The Progressive Era in the US - Essay Example

[The [The [The The Progressive Era The period of time between the Spanish-American War and World War I is known as the Progressive Era. It was a period marked by idealism, reform, and significant economic growth. Progressivism was a movement designed to correct the abuses which reformers felt had crept into American society and government, as a result of industrialization and urbanization. Progressivism was the outcome of a number of forces in American life. The reform spirit of the 1880's and 1890's was still strong, despite the collapse of the Populist Party after the election of 1896. After the hard times of the 1890's, many Americans were anxious for a better life and supported reforms intended to achieve this. The middle class, frightened by the economic unrest of the 1890's and the actions of giant business organizations, was more willing to accept progressive reforms than it had been earlier. After the quick victory in the Spanish-American War, there was a new feeling of confidence in the nation=s future. Progressivism had many aims. The general aims of Progressivism were as follows: to extend political democracy by shifting control of government from the political bosses and powerful industrialists to the people; to curb the power of big businessmen, in order to give greater economic opportunities to small business and labor; and to eliminate the social ills of society through needed reforms. Although the aims of Progressivism were shared by all Progressivists, support came from many different groups. Progressives came from both major parties, as well as from minor or third parties. Important political leaders in the movement included Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, and Governors Robert La Follette, Charles Evans Hughes, and Hiram Johnson. Support came from the farm, because the farmers wanted their problems to be recognized. Support came from artists and writers, who wrote stories about social ills. Progressivism accomplished many things. Political democracy was extended by initiative, referendum, recall, and the short ballot. The Seventeenth Amendment was passed and provided for the direct election of U.S. Senators. The Nineteenth Amendment gave the franchise to women to permit the selection of party candidates by registered voters. Many limitations and restrictions were placed on trusts. Monopolies were prosecuted and the Clayton Act was passed. The Federal Trade Commission Act was passed as well. Many laws which safeguarded labor and the public were enacted. More adequate factory and building inspection codes were adopted, greater provisions were made for sanitation and public health, and Congress enacted the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act which further improved the quality of foods. Perhaps the most dangerous beliefs of the progressive era may be the uncritical acceptance of the power of state to coerce individual behavior. The idea of individuality, which is vital for democracy, seemed, at times, to be threatened. This acceptance of the government's control over its nation's individuality opened the door for the surge of socialist views. The idea of a 'cooperative commonwealth' began to take it's roots in American society. (Dittmer, 12-22) Such socialist ideas and government control over individual behavior was very easy to sell to the poor working class, which made up a high percentage of America, who had become over-burdened by capitalist oppression. The government's ability to gain strength was looked upon by this class as the only way to control the overpowering private sector, which were the big-businesses. As Wilson stated 'Our duty [government] is to cleanse, to reconsider, to restore, to correct the evil without impairing the good, to purify and humanize every process of our common life without weakening or sentimentalizing it.' .In the idea of government controlling 'every process of our common life' lies a great danger; the control of government lying in the hands of the people, not the other away around, is essential for democracy. Though the progressive era was one that attempted to progress American society, the acceptance of moral and intellectual superiority, and exaggerated confidence in the social applications of science, and an uncritical acceptance of the use of state power to coerce individual behavior, which were the seeds of the progressive movement, could readily be interpreted as repressive and destructive. Through these beliefs, the increased strength of the government threatened democracy itself. During the Progressive movement, great steps were taken to change how the government related to factories. This change came in the form of regulation. This included the implementation of philosophy to increase efficiency and safety in the workplace. Frederick Taylor, also known as the father of "scientific" labor management, was key in devising strategy to increase efficiency and production. Henry Ford, known for his success in the automobile industry, also had a major impact on workplace strategy. He believed that by lowering the price of his cars, he could make them available to mass markets and in turn be able to pay higher wages to his employees. The increased morale due to higher wages resulted in a higher production. During the Progressive era, U.S. government began clamping down on Big business. First steps in this type of economic reform were led by Theodore Roosevelt, a.k.a. "Trustbuster". Through his promotion of his "Square Deal" philosophy, he began breaking apart large trusts. The very first of these trusts involved the Northern Securities company trust. Roosevelt declared that this railroad monopoly was in violation of the guidelines laid out by the Sherman Anti-trust act. The Supreme Court ruled the company dissolved in 1902. This was only the first of many new, enforced regulations on "Big Business". Later to come would be the Hepburn Act, 1906, and the Mann-Elkins Act, 1910. Economic reforms