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Reform During The Progressive Era

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During the Progressive Era, a period of reform in the early twentieth century sparked by rapid industrialization, immigration, and urbanization, three presidents raced to improve our country in three different areas. These men being Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, three progressive presidents who tackled attacking big businesses, the abuse of the working class, and environmental destruction. Although all three of the progressive presidents made many efforts of reform during this time period, Theodore Roosevelt was the most overall progressive president, for he gained control of corporations, fought for consumer protection, and conserved many natural resources using his “Square Deal” policy. During this time …show more content…

In 1902 the coal workers of Pennsylvania went on strike, demanding a twenty percent pay raise and their workday to be reduced by one hour. This left the country facing a coal shortage, and the president debating whether or not he should intervene. Though he had no official authority on the matter, Roosevelt decided to step in when heating shortages become more evident. Inviting both the mine owners and the union representatives to meet with him in the White House, Roosevelt was in full support of the miners. When management refused to negotiate, Roosevelt threatened to seize the mines and use troops to force them to run as a federal operation. With so much now at stake owners agreed to compromise, giving the miners a ten percent pay raise, and reducing their workday from ten to nine hours. Roosevelt proceeded to give his administration the nickname “Square Deal,” as he felt that everyone benefited fairly from the agreement. In 1906 Roosevelt gave a speech where he first used the term “muckrakers.” This term is used to describe the investigative journalists and reporters who used media to expose scandals and abuses in their era. Roosevelt had recently read Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” which exposed in graphic detail the horrors of the meatpacking industry. He was shocked and disgusted, and responded by appointing a special investigating committee to look into the food handling processes in this industry. Coming back with reports confirming much of what Sinclair had written, Roosevelt began pressuring Congress to address the issue. Though he realized the devastating effects these reports could have on the meatpacking industry, he chose to put consumer protection first. Congress soon passed the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 after much pressure from Roosevelt. These new laws

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The 1912 Election and the Power of Progressivism: A Brief History with Documents by Brett Flehinger is about the four Presidential candidates during the election of 1912, their political parties and campaigns. The book shows how opposed each candidate 's platform was and which problems the candidates agreed on. The book has documents from this time to further aid in understanding what exactly was happening. None of the candidates, however, were as different as Theodore Roosevelt and his predecessor, William Howard Taft. Their platforms and ideas regarding trusts, direct democracy and courts and the constitution differed greatly, whilst they agreed on the important issue of women 's suffrage.

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In their opinion, the employees were not employed in interstate commerce, so their wages had nothing to do with it either (Document F). They also thought that the government had no right to give workers the right to self-organize and break the law (Document G). The authority of the federal government expanded, and FDR was, in a sense, abusing the power he had. Roosevelt’s administration increased the role of the federal government in the economy. His New Deal programs were more successful in empowering the government than lightening the effect of the Depression.

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Beginning with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inauguration in 1933, the New Deal was passed in the context of reformism and rationalism as the United States proceeded through the Great Depression. The American people looked to the President to instill reform policies to help direct the country out of an economic depression, and thus often sought to abandon the society that existed before the Great Depression. Roosevelt instituted New Deal policies to attempt to combat this period of economic decline, many of which were successful and appealed to the American people’s desires. President Roosevelt’s New Deal is often criticized for being excessively socialistic in nature, thus causing dramatic changes in the fundamental structure of the United

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I think President Theodore Roosevelt was worried about the strike because of its potential to expand into a social war. President Theodore Roosevelt responded by calling a meeting in Washington to discuss the problem. He asked for immediate resumption in the coal mines to meet the needs of the people. I believe that owners do not have the right to do business with unfair wages and dangerous working conditions. Many people believe that which was the reason for the coal strike because the workers wanted higher wages and shorter work days.

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At the start of his presidency, the biggest threat to America was the Great Depression. Within his first 100 days, Roosevelt introduced his first set of New deals. They were a large amount of various acts, that called for radical action. Some of the most notable accomplishments of Roosevelt's new deal included the AAA, the Social Security Act, and the Emergency Banking Act. The Agricultural Adjustment Act allowed the government a firmer position in American agricultural.

