Woodrow Wilson And The Progressive Movement

The Progressive era became an iconic time that would not exist if the U.S. was not a democracy. Individuals became empowered to change after seeing all the problems that industrialization created. Progressive era reformers in the late 19th to the early 20th century believed in constructing a new order to improve American welfare. During the progressive movement many progressives such as Robert F. La Follete and Jane Addams sought to generate reform for fairness and to enhance moral values. As a civic duty, progressives such as W.E.B Du Bois fought against the racial injustice in America as well as establish a new order to create a more virtuous society.

After improving the courts, he improved living conditions for one third of the nation. While it had some faults, the New Deal significantly increased governmental support for lower-class people and improved economic conditions within the country. The Progressive period, which lasted 1900 to 1945, was a time of vigorous activity. Many new ideas and reforms emerged. There were also many new inventions and discoveries that radically changed manufacturing and industry within the United States.

President Woodrow Wilson was the last of the Progressive Presidents and as such caused great economic, political and social change. He served between 1913 and 1921 during which he imposed economic change through reforms, both national and international political change and a change in the role of women, giving them the right to vote. The effects of Wilsons presidency created abundant change within American society that had long lasting impacts. Political change was imminent in Wilsons second term as he was given emergency presidential power to, in some cases, bypass Congress, to speed up the law-making process. For example, he imposed the Selective Services Act in 1917 which authorised conscription in the US so that the military could be built up quickly and would not have to rely wholly on volunteers; according to Khan Academy this was well received by the American public as they were incredibly patriotic and believed it was their responsibility to support their nation, as such few men dodged.

The “Progressive Movement was an early-20th century reform movement seeking to return control of the government to the people, to restore economic opportunity, and to correct injustices in American life.” (Danzer R54). The Progressive Era marked the end of the “Gilded Ages” and a start of a new era. The Progressive Era started in 1901 in the United States (Fagnilli 26). There were many major reforms in the Progressive Era that altered and advanced American society. Some of these advancements included urban problems such as working conditions, slums, and poverty, political corruption, economic problems, injustice and social issues affecting people, and the morality of Americans (Fagnilli 26).

The procedure of attaining a position in government dramatically changed in the United States between 1820 and 1840, and the rise of mass democracy was responsible for this. Many social changes occurred that changed the way officials were elected into government. Unfortunately, voting was still limited to free, white men, and it was the same white, wealthy men running for office, but these officials had to gain the respect of the common man to gain power. Along with an increased interest in politics, there was also a growing influence and respect that the rest of the population had in the voting process. Between 1820 and 1840, the rise of mass democracy changed the political stage, and men such as John Marshall, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and William Henry Harrison played a role in this process.

The reform mayors changed our cities in a positive way by building schools, parks, and they focused on pushing aside corrupt and selfish private owners that owned companies like gas, water or transit lines. An important reform governor was Robert M. La Follette and he helped America by getting corporations out of politics like the railroad industry. Other national politicians passed the Keating-Owen Act that banned transit over state borders of goods produced by children in 1916 because of the National Child Labor Committee. The reforming elections gave us citizens a secret ballot, and initiatives and referendum that gave us the power to create our own laws. In addition, the recall allowed voters to get rid of public officials from elected positions by having them run in another election before their time was up if enough voters wanted it.

Early, in Wilson’s administration, there was a politic debate over entering World War I and the repercussions that would linger. Woodrow Wilson influenced the way people thought about how the World War would benefit the United States and other countries. He imagined countries owning their own government and gaining independence. Additionally, Wilson believed it’s America’s job to promote free markets and political democracy. Wilsonism is the belief in Wilson’s strategy in open markets, petition for democracy, world freedom, and liberal internationalism.

From 1896 to 1924, America went through a period known as progressivism in which people of all walks of life banded together to oppose conservatism and reform society. Progressives generally believed that government is necessary for change, however; it had to more significantly embody the ideals of democracy. Some of the specific changes that progressives wanted were regulating railroads, a direct election of senators, graduated income tax, limited immigration and eight-hour workdays. By supporting these changes, the progressives hoped to promote and expand democracy and thus give the people more power. One of the goals of the progressives was to address the wealth gap and reduce income inequality by transferring power to the people through

Many thought that joining the League of Nations would lead to war. The United States continued a policy of isolationism up until World War 2. In conclusion, World War 1 changed American society, and foreign policy. American society changed as so women gained the right to vote, women gained more jobs. One thing that happened during the war was the Great Migration, which was when over 6 million AfricanAmericans moved north.

“The Progressive Era was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States, from the 1890s to the 1920s”(www.dictionary.com). Mowry, Huthmacher, and Gilmore talk about the social origins of the progressive reform movement in their articles. In these articles it talks about the progressives, how they were defined differently, and what social classes/occupations/ethnic groups did they represent. George Mowry talks about the objectives of the progressive movement in “Progressivism: Middle-Class Disillusionment”. Majority of the reformers came from the “middle class”.

Wilson was also strong supporter of labor laws which made him popular in the eyes of the working class. His reforms were so impactful to the citizens of his time of his first term, that he was elected once more for a second term. Willson 's reform-minded actions still has an apparent lasting effect on todays society in regards

Ulysses Grant took during the Reconstruction and was responsible for helping to pass some of the most important Reconstruction time legislation. The most notable of this legislation being The Civil Rights Act of 1870 and 1875 and of course the 15th amendment. Grant also took a strong stance against the violence of the Ku Klux Klan and sought to protect the rights of African Americans. Nearly 80 years later when the United States was still dealing with race relations, Eisenhower also proved effective. The most notable of his achievements in this sphere was his use of federal troops in Little Rock to enforce the desegregation of public schools adherent to Brown vs Board of Education, as well as his signing of civil rights legislation in 1957 and 1960 to protect the right to vote by African-Americans.

The politics, society, and economy was shaped by the American victory against the British in the American Revolution. When forming the new government, the founding fathers considered the relationship the colonies had with the British before the revolution and how they could please the citizens of America. Women became more active and influential in the war and formation of America, than in colonial America’s society. In addition to the new government, a new economic system also had to be formed in order to insure future prosperity. Much of the economy before and after the war was similar, but trade was able to expand now that England was not monopolizing their

Hershey states that realignment had happened amid the Fifth Party System by the New Deal Coalition of the less fortunate and minorities. (Hershey 2015, 134) The effect of the New Deal uplifted the contention between higher and lower salaried people and between huge businesses and labor. The New Deal realignment made Democratic majority to permit new approaches to be passed. These advantages particularly solidified loyalties of new voters ' especially northern blacks, union individuals, Catholics, Jews, mechanical laborers and poor ranchers. (Hershey 2015, 134) This change built up the essential division between the Republican and Democratic parties that would continue for the remaining of the twentieth century.

Progressivism was at its peak during the 1900s. Americans needed to improve major issues in their country that weren’t being assessed in earlier years. Progressives aimed to restore economic opportunities and correct injustices in American life. The people of the nation needed to push and get the attention of the federal government to make solutions. The reformers movements were very effective and solved problems involving corrupt business, child labor, and women 's suffrage.