The Progressive Era From The 1890s-1920's

The Progressive Era from the 1890s to 1920s was a period that experienced extensive social activism and political reforms across the United States. This movement was spurred by the heightened level of corruption and injustice of large corporations and in government at that time. The movement primarily comprised of “liberals who wanted to reform and regulate their capitalist society and not destroy it." There were several pushes to make the political process more open and transparent. One of which was the adaptation of the direct primary elections and to grant the Presidents more powers to regulate new laws. Consequently, a huge amount of legislation was passed by the Federal government. Those reforms were mostly passed during the tenure of President Roosevelt and President Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt and Wilson passed several legislations that were mainly targeted at regulating and eliminating the problems in the society instigated by big corporations.
The ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment, which became law in 1913, by President Wilson, following the

This reform was the cornerstone of President Wilson’s New freedom program. The unending corruption of big organizations and their non-compliance with the Sherman Anti-Trust Act prompted the President to press for enactment of this Act. The FTC comprised of five members whose powers included the ability to define the “Unfair Trade practices” and issue “cease and desist” orders when there was evidence of corrupt Anti-Trust practices. These members were vested with more powers to combat unjust trade practices and monopolies. Closely associated with the Federal Trade Commission and Anti-Trust Act is the Clayton Anti-Anti-Trust Act in 1914. This act was enacted to clarify and define what constituted “monopolistic” activities. It protected the activities of labor unions and prohibited directors from serving in boards of competing