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Changes And Reforms During The Progressive Era

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The Progressive Era was a reconstruction period which took place between the years of 1890 to 1920. In this time many changes and reforms were enacted for the people of the United States. This era was driven in part by one of the best and most influential presidents of our country, Theodore Roosevelt. In his two terms he shaped how Americans lived in this country for the better by his program called the “Square Deal” that started in the early 1900’s. Theodore Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” reforms helped improve the conservation of the nation’s natural resources, protect the health of American consumers, and regulate big businesses. Roosevelt’s first reform had to deal with the conservation of natural resources. Many ranchers in the west wanted …show more content…

One of the biggest problems was the meat industry, European meat markets shut out American meat packers because of the tainted meat (May 81). Then when Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” released, it caused a huge stir in the public when people saw all of the filth in the meat packing plants. After a progressive senator named Alfred J. Beveridge read this muckraking article, he immediately sent it to Mr. Roosevelt. Although the president did not like the style of writing, he stated that it very much “represented” the industry (Lewis …show more content…

Roosevelt was famous for using was the Sherman Antitrust Act, he stopped robber barons such as J.P. Morgan and John Rockefeller from totally destroying competition. The most notable break up was the separation of Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, once split up into four different oil companies, many journalists and historians put it in one of the top 100 events that changed America during the twentieth century. He would go on to stop over 40 trusts in court using this act during his second term in office (Hillstrom 67). President Roosevelt stopped corrupt political machines in New York City, he was able to stop city bosses like Boss Tweed with “good values and hard work,” (Hillstrom 70). Lastly, Mr. Roosevelt took pride in that later on, his work would allow for easier federal regulation in the future. President Taft was able to bust even more trusts than Roosevelt himself (May

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Roosevelt believed that the government had a responsibility to protect the welfare of its citizens, and he pushed for several important reforms during his time in office. Trust-busting, antitrust laws, the Meat Inspection and Pure Food and Drug Act, establishing national parks and forests, and the Regulation of railroads were some of the progressive reforms Roosevelt enforced. For example, in support of the creation of the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA helped to improve the safety and quality of the nation's food supply. Also, Theodore’s support of the creation of the National Park Service helped to preserve the nation's wilderness areas and natural resources. The second major pro of Roosevelt's presidency was his aggressive foreign policy.

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Roosevelt did not always interfere with businesses directly, to help keep an eye on trusts and regulate them Roosevelt pushed Congress to make the Department of Commerce and Labor. This organization is still in effect today but has split up into just the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor which is essential for regulating businesses today. J.D.Rockefeller owned an oil company called Standard oil, this company had owned about 90% of the United States oil market. Rockefeller also had established a trust that allowed him to control the refining, distribution, and selling of the oil which made J.D. a huge threat because of the monopoly that the company was becoming. In 1911 the Supreme Court ruled Rockefeller’s company guilty of violating antitrust regulations and had the business split into 34

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During the Gilded Age, the Era between 1900-1920 many Americans feared that the wealthy population were benefiting themselves at the cost of the poor. They also worried about corruption in the government. The progressives and the Federal Government was very effective at bringing reform against corporations and helping the poor. However even through all the work prejudice still continued on. Success in reform really started when Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 he was known as the first progressive president.

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Known for his tough policy on big corporations, president Theodore Roosevelt took many actions to cut down trust and get rid of government corruption (Outside Evidence). Altogether, the responses and the actions taken by people’s responses did much to change and impact

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William Taft was more Progressive and Theodore Roosevelt was more conservative. Roosevelt was all about the environment. He was also known as the conservationist. Roosevelt wanted to protect land and the wildlife. He protected about 230 million acres of public land (Theodore Roosevelt and conservation).Roosevelt then formed the Bull Moose Party, another name for the Progressive Party, to challenge Taft.

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A man that forever altered the United States’ federal government, Theodore Roosevelt, lead an era of reform throughout the country. During his presidency Roosevelt fought towards improving the lives of all Americans, especially those in the working class with poor living and working conditions. Theodore Roosevelt did not only plan to help Americans during his presidency, but instead of America and its future. By setting aside land to preserve the natural landscape of America and preventing giant businesses from controlling the country’s economy, Roosevelt modified the U.S. government. The federal government took great change during Roosevelt’s presidency especially through land conservation and trusts.

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Theodore Roosevelt's anti-trust act stopped robber barons in their track's. The Anti-Sherman Trust Act wast the first act to outlaw monopolistic businesses which is reducing the fair market competition of enterprises and monopolies. Theodore Roosevelt sued J.P. Morgan for bad trust's and won the case in The Supreme Court. This was a turning point in America because robber barons didn't own America anymore. It was a time of greed, corruption, and broken capitalism was common in America.

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Roosevelt viewed the office of the President as a major leader in the legislative process. During a time where reform was required, Roosevelt was able to change the public opinion in order to push reforms through Congress. Never before, did the President go to the public to promote policies, but Roosevelt did because he knew it was the most effective way to bring the necessary change to the United States. By doing so, he helped pass many reforms like the Pure Food and Drug Act, which helped keep Americans safe from harmful foods and drugs. In addition,

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During the progressive era after the Gulida Age, the progressive presidents made many reforming acts against the problems of the gilded age. Their reforms were very effective on fixing the issues against poverty and injustice of the people. These reforms were not only effective, but also still relevant to date. Without the call of action of these acts issued to the United States, we wouldn't have protection against problems that we still face. Under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, he had a mindset on issuing the ‘’Square Deal’’.

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Theodore used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to break apart many monopolies that he thought had gone bad. President Roosevelt believed that the huge “trust bosses” were acting foolish, because they were as rich as possible and didn’t care or notice to care about the common man and the desperately struggling poor. Theodore Roosevelt advocated for arbitration and became the “Trustbuster” because of all of the hard work that he put in as

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Thank you, Aunt Bessie for entrusting me with this enormous task. You have shown me the underside of America that I did not know existed. It has made me appreciate all of the social reforms that took place during the Progressive Era to make life better for all Americans. You have helped me learn about the Progressive reformers like Jane Addams, John Muir, Lewis Hine, Upton Sinclair, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and many more dedicated citizens like yourself. You have given child labor, food safety, and deforestation a great gift of

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Roosevelt also passed the National Reclamation Act. This act in sure that the money earned from the sale of government land wouldn’t go to supply water to farms in the west. The money was used was during the construction of the Hoover

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But 143 trusts were broken up under the presidencies of Taft and Roosevelt. It is clear that their rhetoric and ‘business domination’ clearly had some effect. Under Wilson, 4

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Roosevelt fought on the side of the people, seen in his challenge of the Northern Securities Company in 1902, in which the Supreme Court ruled in his favor and dissolved the corrupt railroad trust company. Similarly, he helped the citizens of the nation with his passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which ensured that corporations could no longer flagrantly poison their consumers. Additionally, Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom program, which advocated for stronger antitrust legislation, banking

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The Gilded age was a period in the late 1800s (1865-1900) that showed tremendous increase of wealth caused by the industrial age. The lifestyle of the rich during this period hid the many problems of the time that eventually brought about the progressive era movement. This was a movement for reform between 1900-1920s. Progressives typically held that the irresponsible actions of the rich were corrupting both public and private life. Forces such as immigration, the Populist Party and industrialization that led to the progressive era also impacted the American government both in its activeness and its democracy.

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