The Progressive Movement of the late 1800's and the early 1900's was one of the most influential political movements in American history. The Progressives sought to shift power away from political elites and into the hands of the citizenry (Howell, 2011). Progressive reformers did not limit their efforts in improving urban conditions and to reform political systems. Their ideas influenced business and educational practices. They attempted to improve the overall quality of life for many Americans. The Muckrakers play a huge role in exposing the horrid conditions in the American factories, as well as the voices of many others such as novelists, journalists, professors and public intellectuals. From the business aspect, they tried to improve the
The Progressive movement was a social and political movement that began in the late 1800s and lasted through the early 1900s. Before the Progressive Era, the Industrial Revolution had occurred, creating many new problems for the average person. Because of industrialization, people had started to leave their rural farmlands and move to the newly industrialized cities in hope of finding jobs. Because of lax regulations on growing businesses, monopolies were created the took advantage of their employees. Theodore Roosevelt was one of the leaders of the Progressive movement, focusing on dismantling these monopolies.
Progressive reformers wanted an activist government worked towards social change. They did not want to believe that the government could be a threat to liberty. Progressive movements in the state and local level sought to reduce the powerful political machines. They sought to create operations for the public good rather than for profit, such as public transportation. Progressives sought to fund more schools, parks and public facilities.
The 1900s was a time period filled with political corruption, social inequality and injustice, discrimination, poor working and living conditions. The progressive movement resulted in response to these issues. Members and advocates of this movement were usually white (some blacks too), middle-class, Christian, college educated women (and men). They sought to achieve social justice through equality and enhance life in America for everyone. To further the nation’s democratic ideals, they hoped to incorporate reforms based on the expectations of the majority public.
American voters became more influential in presidential elections because of the events that took place during the Jacksonian and Progressive Eras. In the Jacksonian Era, some voting restrictions were removed, voting became more private, the public was more informed about politics, and voters were taken into greater consideration by presidential candidates. In the Progressive Era, better living conditions, the fight against corruption, and other political reforms made it easier for the working class to vote for candidates that they favored. These events gave voters a greater influence in politics and made elections more fair. During the Jacksonian Era, states began to give citizens a larger influence over presidential elections.
The Progressive Era lasted from the 1890’s to the early 1920’s. It was centralized around socialism and political reform. One of the major changes that took place during this era, was the labor legislation. Many workers were working long shifts, for several days straight, making their work life just about unbearable, and unworkable conditions. The job environment had become to where it was unsafe, unsanitary, and unregulated conditions for very low wages.
Progressive Movement Moving on from the Gilded age, the Progressive Era marked its place in history in the early 20th century. This movement started to take off when famous journalists were exposing the corruption of the work place, and politicians. Many issues came about with suffrage, and segregation, thus, helping to enforce the 17th, 18th, and 19th amendments. The political system was changing and the population was growing, but what really shaped the Progressive Era?
During the progressive era our country faced many problems. The rise of substantial businesses caused industrial problems. Women suffrage, alcohol, child labor, and safety issues caused social problems. The necessitation of citizens in government decisions also caused political problems. Progressives were people who wanted to solve all of these quandaries.
After the Civil War, our country was battered and beaten, but it rebuilt itself over time and spread its policies, as well as manufacturing practices, throughout our country. Early in the 20th century, members of our nation started to look at some of these practices and policies and began to question their merit and whether they assisted our population or not. Many people were involved in the progressive movement in America from the presidents to a slew of popular authors and photographers. The one thing that they had in common was that they saw problems with how various industries in our nation performed that they knew needed to be fixed. They did not always agree on everything, such as immigration, but they always had the nation’s best interest at heart.
The Progressive movement was caused corruption in politics, political machines, rapid urbanization and discrimination and equality. The Progressive movement was based on the idea that the government should have a more active role in solving economic ills. The Progressives wanted to promote child labor laws, improve the efficiency of government, expand democracy and promote social justice. The Progressives believed in progression. As in progression into a fairer society.
In the 1900s, the Populist movement and the Progressive movement were mass movements provoked by the wide gap between the rich and the poor in America. Both movements were organized during industrialization and urbanization, but their origins and plans differed. The Progressive side had a kinder approach towards their long list of goals for social change; this resulted with more successful achievements of their goals, unlike the more radical Populist movement. The Populist movement was more radical in the way they planned to execute their objectives. Consisting mostly of farmers from the Midwest, they viewed monopoly and industrialization as competition for their agricultural trade and based their movement to counter its effects.
Reforming the Government During the years 1890 to 1920, there was a group of people called the Progressives they identified many problems that they saw in the city at the time. The Progressives were a diverse group of people from every work of life for example: journalists, Democratic politicians, Republican politicians, industry leaders, and many more. They agreed to use scientific principles in order to identify problems, offer solutions, and then in a rational ways solve these problems. For example, a group of journalists who utilized the Progressive ideals were called, “ the Muckrakers,” which helped spread knowledge about political and social problems. The Progressive’s believed society had these problems because of industrialization and organization, however, that is not completely correct.
The progressives were a group of people who wanted to change the situation for the better. The progressives had a big role in reforming the the US socially, politically, and industrially.
One thing most of these reformers seeked was an increase in their workplaces. They were not as concerned about the monopoly factor as long as, “[...]he provided job security and adequate wages and working conditions, and passed some of the benefits of large-scale production on to consumers in the form of lower prices” (Joseph Huthmacher 13). Based on Huthmacher’s article, historians should focus more on the lower class and their thoughts, such as their real life experiences and careers, when interpreting the Progressive
The progressives, wanted to create a society that acted as one. The idea of being an individual was something to be forgotten in order to create a more perfect civilization of order and pureness. During this time of the progressive movement, the rest of society began to reject it ideology of their message and goals of nonpleasure and work. Especially around the Carina Arreola History 1302 W.Wooten time of World War One, the Great depression, and the New Deal.
Change takes places everywhere, everyday. If we as humans experience change on a daily basis, it should be no surprise that even “The Land of the Free” must eventually evolve. A Fierce Discontent by Yale alumni Indiana University historian and Michael McGerr documents this change that spread throughout America, which is known as the Progressive Movement. Michael McGerr believed that “the people and struggles of that age of “fierce discontent” a century ago still command our attention” (McGerr, xiii), which sheds a little light as to why he chose to write about the Progressive Era. It was social and political reform and activism that made up the Progressive Era and