Progressivism And The Progressive Era

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 business sector ever value human life? All of these issues were addressed through the new progressive movement. Progressivism is defined as “a broad-based response to industrialization and its social byproducts. ” The first strikes were delivered to chisel away at a rock hard mentality of superiority and a crippling fear of change. This new America would provide hope for “the tired, the poor, …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