Progressive Era Essay

We recently learned about the progressive era in AP History and it was interesting to see that it wasn't just government reforming things it was private people, who were classified as progressives. What confuses me with the progressive era is when it was right for what reforms (i.e. Woman's Right to Vote) and when it was destructive reform such as in Government (i.e. Teddy Roosevelt's Square Deal)? I can tell with major reforms (such as the ones previously mentioned) if it was good or not but others, such as meatpacking plant reforms which involved creating bureaucracies,  are sometimes a gray area for me to figure out if it was right or wrong. Anyway here is the essay I wrote.  The question was something like, What and Who were the major reforms that benefited a majority of Americans during the progressive era:

The Progressive Era: A Period of Reform

            The early years of the Twentieth Century brought with them major social changes and reforms.  These changes took time and many hours to implement in order to produce beneficial results.  Men and women of the Progressive Era such as Jane Adams, Upton Sinclair, and Theodore Roosevelt all contributed to this large reform movement in their various ways.  Social critics, women's advancement reformers, and even two of our first presidents in the nineteen hundreds contributed to the reforms and changes which define the Progressive Era.

            "Muck-rakers", as they were called by Theodore Roosevelt, were some of the first to push for reform in society.  (Document G) These social critics which including Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, Jacob Riis, and Ida Tarbell were essential in bringing about social reform through their propaganda and journalism known as "muckraking".  In McClure's Magazine an editorial was written in 1904 which called for reform because of a "city employing criminals to commit crimes for the profit of the elected officials" (Document A) Reforms against machine politics in cities helped society become less oppressed at the hands of machine politicians.  Lincoln Steffens also wrote of the grievances of the political machine when he said that "the [political] machine controls the whole process of voting, and practices fraud at every stage..." (Document B).  His book, The Shame of Cities, pointed out the criminal and unethical acts of machine politicians in order to spark reform towards benefitting a majority of Americans.

            Social Critics also pointed out workplace issues that needed reform.  A man by the name of Upton Sinclair became critical in the push for better workplace regulations.  In his book, The Jungle, Sinclair pointed out the horrible conditions and many disturbing images specifically about meat processing plants.  Sinclair noted that beef often came from "old and crippled and diseased cattle...[who] had become what the men called "steerly"- which means covered in boils." (Document D) The Jungle, and its description of meat processing plants helped enact the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.  These acts created better conditions for both the majority of food service workers and consumers in America.

            Another important aspect of the Progressive Era was that of women's suffrage and the idea of the Settlement House. The generation of women at the beginning of the twentieth century were some of the first to attend college.  However, there was not much a woman with a college degree could do professionally.  So, in order to help women advance in working options, Jane Adams began the Settlement Houses in Chicago.  With the help of Florence Kelly, Jane Adams assembled women to work in Settlement houses were they provided relief for the poor, taught personal hygiene, and essentially became America's first social workers.  The Settlement House Movement not only helped many women, but many poor people were aided as well.

            Shortly into the nineteen hundreds the movement for a women's right to vote picked up speed and momentum as women such as Jane Adams, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony realized the need for reform in society and the possibility of creating reform through voting.  It was portrayed in one poster in nineteen-fifteen that by giving women the right to vote a person would "give [their] children equal rights." (Document J)  Jane Adams contended that America's "electorate should be made up of those who bear a valiant part in...[caring]  for children." (Document E). When Women's suffrage was granted by the Nineteenth Amendment, woman benefited by being allowed to have their voice heard.  Also, much of future social reform relied on women voter's support.

            Many progressive reforms were enacted and pushed by United States Presidents.  In the Progressive Party Platform of 1912 the idea that America's "resources, it's business, its institutions, and its laws should be utilized, maintained, or altered in whatever manner will best promote the general interest" was established (Document F).  When the founder of the Progressive Party, Theodore Roosevelt, was president he pushed for and helped achieve legislation that altered business and the countries resources.  This was known as the Square Deal and through it Roosevelt became "the trustbuster" of many large corporations that he felt were taking away competition, thus destroying common interest (Document C). Woodrow Wilson, another progressive president, clarified Theodore Roosevelt's trust-busting policy by adding that he "had been dreading all along the time when the combined power of high finance would be greater than the power of the government." (Document H).  To progressives like Roosevelt and Wilson, government could and should enact reform that would benefit American society.

            Politics also became reformed through Theodore Roosevelt.  When Roosevelt established the Progressive Party he did so because he felt that "[o]ld  He felt that his Progressive Republicanism would "uphold the interests of popular government against a foolish and ill judged mock-radicalism." (Document I).  Thus, Roosevelt used government to help get rid of corruption and reform politics as well as large corporations.

            The Progressive Era was a period of reform.  Both politician and journalist, women and men, were involved in producing change that benefited many Americans in their cities, factories, and working environments.  Our way of life as Americans today has been greatly affected by the reformers of the Progressive Era.