Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, progressivism was exposed in America which led to the reinterpretation of U.S. public policies aligned with national laws. Known as the movement lead by the middle class, this reform was established to benefit the conventional people of this time period. Reform movements such as the muckraker's enlightenment of the problems of urban society raised the level of consciousness throughout the middle class. This awareness led to the philosophy of pragmatism, reform of scientific management, and support from presidential leaders. The above mentioned reforms had a profound impact on the progressive movement which resulted in a series of lasting reforms and influenced U.S. government for much of the 20th century.
             The muckrakers attributed to the existence of the progressive movement by spreading the ideas of social evils. Through McClure's magazine, muckrakers such as Lincoln Steffens and Ida Tarbell became famous through their careful research combined with sensationalism. McClure's magazine competed with Cosmopolitan and Collier's to outdo one another's outrageous stories. One of the most famous articles, called "Wealth Against Common Wealth," was comprised by Henry Lloyd in 1894 in Atlantic Monthly exploiting the wealth and greed of oil companies in the United States. Muckrakers not only exploited the occurring scandals through magazine articles but books were also published on these issues. Examples of these novel publishers include Theodore Dreiser, and Frank Norris. In addition, muckrakers allowed for no man to overlook the realities of child labor through the use of photography. Jacob Reese was one of the first photographic journalists who through the use of photography was able to leave a lasting impression on middle class. His work made the issue of poverty become real to those lucky enough not to experience it first hand. The m...