American progressives were drawn to the potential advancements of urbanization, especially in contrast to rural life with which many Americans had already grown accustomed to. Cities represented more modern forms of economic activity that concentrated all of the natural resources and human capital in a single place for accessibility. As a result, many towns viewed their growth as positive and sought the help of state legislatures to connect their businesses and marketplaces with others using funding for infrastructure and transportation. This, they were able …show more content…
Those who studied in Europe also encouraged Progressive-age intellectuals to look to services and policies offered by social democracy, and they endeavored to introduce these concepts starting at the local levels of the communities they resided