Changes During The Progressive Era

The time before the progressive era was time of innovation and advancements. However, it was also a time of destruction, degradation and disturbance. Industry boomed and health diminished because of cheap choices. The population soared and people were underrepresented. Urban environments expanded and the frontier disappeared. With great advancement came a plethora of new problems. To meet the new needs of the time, many reforms were created to protect the people, places and ideas of the U.S.' populace. The progressive era lasted from the late 1800s to the early 1900s and in it many changes were seen. The progressive era created radical change with women's suffrage, conservation laws and food and drug inspection. In a stand against

populace was being taken into consideration as industry changed and reforms became a common occurrence during the progressive era. In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt proposed a law on food inspection. He said "The sale of food-stuffs which have been contaminated or polluted so as to injure health or to deceive purchasers should be forbidden." If the president proposed a law, it shows that there was a radical change because Roosevelt thought the food processing industry was a substantial problem that could hurt the health of citizens. It shows that the problem was unavoidable and that something actually needed to be done. The book the jungle written by Upton Sinclair 1906 documents the meat processing industry. A quote from the book reads "there was never the least attention paid to what was cut up for sausage… The rats, [poisoned] bread and meat would go into the hoppers together" This quotation shows that there is radical change because it showed what the food industry was like before the reforms occurred and were put into place. It alerted quite a few people of the many unsanitary conditions and actions that placed consumers at risk of disease. Later that year, in 1906 the meat inspection act was passed by Congress. The act stated that "it is essential in the public interest of the health and welfare of consumers be protected" The meat inspection act shows radical change in the food industry because people have recognized that there are health concerns concerning the actions of the companies. There is a reform being put into effect that will minimize these problems. The act also states how the meatpacking and other food processing industries will change as a result of the reform. As a result of the unsanitary customs of the meat packing and other food industries, reforms had to be created to protect the health of