The Progressive Movement was an effort to cure many of the ills of American society that had developed during the great spurt of industrial growth in the last quarter of the 19th century. The frontier had been tamed, great cities and businesses developed, and an overseas empire established, but not all citizens shared in the new wealth, prestige, and optimism.
Efforts to improve society were not new to the United States in the late 1800s. A major push for change, the First Reform Era, occurred in the years before the Civil War and included efforts of social activists to reform working conditions, and humanize the treatment of mentally ill people and prisoners.
Others removed themselves from society and attempted to establish utopian communities in which reforms were limited to their participants. The focal point of the early reform period was abolitionism, the drive to remove what in the eyes of many was the great moral wrong of slavery.
The second reform era began during Reconstruction and lasted until the American entry into World War I. The struggle for women’s rights and the temperance movement were the initial issues addressed. A farm movement also emerged to compensate for the declining importance of rural areas in an increasingly urbanized America.
As part of the second reform period, Progressivism was rooted in the belief, certainly not shared by all, that man was capable of improving the lot of all within society. As such, it was a rejection of Social Darwinism, the position taken by many of the rich and powerful figures of the day.
Progressivism was also imbued with strong political overtones and rejected the church as the driving force for change. Specific goals included:
The desire to remove corruption and undue influence from government through the taming of bosses and political machines;
the effort to include more people more directly in the political process;
the conviction that government must play a role to solve social problems and establish fairness in economic matters.
The success of Progressivism owed much to publicity generated by the muckrakers, writers who detailed the horrors of poverty, urban slums, dangerous factory conditions, and child labor, among a host of other ills.
The successes were many, beginning with the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) and the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890). Progressives never spoke with one mind and differed sharply over the most effective means to deal with the ills generated by the trusts; some favored an activist approach to trust-busting, others preferred a regulatory approach.
A vocal minority supported socialism with government ownership of the means of production. Other Progressive reforms followed in the form of a conservation movement, railroad legislation, and food and drug laws.
The Progressive spirit also was evident in new amendments added to the Constitution, which provided for a new means to elect senators, protect society through prohibition and extend suffrage to women.
Urban problems were addressed by professional social workers who operated settlement houses as a means to protect and improve the prospects of the poor. However, efforts to place limitations on child labor were routinely thwarted by the courts. The needs of blacks and Native Americans were poorly served or served not at all a major shortcoming of the Progressive Movement.
Progressive reforms were carried out not only on the national level, but in the states and municipalities of the country as well. Prominent governors devoted to change included Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin and Hiram Johnson of California.
Such reforms as the direct primary, secret ballot, and the initiative, referendum and recall were effected. Local governments were strengthened by the widespread use of trained professionals, particularly with the city manager system replacing the all-too-frequently corrupt mayoral system.
Formal expression was given to progressive ideas in the form of political parties on three major occasions:
The Roosevelt Progressives (Bull Moose Party) of 1912
The La Follette Progressives of the 1920s
The Henry Wallace Progressives of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Off-site search results for “The Progressive Movement”...
ADAH: Alabama Moments (Alabama Women and the Progressive Movement)
... Movement | | Quick Summary | Details | Bibliography | Alabama Women and the Progressive Movement Dr. Marlene Hunt Rikard, Samford University Correlates to Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies 11th Grade Content Stanthe Progressive Movement Dr. Marlene Hunt Rikard, Samford University Correlates to Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies 11th Grade Content Standard 3 Correlates to ...
http://www.alabamamoments.state.al.us/sec39.html
the Progressive Movement in the 20th Century
... dawn of the 20th century in Nebraska and across the nation signaled the birth of the Progressive Movement. Supporters of the movement were found in both major political parties, Democrat and Republican. While some of thethe Progressive Movement. Supporters of the movement were found in both major political parties, Democrat and Republican. While some of the alternative parties ...
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/stories/0701_0105.html
Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Movement
... agenda addressed the frustrations of farmers. Some of the historical roots of the Progressive Movement have been traced back to nineteenth century Populism, but like Roosevelt, most progressives were urban communitythe Progressive Movement have been traced back to nineteenth century Populism, but like Roosevelt, most progressives were urban community leaders with little ...
http://www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/HIS122/Teddy/TRProgressive.html
Add one more fascist marker.
We have at least a dozen in the last 100 days, including the Home Security Right Wing Extremist Brief from Janet Napolitano, and the threat by Obama to prosecute CIA officials for “illegal” interrogation in order to prevent future intel leaks to the media, as was done to George Bush.
We have a government which is clearly arrayed against the American People.And they are NOT pulling in their horns, so it is our task to saw them off.
OMG!!! Obama had a fit when terrorists were not given their miranda rights, but American citizens are once again different and worse.
If this goes through Obama thugs can arrest at will and question anyone. Without anyone present to prove what they did or said. Another step to communism.
Chavez is surely proud of his American protege.
I don’t have a problem with this, as long as there are reasonable requirements, such as the accused first being informed of his/her right to remain silent, and with the technology that’s readily available today, there should be a requirement that the questioning/answering is videotaped so that there’s evidence with which to address complaints that the arrested person was coerced.
If the accused has requested a lawyer, but the lawyer has not yet arrived, the accused may WANT to talk to police, especially if there’s a situation where, for example a victim may still be alive but might well die if there’s a delay in sending the police to find the victim. Someone who may have been eager to kill someone or not cared if they died, while they imagined they weren’t going to get caught, may have a whole new perspective after they’ve been arrested, when the difference between whether the victim lives or dies could mean a huge difference in the perp’s sentence. There are also situations where an innocent person who has been arrested would want police to go round up certain exculpatory evidence quickly, before it gets “disappeared” (possibly by the real perp). We don’t give up our First Amendment right to free speech, just because we’ve been arrested.
btt
WHY?