Martin Luther King: The Civil Rights Movement As An Extension Of Progressivism

Martin Luther King: The Civil Rights movement as an extension of Progressivism The 1950s were one of the most important periods of American social history. Television was invented and many other inventions were created, but the Civil Rights movement was what truly mattered most. In order to understand the movement there has to be an understanding of the society that was trying to be changed. Progressivism allowed the government and people acting on its behalf to address social problems, inequalities and political situations in the country. The progressive party was born in 1912. Progressives wanted to put an end to corruption, end monopolies, and make a clean government. Efficiency and perfection were two other goals progressives believed they could reach by eliminating social problems. If a problem could not be solved, an alternative solution would be considered. Prior to the Progressive Era, child labor was very common as well as the lack of temperance. Women and African-Americans were not treated equally. These were all issues addressed during the Progressive Era. Even though the era was about freedom and justice, prohibition was one of the most well-known restrictions applied in American history, cutting down the importation,

Levittown in New York city was a great example of suburbanization where over ten thousand homes were built for over four thousand people. Living further from the city meant that more people needed cars. Most Americans became owners of at least one car which led to the construction of malls, shopping centers, and drive through restaurants. Rock n roll became famous with all its famous stars like Elvis Presley, but all of them were white. When speaking about that era, Americans believed in equal opportunity, which was sadly, only a belief, since it was not provided neither embodied in real