforms. The existing constitutional system was outdated and must be made into a dynamic, evolving
instrument of social change, aided by scientific knowledge and the development of administrative bureaucracy. The Progressives believed that these
changes...show more content...
Consumers' League –During the Progressive Era, large business owners demanded long hours for very little pay. Factory conditions were so poor,
workers frequently lost their jobs because they got too sick or got hurt to the point where they couldn't work. If they tried to go on strike for better
conditions or pay, they would be replaced by people called "scabs". "Scabs" were people who basically waited outside of the factory waiting for
someone to quit, get fired, or get injured so they could fill their spot. The major problem concerning workers were long working hours, little or no
health benefits, and very little pay for the amount of work they were doing. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was established to help
workers with these problems. The AFL did this by either making it financially possible for them to go on strike by paying them enough money to live
on, or giving them year–round health benefits so that it was possible to work their job. By 1902, 75% of all Trade Union members were also part of
the AFL. The AFL was very effective in solving the problems that were going on before and during the progressive Era. Working then was bad enough;
imagine working now how they did–it was torture but they did it in order to keep themselves and their family alive. Without the AFL people would've
continued to get sick and soon after

Progressive Era Research Paper
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE PROGRESSIVE REFORM MOVEMENT?
The Progressive Era was needed to reform the Gilded Age due to economic expansion, deplorable living standards for the working class, and corrupt
government actions that occurred. The Gilded Age took place shortly after the Civil War ended between 1870 and 1900 and resulted in serious national
issues. Reforms that were put in place during the Progressive Era took a great deal of time to produce beneficial results which included, returning the
control of the government to the people, restoring economic opportunities, and correcting injustice within the daily lives of Americans. The reforms
were all in thanks to men and women like Theodore Roosevelt, Upton Sinclair, Woodrow Wilson, and
...show more content...
During the Gilded Age America suffered from major social issues including child labor, women's suffrage, and urbanization. Child labor was a
large problem because schooling wasn't required, money was tight in low class families, and factories were desperate for workers. Muckraker,
John Spargo described how "dormant and neglected powers" for children "need to be called into active cooperation "(document 4). Child labor
finally started to decline in 1902 after child labor unions were started "for the abolition of child labor"(document 9). In addition to child labor, equal
rights were also a large part of the time periods reforms. From the 1830's on women's rights was a big issue. It wasn't until the "establishment of new
legal rights"(document 1) under the Wilson administration that the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920, allowing women to vote. The third major
social reform that occurred in the Progressive Era was urbanization. More people moved into the city looking for work as business was booming.
Most of the workers were extremely poor and weren't receiving any help from the government. People began to realize how extremely unsanitary the
cities became and how inhumane tenement living was. Tenement living became a social norm for the working class, housing up to 18 people in one
room without a toilet or windows that opened. In 1901 the Tenement House Act was put in

Reform In The Progressive Era
Comparatively, there are many areas needing reform in the Progressive Era, Progressives all shared the common theme of activism that aimed to
bring positive change to society through science, technology and increased democracy (Barnes & Bowles, 2014). President Theodore Roosevelt
nicknamed the journalist writing for magazines muckrakers because they could dredge up the worst muck and filth they could fine in society
regarding working conditions in factories and living conditions for the poor. Progressives would go as far as pretending to be patients in the insane
asylum, and working for some of the worst rat infested facilities that would give them employment (Barnes & Bowles, 2014. Together with the Good
Government, successful work by

The Progressive Era Of Women 's Rights Essay
Looking back on the Progressive Era, we see many women activists and their roles in the fight for women's rights. With the arrival of a new century
also came many changes. Society was adjusting to industrialization, urbanization, a growing and powerful economy, and, of course, immigration. As a
result of these changes, many people became fearful that traditional values would change as well. Progressive Reform in America began in the late
nineteenth century, and an expanding job market as well as changes to the American lifestyle lead to women's want for change in their public roles.
Women activists began fighting for issues such as more opportunities for education and jobs, health advancements, and of course, voting rights. In
doing so, women made great advancements in suffrage during the Progressive Era, and without a doubt, changed the nation for the better. Emerging
businesses created new job possibilities for women, such as; saleswomen, clerks, secretaries, factory workers, etc. Factory work meant mass
production of household items that were easily obtainable for the average middle class family, thus allowing women more time for leisure. Not only
did the job market expand, but education also became more accessible, allowing younger females to seek achievement outside the household. Despite
all these positive changes, women often felt defeated as men still viewed them as being good at domesticity and childbearing and not much else.
Women still were unable to vote in

