The Second Industrial Revolution was a phase of rapid industrialization that fueled the growing capitalist economy because it allowed the mass production of goods to be made more effectively. The lure of this industrialization and the job opportunities that arose from it also attracted millions worldwide to immigrate to the United States. With this revolution, however, the government became fraudulent and the country become overpopulated, causing poverty levels to rise in urban centers. From 1877 to 1914, reform movements fostered significant change in the United States society because the social issues that came with the Second Industrial Revolution led reformers to seek to better the lives of ordinary citizens through political change. These …show more content…
Robert M. Follette, a Republican United States Representative, delivered a speech while campaigning to become governor of Wisconsin in 1897 directly addressing the corruption in the country’s government. He states that political action needs to be taken for the people’s voices to be heard. He makes the argument that lawmakers need to be elected by the voters without the intervention of convention of the political machines. Therefore voters will be electing officials without outside influence, who will work to achieve the reforms the voters wish to see. This rise of political machines was a direct cause of the Second Industrial Revolution. With this revolution came the migration of hundreds and thousands of immigrants from around the world, lured by the job opportunities of industrialization. The political machines took advantage of these immigrants by using underhand tactics to get them to cast their votes in their corrupt politicians' favor. Follette sought to eliminate this system through political reform by enforcing a direct primary to restore power to the hands of the people. This power would better the lives of the citizens in the United States because they would no longer be subject to a corrupt government system, reflecting a change in the country's society. Furthermore, during this time period, a new political party was organized under the agenda of restoring the government of the Republic to the hands of “the plain people.” The Populist Party platform advocated for many reforms including government ownership of railroads, telegraph, and telephones, a federal postal saving bank, and land preservation. A strong capitalist economy emerged during the Second Industrial Revolution, which created issues for farmers who were used to the agriculture-based economy. Under the private ownership of railroads, owners could fluctuate