The progressive era dbq
After the civil war, the US was facing many problems. These problems put the American public at risk and offended others. Something had to be done. This period in US history was called the Progressive era. Labor laws, women's suffrage, and the US government were all reformed during the late 1800's and the early 1900's. The Progressives, middle class reformers, believed in abolishing all the harsh treatment and abuses that came with the growth of businesses.Muckrakers were people who informed the public about monopolies, child labor, and corruption in industry that had a negative impact on workers and the general public. Upton Sinclair was a famous "muckraker". In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair wrote of horrid working conditions that were experienced by large numbers of European immigrants working in meatpacking plants
It opened America's eyes and led President Theodore Roosevelt to ask congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act (Doc 1, 2). All of this led to the passage of legislation, which improved the lives of many Americans, such as workers, children, and women. In 1920, the 19th amendment was passed. They did this through initiatives, referendums, and recalls. The use of secret ballots was also suggested so that city losses would not be able to buy votes (Doc 7). This caused women to usually vote as their husbands directed. Illinois was the first state to put forth labor laws (Doc 3b). Many women could now voice their political opinion. Unfortunately, men still dominated the household. The progressives also had their heads set to reform the government. The 17th amendment would provide direct election of senators and decrease the influence of monopolist in the US senate (Doc 6). They, after all, pay the same taxes and do the same jobs for a lesser wage. La Follett, a progressive, spoke about the direct primary in college classrooms. Many lives were saved from an impending death in sweatshops.
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