Progressive Era Of Reform
Transitioning into the 20th century, America was one of the top countries in the world. They strove for power and dominance over other countries,
and worked their way to the top all the way from when they first founded America. However the people now wanted change. They were seeing
corruption and social issues, with obvious problems that needed complete reform. This era of reform is defined as the Progressive era. Muckrakers
brought attention to the people on to what is really going on and what needs change, such as Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle", which inspired new
meat and drug laws. With the growing numbers of problems that were called out, leaders such as William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore
Roosevelt took actions to fix them. The Progressive movement was truly progressive in their attempts to reform American society because ofbusiness
regulations, economic reform, and social welfare. Businesses are continuously growing over time as technology advances and people find better and
more efficient ways of production. With the expansion of a business, companies need more laborers and workers to help make their company
successful. However, instead of hiring more people, business owners forced workers to work long shifts with very minimal pay. While muckrakers
brought much attention to...show more content...
The banking system and the tariff were the two major issues for the Progressivism era. Both William Taft and Woodrow Wilson both agreed that
America needed a more organized way of functioning, due to the rigid distribution of money. During difficult times of financial and economic
problems, the banking reserves could not distribute money fast enough to where it was needed. Therefore, Wilson appointed the Federal Reserve
Board to oversee the reserve banks. As a part of his "triple wall of privilege", Wilson also reduced the tariff by passing the Underwood Tariff Bill,
which led to the ratification of the 16th

Social Reforms During The Progressive Era
The progressive era was when reformers or activists who were working to solve the problems in the American society and the government were trying
to end the laissez–faire. The root of progressive started during the glided age. This era started in 1890 and ended in 1920. A solution was needed to
eliminate all the problems that was faced over the years. The fight for social justices include social reforms, political reforms, and economic reforms.
First social reforms. This reform included education, the minorities, and even right to vote as a woman. The progressive era leaders who fought for the
ongoing struggle of African American were Booker T Washington and W.E.B DuBois. Booker T Washington wanted the blacks to give up their interest
in higher

Progressive Reforms
It is difficult to picture a city or town without a park or a playground for everyone to enjoy free of charge. This thought is not as far fetched, as some
might believe. The massive movement for communities to provide public lands for relaxation, leisure and play has its roots in the Progressive Reforms
around the turn of the twentieth century. The congestion of urban centers and the fading concept of child labor creates unintended consequences such
as an increase in crime, lack of natural landscape and no place for children to play. To combat this problem cities across the country begin the process of
implementing government inspired play to replace the open country that children generations before used as their playground. There is a long...show
more content...
The sand gardens provided large piles of sand for immigrant children to play under the supervision of a volunteer. Since the majority of these
children's parents left them unattended while they worked in factories. This is the first attempt at supervised organized play. The early inspiration
of organized play comes out of Berlin, the city provided public parks and sand pits for children to dig and play freely. This idea caught the attention
of Dr. Marie Lakrzewska and in 1885 he pens a letter to the chairman of the Hygiene Association suggesting that Boston adopt a similar program that
mirrors itself off of the Berlin system. This idea does not catch on quickly and it is not until nearly ten years later that city officials begin taking Dr.
Lakrzewska seriously in his suggestion. Between 1894 and 1898, the playground movement gains steam with the encouragement of social reformers
and journalist. A list of cities such as, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Providence, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and San Francisco establish some form of
playground for children to

Progressive Era Essay
The role and responsibilities of the federal government changed drastically during the Progressive Era and the New Deal. Rapid changes after the
Civil War brought on a need for economic, social and political reforms. Before the Progressive Era and the New Deal, the federal government took a
very hands–off approach and had little involvement in, and little care for the welfare of the American people. With the Progressive Era and theNew
Deal, the federal government became more involved and responsive to the public and implemented many revisions and reforms. The Progressive Era
was a time of political and economic transformation. The role and responsibilities of the federal government evolved. Reform was necessary because of
the changes that...show more content...
Through voluntary and collaborative means, the federal government rallied businesses and the public in support of the war effort. The federal
government made political changes on a national level with the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments. The Sixteenth
Amendment imposed an income tax. The Seventeenth Amendment allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators. The Eighteenth Amendment
established the prohibition of alcoholic beverages and the Nineteenth Amendment prohibited any U.S. citizen from being denied the right to vote based
on sex. During the Progressive Era, social reform and cultural changes also occurred. Consumerism was at an all time high. It became a time of
economic prosperity. With the introduction of electricity came household appliances. Movies, automobiles, radios, telephones, magazines, and
advertising were in the forefront. While consumption prompted the economy in a forward direction, other economic issues arose throughout the
country. Agriculture and mining were not prospering. The steel and textile industries were standing idly. The nation also relied too heavily on credit in
order to maintain product demand and economic expansion. Lastly, consumer
confidence led to over–speculation in stocks. This inevitably led to the Stock Market Crash of 1929, which in turn marked the beginning of the Great
Depression. Franklin Delano Roosevelt came into office in 1933 during the depth of the Great

