Progressive Movement - Essay Example

 Progressive Movement Introduction Progressive movement involved the people of all sorts including the men, women, middle class reformers, workers and intellectuals. Mains aim behind this movement was to bring reforms in politics through giant corporations. Progressive era is the period of political as well as social reforms in US between 1890s and 1920s. Establishing the direct democracy was an important goal of this era. Progressives promoted the competition of consumers’ benefits through regulations of monopolistic. Progressivism is seen as the international movement for rapid growth in the urbanization and urban areas. Progressivism brought several improvements in social, political and economic developments. Who were Progressives? A loosely defined movement was formed from the progressive reformers. Progressives were individuals or groups of people who were concerned about the state of society, impacts arising from urbanization and industrialization, poverty, social issues and political corruption (Foner, 2014, p.678). Progressives as businessmen were ambitious to include the laborers and workers for their rights in decision making and economic improvement. Women were part of progressive movement who sought their right of protection of their children from exploitation. Journalists as progressives had exposed the major ills of urban as well as industrial lives with expectations to encourage reforms. Social scientists also took part in progressive era with their beliefs of solving the social problems through the academic research. Middle class individuals were more fearful about the rise of big businesses that could threat their social as well as economic status. Currents and Trends Progressivism was defined through currents and trends of counterculture, challenges to authorities, cultural liberation and sexual revolution. Other currents and trends include the steps towards the equal rights, civil rights and establishing the women’s organizations. Progressivism occupied the central and broad spectrum in political as well social spheres. Socialists advocated that economy’s state control and laborers’ voices must be accorded in their decision making. Many civil and political organizations recognized that inequality could threat the democracy, so they considered that political struggle was essential to defend the interests of workers. Industrial freedom was another connection between political democracy and economic redistribution. During the progressive era, working class organizations formed the trade unions for a “living wage” and promoted the workplace relations. During progressive era, many splinter groups fought for their social, economic and political betterment. Chinese immigrants, African and American males were excluded from this movement, but progressivism movement brought reforms in laws’ regulation, improveed working conditions and grant of women’s suffrage. Individuals of social groups were combined together and brought social and political amendments. In progressivism era, role of women remained prominent. Women drown in the movement due to plight of child labor and immigrant. In results of progressivism, women entered the professions like nursing, social work and education. Progressive movement paved the way for women to get employment in the public places including the stores and entertainment places. A Liberty in education regardless of any particular society’ individual was strongly supported by the progressive (Foner, 2014, p.550). The progressive era resulted into various social, economic and political achievements. Growth in farms as well as cities was emphasized on equal basis in the American history. A “Five Dollars Day” wages of workers was a major success of progressive movement in 1914. Workers’ integration into the therapeutic culture early pioneered by the middle and upper classes in results of new methods’ acquiescence was a new offering. Economic goodwill of workers was served through this new Five Dollar Day package that made their lives more right. Muckrakers as journalists made their research based on the exposure of industrial as well as social ills. Muckrakers brought some much beneficial reforms by removing the ills from industrial and social spheres. Muckrakers pointed out the status of political as well as wealth corruption and social hardships. They had influenced significantly upon the Roosevelt and forced him to announce the domestic reforms package called as Square Deal. These reforms supported the workers, consumers and tame big business. Progressive movement was hardly the unified movement, so Roosevelt’s advisors did not speak with a single voice. The progressive movement resulted into First New Deal (Foner, 2014, p. 800). Before this deal larger corporations exercised more powers and increased prices artificially and failed to enhance the workers’ buying power. Eric also includes the Wilson’s “New Freedom” that is aimed to protect the workers’ rights of unionization. Before this progressive movement, workers were not powerful to make workers’ unions. Individuals were encouraged to do small businesses for their earning (Foner, 2014, p.710). Progressivism was the combination of social, political and economic movements that addressed issues in all three areas. Issues in social, economic and political spheres of American lives were closely related or issues of one movement affected the other areas directly or indirectly. Injustice in equal rights to men and women offered problems to social as well as economic development of poor Americans. Agricultural reforms increased the well being of people that resulted into economic development of United States. Progressive movement did not consider only economic or social well being of Americans, but too emphasized the political changes that could bring the sharing of power among individuals. Workers’ rights of higher wages, social insurance and pensions were resulted from these collective movements. Conclusion In this paper, progressive movement in United States is seen in the context of social, economic and political changes. Progressives were individuals or group of people who raised their voices for their social political and economic rights. Workers or laborers were paid less daily wages that led to their worse living. Progressive movement brought an increase of workers at Five Dollar Day in their wages. Social discrimination between individuals of higher classes, middle classes and lower classes was lessened at some extent. Women’s right of vote was accepted with child labor and protection of their rights. Political powers from corporations were shifted and divided to weaken them or shift them to lower classes. Square Deal and New Freedom packages resulted from progressive movement. Progressive era proved to be constructive for urban industrialization that was damaged before. The progressive movement seemed to be with developments of child labor laws, FDA, women’s rights revitalization, compulsory education and some social programs. References Foner, E. (2014). Give Me Liberty! An American History. Volume II. (4th Ed.) W.W. Norton Read More