Did the Progressive reform substantially restrain the power of American capitalism - Essay Example

Response: Did the Progressive reform substantially restrain the power of American capitalism? Response: Did the Progressive reform substantially restrain the power of American capitalism? Rough Draft 1 The progressive movement in America established itself between the 1890s and 1920s, as a response to industrial revolution. The industrial revolution may have begun in the 18th century Great Britain, but by the 19th century, America had overtaken the Great Britain as the supreme industrial power (64).

1 Following the industrial revolution, American capitalism perforated in dimensions never seen before, and this exposed the ills inherent in the system. The progressive movement and their progressive reforms were directed towards healing the problems inherent in capitalism but not to wipe completely out capitalism. Rather than replace the capitalist system with socialist ideologies, progressive reformers sought to address the ills in the capitalist system. The writer of this draft wholly captures the essence of the progressive reforms and their impacts on American capitalism.

Importantly, the author captures that progressives were advocating for the protection of the American workers and the American consumers who were being exploited by large corporations. Large corporations had organized themselves into trusts so as to avoid competition, hence the need for the progressives to fight against these trusts and fight for the rights of the middle and working class. The writer’s argument can be further improved by noting that the progressive movement was not rooting for the end to capitalism, but to address the issues in the system.

The best quote to add in the draft would be, ‘progressive reformers attacked the economic and political system for allowing the flourishing of abuses in the capitalist system.’2 This quote captures the essence of the progressive reformers, and adds weight to the author’s arguments and enables the reader to identify that the steps taken by the reformers were in the right direction. As a conclusion, the progressive reformers were not looking to do away with capitalism but to change the non-progressive aspects of American capitalism Rough Draft 2 The writer of this draft encapsulates the essence of the progressive reformers and the impact they had on American capitalism.

The draft opens up with an introduction to the events preceding the rise of the progressive reformers. According to the draft, Americans were wary that there would be disruptive conflicts that would arise between forces of industrial capitalism and the militant workers they controlled. Though the reformers came to change and deal with the issues associated with capitalism, they did not entirely succeed in derailing the conflicts between capitalists and the working class. The rough draft writer could improve his/her work by noting this point as it shows that though the reformers achieved some form of success it came at a cost.

Violence and conflicts between the working class and the industrial capitalists can be evident in the 1877 railroad strikes, the Homestead strike, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire.3 ‘Railroad companies were offering discounted prices to high volume long distance customers such as Standard Oil while farmers were left to contend with high freight rates (52).’4 The discontented farmers waged strikes against these corporations to call on the government to act. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire resulting from conflicts between workers and the capitalists led to the deaths of 146 immigrant women.

Such tragedies show that the violence that the reformers were seeking to avoid were unavoidable. As such, the best quote that should appear in the draft is that ‘strikes even though violent helped shed light on the issues Americans faced at their workplace.’5 Regardless of these conflicts, reformers were successful in abating the power of American capitalists and improving conditions for workers. Bibliography Eagleton. Progressive movement. Accessed September 29, 2015, http://www.eagleton.rutgers .edu/ research/americanhistory/ap_progressive.

php Glaser Leah. Post reconstruction through 1920. Accessed September 29, 2015 http://www.vcdh .virginia.edu/solguide/VUS08/essay08d.html Mooney Sage, Henry. The progressive era: The great age of reform. Accessed September 29, 2015, http://sageamericanhistory.net/progressive/topics/progressive.html.