American History - Term Paper Example

English 17 November History of America The Progressive Era During the initial part of the twentieth century, America experienced a revolutionto bring a radically changed relationship between the democratic government and its people (Roosevelt). Commonly known as the Progressive Era which took place from 1900 to 1918, the movement is now well known in the American history for the 18th and 19th Amendments, Prohibition and woman suffrage (Roosevelt). Later named as the “Age of Reform”, this era, through rigorous social and political turmoil, went a long way in redefining the responsibilities the government would have in American society (Roosevelt). The Progressives The Progressive Era witnessed the appearance of reformers known by the name progressives whose objective was to knock down the devils of inequalities in the nation (Roosevelt). With the target of highlighting democratic principles and social justice, the progressives made efforts to lay the pillar for a “new” America with liberty, equality and power (Roosevelt). These progressives emerging from a tradition of middle-class elites possessed a great sense of social responsibility for the underprivileged class (Roosevelt). In the view of Eleanor Roosevelt who belonged to this social class, “In that society you were kind to the poor, you did not neglect your philanthropic duties, you assisted the hospitals and did something for the needy.” (Roosevelt). The demand put forward by the progressives started gaining recognition from farmers to politicians as it went on expanding from social service to journalism (Roosevelt). Such was the outcome of the endeavors that even president, Theodore Roosevelt mentioned: “No hard-and-fast rule can be laid down as to the way in which such work [reform] must be done; but most certainly every man, whatever his position, should strive to do it in some way and to some degree.” (Roosevelt). This was supported with Roosevelt’s resolution to discourage the laissez-faire approach and to hold up labor of 1902’s Anthracite Coal Strike settlement (Roosevelt). In the Progressive Era, ladies such as Jane Addams and Lillian Wald shouldered the social duties of updating the immigrant sections and steering them towards the right ways of life and moral values (Roosevelt). This had some influence on the woman and child labor laws, welfare benefits and factory inspection legislation (Roosevelt). However, the exertions of these female reformers simply added to the bosses’ recognition (Roosevelt). Another group of progressives were “muckraking” journalists like Jacob Riis, whose work How the Other Half Lives (1890) gave way to tenant reforms, Lincoln Steffens, whose magnum opus The Shame of the Cities (1904) uncovered the political corruption Chicago and New York’s party machines and Upton Sinclair, whose book The Jungle (1906) brought the earliest legislation of Pure Food and Drug and Meat Inspection Acts in 1906 (Roosevelt). The growth of the progressives’ effects from local matters to foreign affairs became responsible for the First World War (Roosevelt). The disappointment of Woodrow Wilson’s endeavors to extend democracy across the country’s boundary by participating in World War I, gave way to reduction of the reforming force (Roosevelt). Nevertheless, it was the progressives who brought a new role for the government while handling troubles pertaining to urbanization and industrialization (Roosevelt). Moreover, their influence was felt in the New Deal and during the Great Depression too (Roosevelt). The Great Depression The American economy experienced a strong setback during the Great Depression period when the entire nation faced a dreadful fall in the rate of employment. Umpteenth number of reasons gave way to the Great Depression. The most noteworthy cause was the crash of the stock market when all of a sudden 16,400,000 shares of stock were sold off by the traders within one single day, 29 October 1929 (“The Great Depression”). Other causative factors were bank failures, factory lock-ups, shop closures and struggles of remaining businesses to survive (“The Great Depression”). It became very hard for the local governments to collect taxes for keeping the services going (“The Great Depression”). To fight the problems brought by the Great Depression, President Hoover passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act in 1930 which only deteriorated the situation by bringing international trade to a decline, thereby spreading the depression across the border (“The Great Depression”). The president then commenced a road, public building and airport construction program (“The Great Depression”). Hoover went on to elevate the nation’s credit facilities by escalating the banking system and building the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) investing $2 billion to support the struggling banks, railroads, factories