became so important during the Progressive era that they became the main platforms in the infamous election of 1912. This election was between the Wilson, Taft, and Roosevelt, who ran under his newly founded Bull Moose Party. The Democratic Wilson campaigned under the platform known as "New Freedom", and Roosevelt under "New Nationalism". Both platforms supported a higher regulation of big business in either the breaking up of trusts or legislative justice. (David, 69-75) The greater government involvement in the economy led to Bank reform. Through bank reform, the Federal Reserve act was passed and later established the FTC. Incredible advancements in efficient government were made through economic reform. These advancements would carry into the depression, and years to come. Many reformers agreed that better residence and schooling could alter the lives of the poor and constitute an improved world. For many years, progressives had been trying to amend housing and construct new houses. They had built model apartments and housing projects and sent "visitors' to the inhabitants to collect the rent and teach them how to live like the middle class. In order to get a better understanding of what they had to do to help and getting laws passed, the reformers organized public opinion and also took a benevolent view of the poor. Along with trying to improve the housing, education was also an aim for progress to the reformers. Most of the public school systems were rigid and corrupt so progressives revolted against the school's behavior. Many of the progressives were known as muckrakers. Muckrakers were a group of writers who showed corruption and other evils in the American society. One well-known muckraker was Lincoln Steffens. Steffens was a young journalist, living in California, who wrote articles that exposed the connections between corrupt politicians and urban businessmen. Another established journalist was Ida Tarbell. Tarbell had grown up in western Pennsylvania, close to the first oil well in the United States. Tarbell released several books, when she finally began to focus on the Standard Oil Company and John D. Rockefeller. Tarbell's exposure of Rockefeller's cruel ways united many people in the fight for reformation. The progressives worked to solve many issues of the American society during that time. Child labor was the most troublesome sight to the progressives. Florence Kelley played an important role in the reformation of child labor. In 1899, Kelley became secretary of the National Consumers League, which was created at the suggesting of an Alabama clergyman, Edgar Gardner Murphy. In 1912, progressives persuaded Congress to organize a children's bureau in the Department of Labor. Along with the child labor laws were the striving efforts to limit the hours of women's work. In 1908, a vital court case appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court. A friend and coworker of Kelley's, Josephine Goldmark wrote the summary for Muller v. Oregon, that her brother-in-law, Louis Brandeis, used when he presented the case. The court affirmed Oregon's ten-hour law because Brandeis informed the court of the dangers and diseases the women faced in the factory. Finally, at the end of World War I, women's suffrage came to an end. The Progressive Movement was a triumphantly liberal period of radical change in American culture. All of society was influenced through basic reforms including social, urban, and economic. The changes made during this period helped America get through tough times in the future. (Allen, 119-23) While the progressives had to fight long and hard for reformation of social justice, workers, and cities and states, they obtained what they wanted as an end result. For social justice: child labor and home school, reformers such as Florence Kelley, Jacob Riis, and Edgar Gardner Murphy helped to gain child labor laws and personal advantages. For workers: union organizations, people like Mary Kenney, Danibury Hatters, and John Mekras made it possible to establish the AFL, legislation for women, and the government union strike. As far as cities and states go, Woodrow Wilson, Robert La Follette, and Hiram Johnson made it possible to establish a democracy to give more power to the people. Progressivism was an expansive type of society, first it started within the community and grew to larger aspects around the United States. And as an end result, this movement brought order and efficiency to a world that had been overcome by expansion and technology. The Progressive Era did many great things for society. It improved the quality of life, and of living. Through the support of many different types of people, Progressivism was a major success. The Progressive Era was dominated and striking by the success of this mass movement and in the consequence of which people got social change, some common citizens who has to travel from state to state acquired the right to vote, and some Presidents using their leadership and utilizing their power in the bully pulpit, or the white house as a persuasive force, to break up monopolies and trusts. Others were people just enjoying nature and wanting to preserve the land that they enjoy. But every one of the Progressive movements did not just stop with the Progressive Era, but for years to come, Presidents would use Theodore Roosevelt's bully pulpit, and people would march in the streets to be united and not segregated, and people would go so far as to handcuff themselves together in order to protect a certain place of wondrous beauty. Works Cited Allen Davis, Spearheads for Reform: The Social Settlements and the Progressive Movement, 1890-1914 (NewYork: Oxford Univ. Press, 1967) 119-23 David Rothman, "The State as Parent: Social Policy in the Progressive Era," in Willard Gaylin et al., Doing Good: The Limits of Benevolence (New York: Panthenon, 1978), 69-75 Dittmer, John: Black Georgia in the Progressive Era (Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1977), 12-22. Read More