“Achoo!” Fumes flowed through the air as a young man coughed. It was the year 1900, and 26% of boys ages 10-15 were already in the workforce. The United States faced many problems like this one in the early 1900’s. From sanitation, to wildlife, to labor and factories, the states were struggling. Luckily, the movement of progressivism swept across America in a hurry. Progressives had an ultimate goal, to improve society. Homes and factories were filthy, deforestation was rising, and most people were working in horrible conditions. Using the examples of sanitation, wildlife, and the workplace; I can choose where to put my money. If I had one million dollars to spend on society improvements in the early 1900’s, I would spend $500,000 on factories and labor, $300,000 on sanitation and $200,000 on wildlife. …show more content…
Sanitation was a problem in homes and public places. Many women lived in tenement houses and for this reason, women had difficulty cleaning and caring for the house. (Doc C) Basements were damp, stairways certainly weren’t fireproof, and finding untainted food was a large issue for people who lived in tenements. (Doc C) Factories were also filthy. Meat factories had meat falling onto the floor onto dirt and sawdust. (Doc D) Water dripped in the factories and rats would run all over the meat and leave droppings. (Doc D) I would spend $300,000 on sanitation because it was clearly a big issue, but I wouldn’t spend $500,000 on it because it wasn’t as much of a problem as labor and