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Dbq On The Progressive Era

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Recommended: Populist and the progressive movements compare and contrast the membership, motivations, and political programs

During the era of the Gilded age, America industrialized at a previously unprecedented rate and became the greatest industrial producer across the globe. With the rapid growth of businesses, common citizens became worried that the government would become indifferent, with only the interests of the wealthy businessmen and businesses. This could be seen in many political cartoons of the time period, which often saw monopolists and businessmen looking down at their workers or other ordinary people. The Populists, who consisted of rural farmers and other workers, attempted to reform both federal and state governments and ultimately failed. However, the more educated and higher social status Progressive reformers found more success in their efforts. …show more content…

Theodore Roosevelt, the President at the time, argued that the big corporations needed to be controlled and strongly supervised by the government to avoid any issues (Doc 2). In his speech, Roosevelt shared the various principles of his Square Deal, which was his program that promised to regulate business and protect the American consumer. Ultimately, the government gained power over big business during the Progressive Era, which could be seen by the Clayton Antitrust Act, which was a strong act aiming to regulate business that replaced the weaker Sherman Antitrust Act. However, this didn’t necessarily mean that the government and business were enemies during the Progressive Era. Occasionally, some business leaders would even become involved in government to make it more efficient and beneficial for business owners. The manager of the Ford Motor Company, James Couzens, helped to reform the Detroit Police Department in order to make it more efficient and effective (Doc 6). The Progressive were able to successfully balance the intricate relationship between big business and government, which provided for more …show more content…

Progressives were under the impression that the government should protect the people from their vices, like the consumption of alcohol. Prohibitionists printed and distributed many propaganda pieces, such as the one published by the Anti-Saloon League in 1918, that portrayed a brewer as evil and against the interests of American women and children (Doc 7). Even though Prohibition was successfully implemented into the Constitution, it was later repealed because it resulted in a skyrocketing of organized crime because Americans were determined to find a way to get alcohol, whether that be legal or illegal. Also, President Wilson segregated the employees of the federal government, following the excuse that it would make the employees safer and make the government more efficient. However, the NAACP strongly protested this move in a letter to the president, which claimed that the actual result was the humiliation of African American workers (Doc 5). Because members of the NAACP were African Americans that were directly affected by the changes made by President Wilson, they were in a stronger position to express how his segregation plan affected the workers, rather than Wilson and other white Americans who made the

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232 Words | 1 Pages

The economic elements of the Progressive Era revolved mainly around the trusts that had a hold of the economy, as well as the trust-busting that Roosevelt took part in at the time. Big companies started taking over the economy due to the building monopolies and Roosevelt became determined to break up the damaging trusts. For example, oil companies such as Rockefeller’s and Standard Oil had basically dominated the whole oil industry during this time by driving out smaller business and intimidating railroad industries to transport their oil. Previously mentioned companies like Rockefeller’s proposed that their trusts allowed for economic advancements such as oil management and steady jobs for men, but most trusts threatened the public interests

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471 Words | 2 Pages

In 1919, Congress passed the 18th Amendment which banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in America (Doc B). Prohibitionists overlooked the tenacious American tradition of strong drink and of weak control by the central government. Thus, there was tension between the modernists and the traditionalists. Although the amendment was passed, alcohol was still distributed illegally. Actually, prohibition spawned many crimes, such as illegal sale of alcohol and gang wars.

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350 Words | 2 Pages

Corporate greedy and corrupt politicians were specific problems and injustices that were present in American life during the late 1800s and early 1900s however these were addressed during the progressive era with laws and regulations. Throughout the gilded era corrupt politicians and corporate greedy allowed the upper class and businessmen to take advantage of the working class. This means that a majority of the population were hurt during the gilded age whereas a small percentage benefitted. As seen in document 1, living conditions were crowded, dirty, and unsafe.

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826 Words | 4 Pages

“For the first time, then, the federal government acted against commerce only on a potential threat, not genuine behavior” Roosevelt did not want to destroy large corporations, he just wanted to strictly regulate them so they could benefit the public more. He thought that if they were not regulated, they would only have intentions to help themselves and not do what is best for the greater population. “Roosevelt’s comment was the astonishing view that corporations do not serve the public good on their own-that they must be made to-and that furnishing jobs, paying taxes, and creating new wealth did not constitute a sufficient public benefit.” Roosevelt made unreasonable threats and did not honor the constitution.

