Hostory and Political Science - Essay Example

Consequently, existing governing system in the United States failed to overcome the abovementioned social ills. In this juncture, number of social movements and institutions had emerged in the United States during 1900s and they concentrated variety of social issues like discrimination, establishment of public education, oppression of women and their economic freedom, human rights and corruption. Social movements like the progressive movement, Alabama Women and the Progressive Movement, Evangelicalism and the labor movements of 19th century had addressed a lot of social ills that affected the American society.

All these efforts had directly and indirectly connected with the issues related with women’s rights. Social reformers and activists of various movements like progressive movement, Alabama Women and the Progressive Movement, Evangelicalism and the labor movements of 19th century had addressed many social evils including issues related with women’s rights. The progressive movement and its related reforms had marked considerable changes or augmentation in social, political and cultural scenario of 19th century America.

The new movement had provided rebirth to the community through economic and industrial developments. Problems of labors, prisoners and grants became a fundamental issue among the public ant it prevented social developments. Social reformers had made their initial efforts to change the working conditions of middleclass and laborers. Progressive movements focused to work out problems in work fields such as working hours, safety, wages, and job security, abuses of capitalists and low wages and inequality among the women workers.

Robert La Follette, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson had spent their time and effort in managing different social ills and considered as the leaders of progressive movements. As a part of labor reforms government had introduced some welfare programs for workers. Faith Jaycox explains that “In 1908 at Roosevelt’s urging, Congress established a very modest workmen’s compensation program for a few federal employees” (Jaycox, 2005, p.338). In addition, The National Civic Federation (NFC), an organization of civic representatives and labor had established welfare programs and new compensation packages for workers.

Labor reforms from working class people had managed various problems related with laborers. Reformers like Henry George, Eugene Debs, and Samuel Gompers continuously met workers and understood their problems. Similarly these reform movements addressed issues related with common people like prostitution, substance abuse, and alcoholism and immigrant problems. The issue of public education had affected the social and political life of American people during the period of 1800s and no public education system existed in The United States.

Discrimination in education and employment existed as a significant problem in society and the reformers had announced equality in public education was their major goal. In due course, reformers had declared that the uneducated citizenry would not be able to engage in American democracy. Bruce S. Jansson examines that “In short, much like founders of other institutions in this period, they defined education as a moral enterprise that teach moral rules and so allow