Urbanization During The Progressive Era

1863 Words8 Pages

The cause that lead to the Progressive era was the Gilded Age. Industrialization during the Gilded Age is what lead to urbanization and new ideas in the Progressive era. The Progressive era was a period of social activism and political reform across the United States during the 1890s-1920s. During this period, the Progressive movement was focused on eliminating corruption within the government. It covered social reform issues relating to female suffrage, education, working conditions, unionization, urbanization, industrialization and child labor. It also called for political reforms attacking bribery, corruption, political machines, regulation of Big Business and corporations. In the course of transitioning from the Gilded Age into the Progressive …show more content…

Theodore Roosevelt during the time accomplished to regulate corporate monopolies; best known as the Square Deal and earning the nickname “Trust Buster”. “We demand that big business give the people a square deal.” Roosevelt explained,” (Oakes 735). In the text, Oakes mentions how Teddy Roosevelt was responsible for establishing the Sherman Antitrust Act, which broke apart railroad giant Northern Securities Company. He even regulated business through the Elkin’s Act (1903), The Hepburn Act (1906), Federal Employers’ Liability Act of Labor, as well as consumer protection through the Federal Meat Inspection Act (1906), Pure Foods, Drug Act (1906) and …show more content…

The New Deals established social security, heavier taxes on the wealthy, control over banks, and a relief program to the unemployed, etc. FDR managed to reopen banks and deposits started up again. But before he could reopen banks, Roosevelt put in place The Emergency Banking Act. Oakes states in the text that this reform gave, “... the Treasury secretary the power to determine which banks could safely reopen and which had to be reorganized,” (828). After banks reopened Roosevelt put in place The Glass-Steagall Banking Act in 1933 for conservative banking. After the stock market had crashed and backs had failed people feared putting their trust and money in banks. “FDR went on national radio to deliver the first of his many “fireside chats,”” (Oakes 828). After reopening banks, FDR convinced people that their money would be safe in a reopened bank through his fireside