Progressive Movement Late 1800's

The progressive era which lasted from 1890-1920 in American society was the institution of radical reforms brought about by the millions of Americans involved in volunteer organizations across the country. During this time Americans worked to create solutions to the problems caused by the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the country. The progressive era was not a single movement, but rather a collection of movements all of which were intended to improve the lives of Americans. This was a truly remarkable time for women and the end of the era would see almost universal women’s suffrage with the passing of the nineteenth amendment in 1920.

The mid-1820s to 1980s was known as the Progressive Era. In this era, many economic and social changes transformed America. Progressives are people who sought for these changes by documenting, taking pictures, or even radically getting their point across. One such person was a man named Jacob Riis. In this essay we will travel through the life of Jacob Riis; from his birth to his death, his works and impact on society then and now.

A Fierce Discontent McGerr, Michael E. A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870­1920. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. Print. In “A fierce Discontent”, the main thesis of the book is to give insight to the progressive movement during the 19th century.

Between the 1890s and World War One, reform efforts started taking place by the progressives. The progressives were not a single unified group and even had some contradicting goals. They were middle class urban dwellers and some were women. The progressives wanted to end prostitution, Americanize immigrants, antitrust legislation created, women’s suffrage, and the start of prohibition.

The Progressive Era, from 1900-1917, was a time when problems were solved, tactics were used to solve them, and foundations were laid for future reforms. During this time, steps and precautions were laid that regulated business, rights, government, and life as we know it. A major goal of this time was the exploitation of the corrupt aspects of the government. After the goals and reforms were met during this time, America became better and better in the eyes of reform groups and activists.

The pre-assessment I chose to give for this unit consists of forty questions of various types that mainly deal with vocabulary and key ideas surrounding the Progressive Era. The first eight questions require student to match historical figures to their impact or historical importance. The next seventeen questions are multiple choice and test students’ ability group individuals and ideas, recall key legislation and reforms desired by progressives, and so on. There are six true/false questions which check for comprehension even further.

The early 1900s were a time of widespread social and political change in America. During this time, many Americans adopted new, more modern ideas about labor, cultural diversity and city life. Some of these Progressive ideas were brought about by the need for reform in the workplace due to the grown of large companies and rapid industrialization. Not everyone supported the ideas of the Progressive Movement, however. Anti-Progressives, especially in the South, preferred traditional, rural lifestyles, and a slower, simpler way of living.

Wiebe displays the reforms of the Progressive Era and the changes they were seeking. Wiebe describes the progressive reformers as, “the new middle class” (Robert H. Wiebe 80). Ultimately, this new middle class was looking to reorder the government by themselves. A major reoccurring theme was the focus on the children based on Wiebe’s view of the progressives. This is shown when Wiebe writes, “He united the campaigns for health, education, and a richer city environment, and he dominated much of the interest in labor legislation” (Robert H. Wiebe 82).

At the turn of the nineteenth into the twentieth century, the United States was facing exponential progress in urbanization, industrialization, and even social issues. The movements that took place during this time between the 1890s and 1920s led to it becoming known as the Progressive Era. Advancements such as labor worker rights, child rights, and women rights. Unfortunately, not all changes at this time were positive, such as the anti-liquor movement. According to Alan Brinkley in the textbook, The Unfinished Nation, “The prominence of women in reform movements is one of the most striking features of progressivism” (493).

Some might say that the Progressive Era is done and over with, never to be enacted again. This is simply not the case. The United States has had the Progressive Era, but the ideals have always been on our minds as we fight for what we stand for. The Modern Progressive Movement, as several news sources have called it, has either started (NY Times in November 2011 cites Occupy Wall Street as the beginning), or that we are in desperate need of it (Washington Monthly explained in January/February of this year). People don't just stop fighting for human rights and equality, especially Americans; Equality was written in our Declaration of Independence.

At the beginning of the Progressive Era, 1890, the reform efforts were primarily to “clean up the nation’s cities,” but as the momentum cycled into full swing it turned into a much larger project than originally anticipated (Schultz 2014). The two main groups who were involved were the followers of Social Gospel and women, but later, as interest increased Progressivism found its way into political circles and other forums. The middle class was especially attracted to the idea, but only if it did not intrude on their everyday lives which turned out to be impossible. Moreover, as it grew it changed shape to influence how administrators were selected, how our education systems developed, and it aided in improving the workforce community. The primary reason for the spread of Progressivism throughout the nation was by the media, otherwise through journalism (Schultz 2014).

Although it may seem that the meat packing industry is still in turmoil because of their unwillingness to make known what foods have Genetically Modified organisms present, the meat packing industry was much worse during the 1900’s because of the unsafe working conditions, and uncleanliness of the food. Body 1: The meat packing industry’s working conditions were much worse in the 1900’s than they are today. In the novel The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, working conditions were horrible for immigrants who were employed in these factories. People in these factories were worked very hard and used up till they could not work anymore. In the novel Jurgis broke his ankle because of the unsafe

In the period between 1900 and 1920, the federal government and reformers were very successful in bringing social, economic, and political reform to the federal government. While not every aspect of it was successful, the rights of women, fighting against child labor and limiting the control of trusts and monopolies were three distinct successes of that time. Even before the progressive era, women challenged their place and articulated new visions of social, political and economic equality. The progressive era was a turning point for women as organizations evolved fighting for equal rights. Woman began to become very involved in a variety of reform movements.

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.

During the 1900’s working conditions were undeniably horrible. In Packingtown everyday got more difficult as the days went on. In the meat packing business things were supposed to be done quick. Inside the factories packing, chopping, inspecting and people actions didn’t mix. Not only did the people in the factories suffered, the people outside of the factory also suffered.