Justin Clement APUS DBQ Big businesses controlled the economy and politics throughout 1870-1900. They were in control of the prices for certain items because they destroyed their smaller competitors until there was no competition left. They had much sway over politics and took away the people’s say. As we can see from Document A, between 1870-1899, the price for food, fuel, lighting and living decreased with the emergence of big businesses.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory The Progressive Era was a difficult time for workers. It was a time where many workers were getting hurt or killed on the job, paid low wages, had little to no safety requirements and worked long hours. It was even more difficult because it seemed as owners never really cared about their workers or their safety. All of that changed after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that showed how bad the working conditions and safety of workers was.
Throughout the Progressive Era the government worked to restrict the power of unregulated big business and provide tariff and banking reforms. I believe one of the central debate initiators was when trusts and monopolies became customary, people were usually forced to accept expensive prices and poorer quality product. Laborers were exploited through the smallest salary and dangerous working circumstances, even though employers wanted to prevent the development of labor unions Muckrakers, who were influential journalists, worked to show unjustness and error in American. In 1902, urban political machines were called out by the muckrakers. Lincoln Steffens began strikes against unethical government relationships with large businesses in
The progressive presidents all took a multitude of measures to give the government more control over corporations by breaking up monopolies and busting trusts, but none of them advanced the concept of socialism that populists had wanted. President Theodore Roosevelt did not necessarily want to break down big companies, but wanted to even the playing field and created a program called the Square Deal that kept big businesses from taking advantage of small companies and the poor. This program was aimed towards helping the middle class and attacking bad trusts and satisfied a populist contention on controlling monopolies. In 1903, he passed the Elkins act, which stopped railroads from giving rebates for bigger businesses. This stabilized and reduced
Progressive reform was a movement, dominated by the working middle class, in hopes of eliminating corruption in American Government. During the 1890s to 1920s, it was clear to see that people were being mistreated and abused by large corporations known as trusts. These businesses were manipulating prices, and even buying out competition in order to guarantee maximum profit, which put the consumers at the mercy of the company. It was important for Progressivists to target and eliminate these businesses and their bosses in order to effectively distribute money to the population; at this time, about three fourths of the population were classified as poor. One of the most powerful, influential, and best-known presidents to adapt a progressive mindset
Thesis : After the Civil War, America was in a post-war boom. During the 1870-1890, big business moguls, such as Rockefeller and Carnegie, create huge corporations which not only affected the economy, but also affected the political realm of America. While many may assume that during the rise of these big business helped to change the economy and politics, the real focus was on the responses formed by society, such as labor unions, increase public outcry, and political opposition groups that helped to change society. A: Economically, big business flourished during the late 1800s.
At the beginning of the Progressive Era there were many issues involving the unregulated businesses. Most of the problems involved safety issues that severely injured many workers, but it also involved business created monopolies to maximize their profits which affected the consumers because there was not a competitive price. This is why the American Government should be able to put regulations and laws in place to restrict businesses from unfair treatment of their workers health and safety; also, to limit the possibility of monopolies occurring to protect the consumers of the products. Many businesses now follow these laws and regulations put in place by our government which makes the story of how America was built one of progress not regresion.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire led to imperative reforms that sought for adequate conditions for workers and the advent of the Progressive Era. (Source 2). The United States was in the middle of the Second Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century. Many of the rural population migrated into cities for jobs, while immigrants from Europe also added to the growth of the cities.
During this era, Progressives saw that big business had the potential for corporate monopolies and influencing the political system. Progressives also saw that a stronger government could be the balance to the corporate world or be the new route to control the political system (Kettl 2015, 39). Woodrow Wilson would come on the scene suggesting
The era of early 1900 was regarded as business expansion and progressive reforms. By 1900’s the United State became a very rich and powerful nation as a result of industrialization and urbanization. Its economy transferred into a major world economy. However, this massive transition has both good and bad effects and great changes in American society caused many problems which called for reforms that’s why era of 1900 is called progressive era. These reforms included political, economic and social reforms.
The Progressive movement was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States. This period of time focused on improving society in the United States—who needed to see change after the negative nation that was brought forth by the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution shifted the United States to a manufacturing economy where products were no longer made solely by hand but by machines, which introduced pollution and hardships for workers. Workers frequently suffered from health problems due to malnutrition, and as cities grew during this period of time there wasn’t enough housing for all the new inhabitants, which affected living conditions for workers. In the workplace, vast quantities of pollution
The growing of large businesses in size, number, and influenced changed the United States severely. The economy was greatly relieved but the politicians were corrupted and the people very unhappy. The businesses were smart in using the reduction and increasing of prices to link all the businesses but taking advantage of the people by silencing them and increasing their labor hours really hurt them. It also did not help that the politicians that were corrupted made bad decisions for money and no the
Karen Cortez Professor Bell HIST 1302-81420 September 24, 2017 Written Exercise 2 The progressives were a group of well-educated people who were concerned about the poor working environments of others and wanted to protect consumers and other problems that existed in the 1900’s. In 1911, workers had died in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, some jumped to their deaths while others were burned. Work safety was an important issue for the progressives. Progressives wanted to end corruption and make the government more attentive to the people’s needs.
The book "Comparative Perspectives on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era" by Ballard Campbell discusses the reforms that were put in place to regulate business and industry, protect workers and consumers, and promote social justice. These included the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act, and the creation of labor laws and unions. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was one of the first major pieces of legislation aimed at breaking up monopolies and promoting fair competition. Other regulations were put in place to protect workers and consumers, such as the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Those problems were tariffs, high railroad rates, food and drugs, and because of the depression they wanted more money in circulation. Their goals were to end abuse of power, reform social institutions, and of course safer foods. The Progressive Era for them was somewhat of a change due to the creation of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA was created because of the horrendousness going on in factories across the United States. Document B is a perfect example of what was going on in one factory in the U.S. Document B talks about the report that was documented about the awful conditions in meat-packing.