Progressive Social Reforms
The muckrakers were always finding things that weren't done right to always get the worse out of the people they reported on. Just like Progressive
social reforms work to address the poor. Progressive shared common was a belief that industrialization and urbanization had created troubling social
and political problems. Not only just about the poor but about the Settlement houses as well were a big concern. The rapid growth generated a
profusion of problems for city dwellers. These were the main to concern at the times. Progressive social reformers work to address the poor.
Progressives wanted to bring about reforms that would correct the problems going on and along with injustices. They encouraged their state legislatures
and the federal

Progressive Era Reformers Essay
From 1900–1920 in the United States of America the reformers of the Progressive Era and the Federal Government were effective bringing about
reform dealing with reforms to improve the social disgrace of the working conditions, the enthusiasm to be a nation of self–governed people, and the
individual interests of presidents despite limitations in the rulings of court cases, the application of reforms reached, and the varying effectiveness of
presidents.
Reformers looking to improve the working conditions of the progressive Era made significant headway in their attempted reforms, though they were
eventually limited by the decisions of the supreme courts. Muckrakers (people who wrote critiques on society and its faults) like Upton Sinclair...show
more content...
Improvements through laws were also made regarding the right to represent oneself in government as well.
Multiple voices in the United States called for the betterment in the ability for the people to be self–governed – which they achieved to an extent, even
when limited by the failure to fully honor and take advantage of the reforms they passed. Blacks received the right to vote after the civil war, though
this success was limited by the fact they were still not treated as equals (Document I). However women were furious their suffrage was not included in
the amendments; the fury led to a long and hard campaign for their rights. They felt cheated that the government of the United States was sympathetic
with people around the world who weren't self–governed, but turned a blind eye to the fact that significant number of their own citizens could not vote
either (Document H). Through unions and associations, marches on the capitol and works of literature – despite the reluctance to grant them their
rights in the governmental branches – they work of the reformer eventually resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, the right for women
to vote. A limitation in the eyes of the reformers to this success was the lack of complete enthusiasm for women's suffrage by women, and the lack of a
drastic change in the government despite their argument the addition of women to the ballots would make politics less corrupt. Another issue that
campaigned for the

The Progressive Era Reform
Progressive Era, an era of intense social and political reform aimed at making progress toward a better society. It was a period of Progressive Era
reformers sought to harness the power of the federal government to eliminate unethical and unfair business practices, reduce corruption, and counteract
the negative social effects of industrialization for the protections for workers and consumers were strengthened, and the era witnessed the achievement
of women's right to vote.
The Progressive era, was period when America decided to grow its nation.
In 1898, conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas. The war began for the cuban struggle for the
independence from Spain and from its brutally repressive measures on the Cuba, which were portrayed for the U.S. public by several sensational
newspapers, and American sympathy for the Cuban rebels rose. And finally Spain declared a war on April 9, 1898 with America. But to the end Spain
capitulated to the America in July 17, and consequently America was able to extend its intervening power over the cuba and to...show more content...
Gradually, Hawaii become one of the fifty states of the United States and helped its intervention and development through land. In 1914, the Panama
Canal was established which was is an artificial 48 miles waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The United
States took over the project of 1904 and completed them on 1914, but the idea affected positively to the sustainable development of the nation. The
Panama route enhances environmental contribution by reducing GHG emissions on the planet with more efficient transport, reducing fuel
consumption per cargo unit and fewer emissions than other routes that combine transportation by

Progressive Era Reform
The most important reform during the Progressive era was the Pure Food and Drug act, made by Theodore Rooselvelt, because it gave the federal
government greater regulatory power over food product in the market. Theses acts of Congress earned support of the people, who benefited from safer
goods products, from workers, who benefited from safer working conditions, and from industry, who saw the potential for restoring competitiveness in
the market. As you can see, this inspection of food consumption has reduced the number of people killed, as food becomes safer and there are no more
spoiled foods on the

Progressive Era Reforms
Progressive Era Reforms From 1900–1920, there was an era of reform by progressives, as a result, the federal government brought reforms at the
national level. Two major types of reforms were Social reform, and Political reform. Socially, there was Women's suffrage, which gave women the right
to vote. There was also meat inspection. This ensured that there were more sanitary practices in food industry. Politically, the direct election of Senators
with the 17th amendment. This gave Americans the right to chose their own senators.
Social reforms from 1900–1920 consisted of mostly Women's suffrage and Meat inspection. In a National Archives photograph from 1918, it shows a
woman standing by a banner that said, "Kaiser Wilson Have you...show more content...
The Federal Government was able to change the way senators were elected. In the past, senators were elected by state legislatures. In a speech by
Teddy Roosevelt, February 22, 1912, he said, "I believe in the election of United States senators by direct vote." (Document D) This helped lead to the
17th amendment, which was passed by Congress May 13, 1912. It was then ratified April 8th, 1913. With this change, people could now cast direct
votes for the senators of the United States.
In conclusion, the 20 years of progressive reforms significantly helped make America great. The passage of the 19th amendment gave women the right
to vote. There was also the Meat Inspection Act which would help ensure that the meat factories would become more sanitary and healthy. Politically, it
gave the people of the United States the right to directly elect the senator of their

