Change And Solving Impactful Issues In The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era (1896–1917) was a time of change and solving impactful issues present in society at the time. Before this, the workforce had expanded after the establishment of the Reconstruction Era, which occurred after the Civil War in response to the damage that resulted in the nation. With the North winning the Civil War, industrialization had become popular, and many unskilled workers (including children) worked in factories for low wages due to their desperation for money. Because of this, the flaws of the Reconstruction Era were born; some include corruption, monopolies, trusts by businesses, harsh working conditions, child labor, and unsanitary and contaminated food packing. The Progressive Era was initiated and used to solve most …show more content…
With the long hours and difficult work that the children go through, their physical development and mental health are disrupted by their childhood being taken away. The lack of protection for their safety would result in many deaths of children from dangerous conditions like machinery. Muckrakers, also known as journalists, exposed the weaknesses of society, brought attention to the conditions of the working class, and played a part in improving their working environment. Jane Addams was one of these investigative journalists; she devoted her life to being an activist and protested for women’s rights and votes, the abolishment of child labor, and other ideas she believed in. To illustrate, in Document 3a, Addams’ autobiography claims, “We felt quite sure that the owners of the factory would share our horror and remorse, and that they would do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy. To our surprise they did nothing whatever.” This shows that child labor was normalized and overlooked by the owners, as they did not care for the worker’s safety and only cared for the profits they were