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786 Words | 4 Pages

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Progressive reformers worked to improve the social, political, and economic problems in American society. Throughout this time, muckrakers helped reformers by revealing injustices to Americans through journalism, books, campaigns, photographs, and political cartoons. Poor working conditions, low quality of consumer products, and inferior democracy were present in American life during the Progressive Era; reforms such as state actions, the Meat Inspection Act, and Direct Primary helped to eliminate these corruptions. An issue society faced during the Progressive Era was poor working conditions. In Upton Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, he writes that if a person found anyone who uses knives in this factory,

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408 Words | 2 Pages

During this time three different president- Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson-each played a part in fixing the monopolies and corporate greed. Breaking up one company into many, securing that not one person made all the profit. Which is good for the economy, being able to share the wealth. Yet, the government didn 't bother in touching other important

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1017 Words | 5 Pages

In the post-Civil War United States corporations grew significantly in number, size and influence. Big business had a major impact on the economy and politics in America resulting in changes for many American citizens. As been noted, one way in

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1011 Words | 5 Pages

Prior to the year 1890 the United States went through the era of industrialization. The era focused on manufacturing, and factory work which led to mass production. Industrialization caused the U.S cities and market economy to expand rapidly. Industrialization also shaped the development of a large working class, to provide work for the large industries. Workers experienced poor working conditions such as long hours, poor sanitation, and little pay.

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166 Words | 1 Pages

The Progressive Era is unique in that this impulse spread to foster an all-encompassing mood and effort for reform. The immigrant "Quandary" was handled for the most part by white, middle-class puerile women. Many of these female reformers had been inculcated in the incipient women 's colleges that had sprung up in the tardy nineteenth century. Possessing an edification yet barred from most professional vocations, these women took to "Sodality building" as an expedient to be active in public life.

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529 Words | 3 Pages

The NAACP also “attacked segregation and racial inequality.”. Leaders of the NAACP “sought, first, to make whites aware of the need for

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533 Words | 3 Pages

The Gilded Age was a period of great industrial and economic growth in the United States. Major social and political difficulties, mainly for the working class and farmers, were evident throughout this period. In contrast to these problems, the People's Party, also known as the Populist Movement, was formed to accomplish political, social, and economic changes. Two of the main causes of the rise of populism in the 1890s were the accumulation of money and power in the hands of powerful businesses, in addition to the negative effects of technology on the lives of farmers and workers. The concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a select few was one of the main causes of populism's developments in the 1890s.

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622 Words | 3 Pages

The Gilded Age brought about the Populist movement which occurred because the poor people of America wanted a chance at economic wealth. The first populist movement occurred in 1867 when the “Grange” or “Patrons of Husbandry” farmer’s union called for regulation of railroad shipping rates instead of the “natural monopoly” that was occurring at the time. The Interstate Commerce Commission was created in 1887 because of the “Grange” movement. Although, railroads corporations were so wealthy they could buy around government regulations. The ICC remained ineffective until President Theodore Roosevelt.

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1139 Words | 5 Pages

First of all, the progressive era which took place on the period of 1890 to 1920 was an important part,, positive and negative, in the history of the United States which at the moment it main ideals were to destroy the corruption in the government and create a more stable government that could work for the American people and much more less work for the rich. Some of the important things that were created and given were the right to women to vote which did not include people of color and much more less women of color because they were considered less than a human being and not worth of this so called privilege. I strongly believe that we are all equal and that nobody is above nobody else because were born the same way and will die sooner or

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1116 Words | 5 Pages

It led to the passing of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, forcing Trusts like John D Rockefeller’s Standard Oil to disband. Britannica remarks, “Standard Oil broke up in 1911 as a result of a lawsuit brought against it by the U.S. government in 1906 under the Sherman Antitrust Act” (Britannica). This act broke up trusts during the Progressive Era and shows how workers can effectively fight back against trusts and monopolies taking more than their fair share of the market and profit. People in the modern day have taken inspiration from workers during this time and protested wealth inequality and labor exploitation by modern companies. I connect this back to my argument that the social precedents set during the Progressive Era can help Americans today fight back against corporate monsters taking advantage of hard

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991 Words | 4 Pages

INTRODUCTION Conflict is a reality of life in today workplace . Conflict is a work place can be functional or nonfunctional . The level conflict , can be healthy in the organization as it encourages employee to search for better ways to do their jobs and we can also eliminates groupthink. nonfunctional conflicts can cause stress and headache for employees in the organization. . In this generation there are many families now have both spouses(husband & wife) working, and they should also balance their personal and professional lives become very important for an employee.

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