Anyone can affirm that there were many events that occurred or time periods during US history that changed life as we know it. There have been wars, and each had its own effect on the citizens of the United States. On a smaller scale, there have been movements that have also changed America drastically. One of these movements, which is also one of the more recent ones of them all, was the Progressive Era (1890’s-1920’s). Some could argue that other times or events have been more influential, but the Progressive Movement is without a doubt the most significant. To what extent did the Progressive Era change American Life? To begin, one main thing that drove the Progressive Era forward were the Muckrakers. Muckrakers were writers that analyzed …show more content…
In Sinclair’s novel, he graphically described injuries obtained in the industries, such as severed fingers which spread diseases and blood poisoning. Besides just injuries, Sinclair also provided many details on the diseased meat, dead rats in the meat, and rat poison that got into the meat processors (“Meat Inspection Act,” 2015). He also detailed how the meat packing industry was corrupt, exploitative, and oppressive to go alongside the dangers that faced both the consumers and workers (Cherny, “The Jungle and the Progressive Era). From his work, the Meat Inspection Act (MIA) was created to provide safer food for citizens, and it established sanitary standards for both slaughterhouses and meat processing plants. The MIA was designed to go hand in hand with the Pure Food and Drug Act, which was created at the same time as the Meat Inspection Act in 1906. The Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Acts weren’t the only things that improved the meat packing industries. The new workmen’s comp laws also made things better both for the corporations and the workers. Before the Progressive Movement, work spaces were very cramped and there was poor lighting and many young children (Hine, “Seafood Workers”). These factors combined to make for disorderly working conditions causing …show more content…
In regular factories, there were many risks, especially since child labor made up most of the work force, there were many accidents because the kids would be careless, or get stuck, or multiple other reasons. In a picture taken in 1912 in a textile factory, two children are seen working the machines. They’re both 10 years or younger, and standing on the machines barefoot. The children could easily slip and fall, get their fingers or toes crushed, or numerous other deadly accidents. A census from 1890 showed that over one million children between the ages of 10-15 years old worked in America, and that number increased drastically, by two million, in 1910 (Davis, “Progressive Era Reform”). While children from the ages of 5 and 6 weren’t included in the census, they still worked the same shifts as the older kids, which were 18-20 hours a day, 6 days a week. During the Progressive Era, these conditions improved dramatically for the children working, and for all the other workers as well. In 1904, a group of reformists created the National Child Labor Committee, and started lobbying to end the abuse that was child labor. Eight years later, a Children’s Bureau was established to examine all matters pertaining to the welfare of children (“Working Conditions in Factories (Issue),” 2000). President Woodrow Wilson later signed for the Tax on
Sinclair worked undercover in a meatpacking plant to gather information firsthand, before he began writing the book. Its influence on the labor practices and regulations governing the food industry cannot be understated. It tackles subjects as varied as the poor living conditions of the immigrants, exploitation of cheap labor by industrialists, and the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking plants and stockyards of Chicago. The descriptions of the disgusting processes that were conducted in the meatpacking plants made for shocking reading and turned the book into a bestseller. The President Teddy Roosevelt ordered an investigation into the lack of sanitation in meatpacking plants and caused the creation of legislation governing the food industry in the form of the Food and Drugs Act of 1906.
Progressive Era Reforms During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States was experiencing a time of widespread reform. This movement brought great changes to multiple fields and areas in the United States. These reforms were ideas that improved the quality of life for working and normal citizens in the United States. Two such examples of these movements are found in reforms made within the working and living conditions across America.
The Progressive Era, in some ways, differ from the Gilded Age. During the Gilded Age, America was skyrocketing in terms of economic success, and the exercising of imperialism. While this all sounds good, the Gilded Age is merely an illusion of a utopia. The Progressive Era, however, slandered the ideals pushed in the Gilded Age. The Progressive Era was a side that lay dormant during the Gilded Age and flourished when the time came.
Political Changes of the Progressive Era Prior to the Progressive Era, politics was influenced by Laissez-Faire economics. This meant the government let supply and demand dictate the economy. This would lead to unregulated industry with generally poor conditions. Politics also turned a blind eye to social issues of the industrial era. This would change with the emergence of the progressive era.
The Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States from 1890 to 1920 by addressing human rights, political, and social issues. Americans in past years had
Sinclair also sent President Theodore Roosevelt a copy of the novel, and he was outraged by the atrocities that were happening within the meatpacking industry. The impact that this book had on society, as well as Roosevelt, eventually led to the passing of the first regulations within this industry. Progressives pushed the federal government to pass The Meat Inspection Act and The Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The Meat Inspection Act mandated government enforcement of sanitary and health standards in meatpacking plants. The Pure Food and Drug Act prohibited false advertising and harmful additives in food.
Although it may seem that the meat packing industry is still in turmoil because of their unwillingness to make known what foods have Genetically Modified organisms present, the meat packing industry was much worse during the 1900’s because of the unsafe working conditions, and uncleanliness of the food. Body 1: The meat packing industry’s working conditions were much worse in the 1900’s than they are today. In the novel The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, working conditions were horrible for immigrants who were employed in these factories. People in these factories were worked very hard and used up till they could not work anymore. In the novel Jurgis broke his ankle because of the unsafe
The Progressive Era was a time period where people known as Muckrakers exposed the problems of everyday people like the poor living conditions while the progressives tried different ways to fix those problems. During this time, there were also six goals that they focused on protecting social welfare, promoting moral improvement, improving efficiency and labor, creating economic and government reforms. One of the major reforms of this time was the Social Welfare reform which helped to improve some of the problems that people faced such as poor housing, lack of education, and social welfare for women. In 1890, Jacob Riis published a book called How the Other Half Lives which exposed the harsh and poor living conditions of immigrants in tenement
The Progressive Era was an era in the United States from the 1890’s to the 1920’s in which many changes occurred. The most common changes in the Progressive Era included regulating businesses, voting rights, and improvements in healthcare, education, and many other factors that have contributed to the United States that we know today. Although there were many improvements and changes during the progressive era, the United States today is very different, but is also similar in some ways. Some similarities include the government, voting rights and equality for races that are considered minorities, and business regulation. Some differences between the two time periods include the state of the economy, politics, and media.
The progressive era changed the face of America it impacted so well to today's society. Without the women's suffrage and everything that happened today's society would not be the way it is. The main thing that happened in the progressive movement was eliminating corruption in the government. The progressive era was around the 20th century. Without the progressive era our society would be so different.
Progressives saw American society as plagued with problems, including poverty, injustice and corruption. Ten million lived in absolute poverty and two million children were working. Twenty five thousand workers were killed a year due to industrial
Jane Addams The Progressive Era, 1890-1920, accomplished great change in the Unites States of America. Many reformers and activits demanded for change in education, food and drug policies, and most importantly the govermenet. The goal for the movement was the purify the nation. One of the main activits during this time was Jane Addams. Jane Addams is often refered to as a social and political pioneer.
The progressive era was moderately effective from achieving social reform and lowering the influence of businesses over the people. An example would be the women's movement in 1800s. The women's suffrage movements were a constant struggle with lot’s of strikes and protests. Finally in 1920 the 19th amendment came to past allowing women to vote federally. Another example would be the passing of building heath codes, and fire safety regulations.
Child labor during the 18th and 19th century did not only rapidly develop an industrial revolution, but it also created a situation of difficulty and abuse by depriving children of edjucation, good physical health, and the proper emotional wellness and stability. In the late 1700 's and early 1800 's, power-driven machines replaced hand labor for making most manufactured items. Many of America 's factories needed a numerous amount of workers for a cheap salary. Because of this, the amount of child laborers have been growing rapidly over the early 1800s.
There were 300-400 cases diagnosed every year, following 10-20 deaths. Regulation of the meatpacking industry began in 1906 after President Theodore Roosevelt read a book by Upton Sinclair about the dangers of the working class and the corruption of the meatpacking industry. In 1906 Upton Sinclair wrote “The Jungle” with the hope of turning America from capitalism to socialism. Upton Sinclair believed as many others did at that time, that capitalism was evil and that socialism was the answer to end it. Upton Sinclair wrote his novel “The Jungle” that described the issues with the food industry.