ipl-logo

Progressive Movement Dbq Essay

845 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Brief essay on progressive era movement

The Progressive movement was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States. This period of time focused on improving society in the United States—who needed to see change after the negative nation that was brought forth by the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution shifted the United States to a manufacturing economy where products were no longer made solely by hand but by machines, which introduced pollution and hardships for workers. Workers frequently suffered from health problems due to malnutrition, and as cities grew during this period of time there wasn’t enough housing for all the new inhabitants, which affected living conditions for workers. In the workplace, vast quantities of pollution …show more content…

Political corruption, especially, was uncontrollable at this time as corporations bribed politicians to ensure that certain government policies favored businesses over their workers. Lincoln Steffens, an American journalist and a highlighted muckraker from the Progressive Era, defines corruption in several of America’s largest cities in his book The Shame of the Cities. Steffens (Doc. 1) criticized the corruption and illegal activities of political machines, but also called out Americans for ignoring politics and allowing this corruption to continue. Similarly, Walker Percy—an American writer in the 20th century—discussed corruption in large cities and businesses in his article “Birmingham under the Commission Plan.” Percy (Doc. 6) shared that workers are aware that the businesses that they are working for are corrupt, but also mentioned that these workers want to improve these corrupt …show more content…

There were good and bad trusts; bad trusts inflated rates and caused corruption, good trusts benefited the people. Clifford Berryman, a Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist with The Washington Star newspaper, designed a picture of Theodore Roosevelt hunting two bears—one bear labeled “BAD TRUSTS” who Roosevelt has destroyed and is stepping on, one bear labeled “GOOD TRUSTS” who Roosevelt has in control and on a leash—in his cartoon “Cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt.” Berryman (Doc. 2) illustrated Theodore Roosevelt as he set out to destroy and control bad trusts, which also scared good trusts and caused them to reform themselves. Louis Brandeis, former American lawyer who served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, discusses the destruction that trusts have done to our country in his book “Other People’s Money and How the Bankers Use It.” Brandeis (Doc. 7) states that financial independence was destroyed as each and every trust was created, but also identifies specific trusts that led to this

Show More
Related
533 Words | 3 Pages

How could a signature transform America? Lyndon B Johnson was born in 1908 near Stonewall in Central Texas. Though his Texas roots he was intellectually gifted, motivated and possessed much vigor(BE). Why did L.B.J. sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964? If principle decisions are based on strongly-held beliefs, then Cotulla Teaching, Ignoring Southern Reaction, and Change of Heart show that President Johnson was motivated to sign by his principles.

Read More
142 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout the Progressive Era the government worked to restrict the power of unregulated big business and provide tariff and banking reforms. I believe one of the central debate initiators was when trusts and monopolies became customary, people were usually forced to accept expensive prices and poorer quality product. Laborers were exploited through the smallest salary and dangerous working circumstances, even though employers wanted to prevent the development of labor unions Muckrakers, who were influential journalists, worked to show unjustness and error in American. In 1902, urban political machines were called out by the muckrakers. Lincoln Steffens began strikes against unethical government relationships with large businesses in

Read More
837 Words | 4 Pages

The great depression weakened banks and trusts but the new deal gave them more power creating a large gap between the rich and the poor. “It has been protected the trusts more than the American people. Today the poor are poorer, and the trusts are richer,” M. Santos explains in his article for the Federal Writers Project interview, “The New Deal Was a Failure.” “Absolutely all that one sees is made by trusts.” The new deal caused

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

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

Read More
1061 Words | 5 Pages

Lincoln Steffen is a New York reporter who first launched a series of articles called, Tweed Days.”, in St. Louis. “Lincoln Steffens detailed the corruption, bribery, graft, and malfeasance he found in such cities”(Steffens). When he published a book called, “The Shame of the Cities”, it exposed how political machines were corrupt. “He noted that although many people blamed those who took bribes, few bothered to look at those in the business community who gave out bribes” (Steffens). A main political machine corruption was called the “Tweed Ring”.

Read More
743 Words | 3 Pages

Early twentieth century was an era of many changes in which the American industrial Revolution created a huge amount of economic wealth and social prosperity never seen in human history. The progressive movement aimed to fix corruption in government and business, equal rights of women and other groups. In the late 1800s the progressive movement achieved most of their aims. Economic growth opened up gap between the poor and the rich, and industrialization led to unsafe working conditions and crowded cities. Populist had protested what they saw as unfair business practices and had pressed the government action to stop them.

