Essay On The Progressive Era

A lot of things have happened over time, but from 1890-1920, incredible things occurred, leading the world how it is today. This time period, known as the Progressive Era, has brought changes, for the better, in the categories of: politics, working conditions, and urban life. From events like corruption in the ballot-box, to the poor and very unsanitary working conditions in the Meat Packaging Industry, laws and official documents were put in place, when reforms were desperately needed. So, overall these reforms were very effective, changing the working industries, “all-things political”, and urban life. Out of the three “categories” of the changes with the Progressive Era, working conditions had the most problems. With the unsanitary conditions

Because of people like William H Taft, political reforms needed to be put in place. According to Source 2, “corruption dominated the ballot-box.” Thus, forming the Populist Party. The Populist Party consisted of the common people and was created to represent the voices of the common people’s certain overall beliefs, like: the creation of monopolies, income taxes, direct election of senators, the government to own the railroads, telegraphs, and telephones, and for there to be coinage and free silver. Some of these goals were present in the 17th Amendment. According to Source 1b, the 17th Amendment would give the people more say in the senate and government. Not only would the people be able to elect 2 senators to be members of the senate of the United States, but each of those senators would only have 1 vote. Therefore, political debates were easier to participate in and were made out to be more fair to the people and the government itself. Speaking of voting, voting reforms like the direct, primary, initiative, referendum, and recall were made to make voting life easier as well. Initiative, referendum, and recall are three powers that gave the people, by petition, the ability to remove an elected official from