Essay On The Progressive Era
During the Progressive era many changes were made to the american society, especially when the United States entered WW1. The progressives
saw the war "as a special opportunity for reform, a chance to promote their agenda at point after point" and "the nation would confront , not ignore
social problems at home."(282) Many of the the reforms the progressives enacted turned to be a deadly poison to the party, shifting the populous to
the republican party. Many of these Changes including nationalism, wealth equality, and the increased cost of living helped to influence the demise
of the progressive party and it's era. As a way to help support the war effort the progressives passed "The Revenue Act of 1917" which "imposed taxes
on incomes as low as a thousand dollars a year."(303). This Law...show more content...
This along with promoting "meatless and wheatless days"(293). or that ads that state that "FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR
–DON'T WASTE IT."(292)
increased the difficulty for the the middle class citizen to live a normal life. Every aspect of their freedom of wealth was being limited by higher costs,
higher taxes, and limitation to luxury goods. Though the increased cost of living and the wealth dropped played a significant role in the fall of the
progressives, the rise of nationalism finalized the their fall. The Progressives enacted a sense of nationalism to help the population sustain the war. The
population "were less interested in assimilating immigrants and, especially in the case of German americans, more interested in obliterating their
culture and guaranteeing their submission."(292). The United states populus was focused on self interest of their culture and aimed its gun sights on one
enemy, the germans. When they fell they turned to communists after the "ascendancy of the Bolsheviks in Russia Novembre Revolution... Americans
faced a new regime that condemned

The Progressive Era Essay example
The Progressive Era
The progressive era was a time of great change, the way people thought and what they did began to change quickly. Industry and business also changed
a great deal in this era, with the many new inventions and strong businessmen things where rapidly changing.
The progressive era lasted about 40 years, from 1879–1920. In 1879 Tomas Edison invented the electric light, I guess you could say he just lit the way
for may other inventions that people made during this time period.
The progressives where middle class people that where mostly composed of young people who wanted things to change, they believed that educating
people was the best way to overcome a problem. They formed volunteer organizations that people would come...show more content...
Teddy Roosevelt was a very strong influence during the progressive era; He used his power a president to get what he wanted as a progressive. He
helped things like the pure food and drug act pass, and used the Sherman Antitrust act to dissolve Carnegie's Monopoly. He was a very strong leader
and was not about to be pushed around, so it was very good to have him as president during the Progressive era when some are fighting for the new
and some are fighting for the old.
The city and state reforms, where to stops powerful figures like boss Tweed who was very corrupt and, had everyone in the city in his back pocket.
They Reformed so that their wouldn't be just a boss, (a person that made every decision), they made it so the people had to stand behind him on his
decisions, their needed to be a vote on all laws that where passed, and all people could try to pass laws with enough peoples support. Also with the
reform, workman's compensation became, now if people where hurt to the point they couldn't work, they would be compensated until they could come
back.
Education was a very big thing to the progressives;

Reforms During The Progressive Era
The progressive era was a period that saw many reform movements, which included political reforms, social welfare reforms as well as economic
reforms. In addition, scientific administration practices were improved and it immediately cut down corruption and wastage in government.
Progressive era happened between the end of Civil War and the 20th century. US became more industrialized and urbanized during this period. Many
changes were witnessed which brought varied benefits but on a similar platform created dozens of problems. The term itself came from the word
"progress" which means Americans were reacting to the problems by coming up with reforms instead of upholding status quo. Thus, whereas
progressive era brought about a number of benefits,...show more content...
This group was mainly journalists and writers although some were artists. They exposed cases regarding corruption and injustices through print media.
By 1906, their push for reforms worked when Pure Food and Drug Act was signed by the federal government. This resulted to consumer protection and
the group later transformed to the current day investigative journalism .
Therefore, progressives responded to rapid industrialization and urbanization by forming a number of reforms. The conditions of industrial workers
were harsh and not befitting to industrial growth many workers were subjected to 60 hours per week under unhealthy and unsafe conditions. Reforms
were necessary in the sector because despite the harsh working condition, the laborers were paid poorly. This led to intolerance among the workers
and started forming unions as their bargaining vehicle. However, the factory securities of then opposed the move and workers were attacked while the
leaders of the same were fired
The progressives also focused on the increasing gap between the poor and the rich. The rich were growing and build lavish townhouses while the poor
lived in shanties and slums. Reforms were therefore necessary to breach the

Essay On Progressive Reform

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