Radical Political And Social Movements: The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era is a period in American history defined by radical political and social movements that challenged the foundational principles of the nation. Though classical liberal principles had been challenged in the past, specifically during the Civil War and Reconstruction, it was the Progressive Era that represented a shift in the American political arena away from individualism. During the Progressive Era, egalitarian movements began to take hold in the United States. Activists and reformers from diverse backgrounds and with very different agendas pursued their goals of a better America. As a result, by the turn of the 20th century, industrialization and urbanization had transformed the US into a wealthy and dominant world …show more content…
Investigative journalists or muckrakers helped bring reform issues to the attention of the public by exposing problems in American society. Specifically, writer and photographer Jacob Riis used photojournalism to capture the dismal and dangerous living conditions in working-class tenements in New York City. His work revealed serious problems in American society and advocated, often successfully, for change. Riis's work drew attention from Upton Sinclair, whose novel The Jungle helped to establish stricter standards for worker safety and food production. Both men's works dramatized situations in need of reform and, as a result, laws including the Pure Food Act, the Drug Act, the Meat Inspection Act, and laws that improved housing conditions took effect.

Suffrage continued to be the primary goal of women's rights movements during the Progressive Era. Starting in 1910, some states in the West began to extend the vote to women for the first time. However, the southern and eastern states continued to resist for years. Finally, in 1920, after women had proven that they were just as patriotic and deserving of citizenship as men, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted all American women the equal right to …show more content…
Roosevelt, also championed the Progressive Era. Wilson, in particular, was responsible for the establishment of a broad variety of social welfare programs intended on restricting the market economy and reducing the wealth gap. Wilson expanded upon the anti-trust legislation that was first introduced by Theodore Roosevelt. The purpose of this legislation was to restrict the monopoly formation in the market to improve the "fairness" of commerce. Another major business-related program that came out of the Progressive Era was the establishment of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve was established through the influence of progressive economists, who argued that the nation's economy must be managed to ease the impact of recessions in the business