The Progressive Era Essay
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5 Pages
The Gilded Age yielded many problems for the Progressive Era. Some of these problems were no government control on big business, unsafe working conditions, child labor, gender inequality, corrupted politics, and racial inequality. Numerous amounts of these issues were dealt with during the movement but some were not. The political, social, and economic reforms of the Progressive Movement addressed many of the problems of the Gilded Age through government regulation of business and a more democratic political system; however, the movement failed to address the problems of racial inequality. During the Progressive Movement, government regulation of big business was a prominent theme. This theme was primarily shown in President
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Trusts were the merging of big companies, monopolies, to control the marketing of certain products. In 1890, he upheld the Sherman Anti-trust Act, passed by Harrison, which made trusts/ monopolies illegal. However, it was initially misused against unions. During his presidency, Woodrow Wilson passed the Clayton Anti-trust Act which corrected the problems of the Sherman Anti-trust Act. It outlawed certain practices that restricted competition and stated that unions on strike could no longer be considered violating the anti-trust acts. Along with government regulation of big business was the advocacy of worker’s and consumer’s protection. Worker’s protection became necessary after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 when over 145 young immigrant women workers burned or jumped to their death. It was considered the most deadly event in New York for 90 years. The tragedy led to many safety reforms in the workplace such as mandatory fire drills, it being obligatory that all doors open outward, required sprinkler systems, and adequate fire escapes. In 1916, President Wilson passed the Keating Owens Act which outlawed the interstate sale of products produced by child labor thereby banning child labor. Wilson also passed the Adamson Act that same year which established 8 hour workday for railroad workers. In addition to these protective acts was the Workmen’s compensation Act of 1916. It guaranteed protection to workers and their dependents in event of injury or