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Question 1. The progressive period in US history started in the 1890s and remained current through the 1920s. Progressive leaders in the US include President Teddy Roosevelt, President William Howard Taft, and President Woodrow Willson. The main objective of progressives was to rid the government of corruption. These progressive leaders targeted political machines and worked to rid the country of monopolistic enterprises that were exploiting regular citizens.

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Roosevelt signed 121 bills. Amid these bills were a landmark law in the Nation's social and economic development -- Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). Contrary to history of judicial opposition, the depression-born FLSA had manage to survive, not unscathed, more than a year of Congressional altercation. It’s final form, the act applied to businesses whose shared employment represented only about one-fifth of the labor force. In these industries, it barred unfair child labor and set the minimum hourly wage at 25 cents, and the maximum workweek at 44

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The 1902 miners strike became one of the most famous of these strikes, as the strike became so large and affected the daily lives of so many Americans that President Roosevelt deemed it necessary to personally call a meeting between the Miners and their employers. This marked the first time that the President of the United States personally became involved in ending a strike. The president's engagement led to “ rancorous negotiation” and which eventually led to the miners returning to the mines six months after the strike began. While this strike provided miners with better wages, it made it harder for the mining companies to turn a

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During the Progressive Movement we had 3 presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Each of these presidents had some very good reforms that have made this country be how it is today. All of these things that presidents have done tie in with a goal of the Progressive Movement, there were 4 goals. One- Social Welfare, Two- Economic Reform, Three- Moral Improvement, and Four- Fostering Efficiency. These goals were accomplished in many ways.

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The Progressive Era lasted from the 1890’s to the early 1920’s. It was centralized around socialism and political reform. One of the major changes that took place during this era, was the labor legislation. Many workers were working long shifts, for several days straight, making their work life just about unbearable, and unworkable conditions. The job environment had become to where it was unsafe, unsanitary, and unregulated conditions for very low wages.

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In order to encourage the growth of trade unions he passed this bills that did more than intended. As the book Who built America details,"The Wagner Act guaranteed workers the right to freely organize their own unions and to strike, boycott, and picket their employers(Rosenzweigh 454).This was exactly what all Middle and working class Americans needed to push them over. It had the stern language that the NIRA lacked and the backing of the National Labor Relation board to hear complaints. Because people thought there jobs were safer due to Roosevelt 's policies, they were more willing to join unions, leading to hike in

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In March 1902, John Mitchell, a newly elected President of the union, entered into negotiations with the operators to deliver requests of the miners. They demanded a twenty percent increase in pay, cutting a working day from ten to eight hours, implementing a fairer weighting system, and, most importantly, recognising the union along with giving it authority to influence the industry. After the negotiations broke down, on May 12, 1902, John Mitchell called 147,000 miners out for a strike (Grossman, 1975). With a hope for a speedy settlement, he also warned operators that the engineers, firemen, pump men who were keeping mines dry and preventing the flood will join the strike. The response never followed and on June 2 the work came to a

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The reformers were established to cure the problems of city, state, and nation. Political activists were there to provide facilities and stable government to the people. First, the progressive reforms were acted out of concern about the effects of industrialization and the conditions of industrial life. Then after their viewpoints were varied, their goals were to humanize and regulate big business, not to harm it. The attitudes of the reformers and political activists then turned to progressive works.

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I would like to thank you very dearly for the one million dollars you have given me to further the causes of a few progressive reforms. Unfortunately, by your request I was only able to donate to three causes; but I do believe I have decided to donate to three very worthy causes. In this letter, I will detail to you the three reforms I have decided to donate to and why each deserves the amount of money I have given it. Initially, I was at a loss as to which deserved which amount of money, but I think I have decided justly. The three causes I have decided to donate to are as follows: Food Safety, Child Labor, and Women’s Suffrage.

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The Progressive Reform Movement The Progressive Era is often looked as an age of reformation from the economic boom in the Gilded Age. From around 1890 to 1920s, citizens of the progressive reform movement had plans to amplify our American government and economy. The different outlooks and biases have created many interpretations of this era, along with many others. Historians have many different interpretations of the reform movement during the Progressive Era.

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