Read More
808 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout history the black community has faced many forms of racial inequality, more intensely in the South. There were two forms of segregation, segregation enforced by laws such as the separation of schools and the Jim Crow Laws, and segregation that was implied such as an African American giving up their seat on the bus or moving off the sidewalk if a white civilian walks by. By the late 1950s the Civil Rights Movement began to rise. The beginning of the Civil Rights Movement was in 1955 when Emmett Till was murdered. His mother Mamie Till refused to have a closed casket funeral, she wanted the people to see what they did to her son.

Read More
605 Words | 3 Pages

Review The progressive era in the early twentieth century was a period of severe social and economic inequality. Progressivism was a reaction to a variety of problems that were becoming more known to the public. It was a time in which many Americans found themselves between class lines and often felt a loss of identity. McGerr a professor of history at the University of Indiana explains the “four quintessential progressive battles: to change other people; to end class conflict; to control big business; and to segregate society” At the same time the great wealth and prosperity for the “upper ten” was being noticed throughout the country.

Read More
2149 Words | 9 Pages

During the Progressive Era, most employers were not concerned with workers rights and focused more on profit than human rights or safety. The poor working class, as well as immigrants who had worked in the United States for a while, became infuriated over the unfair treatment and working conditions of which they suffered. Hugh Rockoff explains, “…industrialization had alienated the workingman…” (Rockoff 747).

Read More
842 Words | 4 Pages

After the Civil War, our country was battered and beaten, but it rebuilt itself over time and spread its policies, as well as manufacturing practices, throughout our country. Early in the 20th century, members of our nation started to look at some of these practices and policies and began to question their merit and whether they assisted our population or not. Many people were involved in the progressive movement in America from the presidents to a slew of popular authors and photographers. The one thing that they had in common was that they saw problems with how various industries in our nation performed that they knew needed to be fixed. They did not always agree on everything, such as immigration, but they always had the nation’s best interest at heart.

Read More
1691 Words | 7 Pages

The early 1900s were a time of widespread social and political change in America. During this time, many Americans adopted new, more modern ideas about labor, cultural diversity and city life. Some of these Progressive ideas were brought about by the need for reform in the workplace due to the grown of large companies and rapid industrialization. Not everyone supported the ideas of the Progressive Movement, however. Anti-Progressives, especially in the South, preferred traditional, rural lifestyles, and a slower, simpler way of living.

Read More
1091 Words | 5 Pages

The progressive era which lasted from 1890-1920 in American society was the institution of radical reforms brought about by the millions of Americans involved in volunteer organizations across the country. During this time Americans worked to create solutions to the problems caused by the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the country. The progressive era was not a single movement, but rather a collection of movements all of which were intended to improve the lives of Americans. This was a truly remarkable time for women and the end of the era would see almost universal women’s suffrage with the passing of the nineteenth amendment in 1920.

Read More
860 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
387 Words | 2 Pages

). By, “1916 – Congress passes the Keating-Owen Act, which bans the interstate sale of any article produced with child labor (factory, cannery, and mine) and regulates the number of hours a child could work. The Act was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two years later.”, and eight years later, in “1924 – Congress adopts a constitutional amendment barring child labor and sends the amendment out to be ratified by the state legislatures. Not enough states ratify the child labor amendment for it to become law.” (Reid Maki), different association, committees, and organizations like: The International Labour Organization, The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE), and The National Child Labor Committee, among others fought

Read More
1185 Words | 5 Pages

The fundamental values upon which the United States was established, are embodied in the preamble to the Constitution. It outlines the goals and aspirations that the American people's founding fathers were hoping to achieve. Further, it states that the purpose of the Constitution is to establish laws that promote welfare, liberty, prosperity, and a "more perfect" nation for Americans. Throughout history, America has made significant progress in upholding some ideals outlined in the preamble, such as providing for the common defense and promoting the general welfare. However, when addressing justice, it becomes evident that these ideals have not been fully realized.

Read More

More about Progressive Movement Dbq Essay

Related Topics

Open Document