Women's Progressive Movement

Superior Essays
When the giants of business began to exponentially grow and poverty levels substantially started to rise and immigration was viewed as a highly controversial issue, voices crying for change began to challenge the way Americans perceived the concept of democracy during the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. If politicians could be bought, what hope was there for the poor? If immigrants were to be treated as secondhand citizens, what promise did the country have of ever expanding national influence? If women were to remain subordinate to men, how were the thinkers of this era ever going to be able to tap into the resource that was approximately half of the nation’s (and the world’s) population? If laborers were to be seen but not heard, would the …show more content…
A primary goal of female progressivists was for suffrage. They united to form a coalition of women who had a common goal in mind: equal treatment of the sexes. Female activists formed additional campaigns that stretched further than voting rights. They targeted the abolition of child labor, sought to improve the working conditions for women, fought to ban counterfeit remedies and unsafe for food, and strived to deliver playgrounds and nurseries to the poor districts. The women’s progressive movement was greater than simply suffrage. It was a revolution sparked in the hearts of ladies who were no longer content to being bound within their sphere of womanhood. They had talents and ideas to contribute to society. Their efforts earned them the right to vote in 1919 (ratification in 1920) through the passage of the 19th …show more content…
From consumer protection to voting rights, the first two decades of the twentieth century were focused on advancing us as a nation. Even during the few years leading up to that era, America was changing. In a sense, the people were becoming less blinded by what they had always known to be “true” and were beginning to open their eyes to things they had never truly seen. People were recognized as individuals, not as potential marks for a backyard elixir salesman. The government had gained the power to regulate business for the protection of Americans. Women were finally given a voice in the political sphere. While the Era was not perfect (such as the treatment of Immigrants), it did move America forward into becoming what President Roosevelt had aspired- a great

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