and farmers (“The Great Depression”). Roosevelt had a completely dissimilar move towards the problems brought by Great Depression. The new president constructed the Federal Emergency Relief Administration for offering relief or wages for public works (“The Great Depression”). The introduction of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided jobs to three million citizens in road building, forestry labor and flood control (“The Great Depression”). Other important initiatives include the Works Progress Administration (WPA), The Emergency Banking Act, a new Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC), The Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (“The Great Depression”). Other responses to fight the difficulties brought by the Great Depression included FDR’s New Deal, inflating the money supply, deficit spending and World War II and even doing nothing (“America’s Great Depression”). The Great Depression exposed a shocking figure of unemployed Americans who were frantically looking for government remedies (“The Great Depression”). More than eight million workers were on the streets (“The Great Depression”). The miserable citizens including specialists struggled to get a job, sold apples on streets, had their only meals in soup kitchens, cursed the government and moved in railroad boxcars (“The Great Depression”). Moreover, a massive drought forced the masses to migrate by destructing numerous farms (“The Great Depression”). The Great Depression led to starving families in America (“The Great Depression”). The Great Depression had enormous negative effects on the lives of the Americans. There was no welfare system for unemployed workers (“Effects on America”). Everybody in the country was badly affected (“Effects on America”). Even those having work were distraught with the thought of their wages being cut (“Effects on America”). Those consumers who had take on credit facilities during the 1920s were not capable of making the monthly repayments and were hence compelled to part with their houses, cars, household goods and furniture (“Effects on America”). The Great Depression drastically altered the political portrait of America (“About the Great Depression”). The economic misery replaced Hoover’s presidency with that of the democrat Roosevelt in 1932 (“About the Great Depression”). With the execution of Roosevelt’s solutions some relief was realized (“About the Great Depression”). However, this was not for the absolute abolition of mass unemployment and economic stagnation (“About the Great Depression”). At last, the Great Depression was bid farewell by America’s entrance into World War II in 1941 when the nation’s factories became active in making armaments and munitions (“About the Great Depression”). The New Deal With the objective to combat the evil consequences brought by the Great Depression, Roosevelt came up with new programs through his New Deal which includes Minimum Wage Laws, 40 Hour Work Week, Right to form Unions, Outlaw Child Labor, Unemployment Insurance for Workers, Welfare and Aid to Families with Dependent Children, FHA to insure Home Mortgage Loans, Public Housing for the homeless, Progressive taxation of the Wealthy and Corporations, to name just a few (new deal). Despite Roosevelt’s meticulous exertions to release the American economy from the clutches of the Great Depression through the New Deal, the country did not see an improving economy throughout the 1930s (“About the Great Depression”). As per William Leuchtenberg, a enthusiast of the New Deal, the programs did aid millions of Americans to outstand atrocious poverty, economic hardship and loss of hope (“About the Great Depression”). It supported farmers, American workers, the elderly, women and children, poor families along with their children, unemployed Americans, rural Americans, bank depositors and investors, home-owners and consumers (“About the Great Depression”). The New Deal was strongly opposed by Hoover on grounds that it would obliterate the foundation of country and would also confront the autonomy of the nation (“About the Great Depression”). According to Gary Best, “the very New Deal programs Roosevelt created to help Americans overcome the Depression actually made it worse and increased suffering.” (“About the Great Depression”). Furthermore, Best debates that the New Deal just constructed a social welfare state which was anti-business and ignored the general welfare to an extent greater than it helped it (“About the Great Depression”). Works Cited “About the Great Depression”. English Illinois. 15 Nov. 20100. . “America’s Great Depression: Causes and Cures”. Amatecon. 15 Nov. 2011. . “Effects on America”. The Great Depression. 15 Nov. 2011. . Roosevelt, Eleanor. ”The Progressive Era 1900-1918”. PBS Online. 15 Nov 2011. . “The Great Depression: Social Issues, 1929-1942”. U-S-History. 15 Nov 2011. . Read More