Progressivism: The Progressive Era

During the late 18th century and the early 19th century Progressivism was taking place known as the Progressive Era, at that time presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson were governing the United states in that following order. The Progressive Era was the time when conservationism, politics, economics and social welfare were looked at more carefully by the three presidents to make America better.

The conservation was to keep wilderness areas preserved and other ones would be made and President Roosevelt was all for this creating the National Reclamation Act of 1902 or the Newlands Act. That act helped the United States by having Roosevelts federal water projects that changed a few dry wilderness areas which helped

The reform mayors changed our cities in a positive way by building schools, parks, and they focused on pushing aside corrupt and selfish private owners that owned companies like gas, water or transit lines. An important reform governor was Robert M. La Follette and he helped America by getting corporations out of politics like the railroad industry. Other national politicians passed the Keating-Owen Act that banned transit over state borders of goods produced by children in 1916 because of the National Child Labor Committee. The reforming elections gave us citizens a secret ballot, and initiatives and referendum that gave us the power to create our own laws. In addition, the recall allowed voters to get rid of public officials from elected positions by having them run in another election before their time was up if enough voters wanted it. Direct election was another great thing in politics during the Progressive Era because it made way for the 17th amendment so it helped Americans have a say in politics. Eventually women had their own reform too; the National American Suffrage Association formed by Elizabeth C. Stanton and Susan B. Anthony one of the leaders of women suffrage. Both women were able to pave the way for the 19th Amendment giving women to right to vote in

The Social Gospel and the home movements in the late 1800’s helped out the poor with the community centers, social services, and churches. Another one was prohibition banning alcohol drinks, along with having children getting out of the work force by the National Child Labor Committee having Congress pass the Keating-Owen Act in 1916. Along with working hours for men were lower than before and if the worker were hurt or killed while working the family would get compensation for support. Lastly, the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1906 which prevented selling contaminated food and medicines and required labels with everything they had in them. In addition to the Pure Food and Drug Act, the Meat Inspection Act was passes as well dictating that the meatpackers must be clean where they work