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Social Reform: Article Analysis

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Many historiographers have focused on the progressive reform movement and the origin of the social reforms that came with it. The interpretations of the historians differ between Progressivism: Middle Class Disillusionment, Urban Liberalism and the Age of Reform, and Progressivism Arrives. The questions at hand are: “Who were the Progressives?” and “What type of society and political system were they seeking?” These questions will be evaluated according to the historians of each article and the most persuasive one will be determined. The first article, Progressivism: Middle Class Disillusionment by George Mowry, states that “...the great majority of the reformers came from the ‘solid middle class,’” (Mowry 255). In this article the author …show more content…

The progressives were working class people, especially lower-class workers. The author states that “the urban lower class provided an active, numerically strong, and politically necessary force for reform” (Huthmacher 11). The lower-class workers had just as much as an impact as middle-class workers. They consisted of liberals that wanted to stop corrupt bosses who were obstructing the possibility of a great government system. They knew the harsh realities first hand and wanted to do something about it. The working class living in urban areas fought to raise the standard of living for themselves. The lower-class workers had a more realistic mindset and knew that things could not be perfect. They used voting power to elect people that would “enable them to secure the voice necessary to satisfy their economic and social needs,” (Huthmacher 12). The working class was against big business, corruption, and poor working conditions. They favored politicians that had the same views as them and followed along with their potential policies. The main idea of the article is that the middle and lower class living in cities joined forces to advocate reform for working class …show more content…

The most compelling and persuasive article is Progressivism: Middle Class Disillusionment by George Mowry. Mowry does a very good job at citing his sources and presenting information from many different people. He uses information from seventeen sources to widen his research and knowledge of the subject. He explains progressivism in the most straightforward way and organizes his ideas very neatly. It is the most persuasive because of the ideas he presents. They are widely accepted ideas that are still relevant

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