Effects Of The Progressive Era

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1. The Progressive movement centered around creating reform in American politics to address the issues in America’s economy and society. Their work aspired to make moderate political changes and social improvements through government action, and they improved the quality of life, provided a larger role for the people in their democracy, and established a precedent for a more active role for the federal government. Political corruption plagued America in the gilded age, with bosses and political machines altering votes and taking hold of the people’s voices. However, in order to champion true democracy and combat the corruption created by practices that excluded the voice of citizens from making decisions, such as the selection of senators by …show more content…
Progressive ideals when it came to federal government wanted more federal involvement and regulation in the people’s lives, so that they would be more protected from the corrupt practices and corporations from the gilded age. Progressive Era federal legislation to reform the economy involved the enactment of rules and regulations that not only would limit the large monopolies, with anti-trust laws and lawsuits, but also would create a national or federal banking system in the Federal Reserve Act. It created the central banking system of the United States and ensured America's government would no longer have to rely on the rich of wall street to fund and support a government in the midst of economic downtown, as seen in 1907. Here Progressives were able to increase the power of the federal government to create a central banking system which unified the American currency and the economy, benefiting the people and the government. When it comes to protecting the environment, Progressives extended their moderate, conservatist beliefs to harming the environment. As seen by the “Progressive” Theodore Roosevelt, following progressive ideals the protect the natural beauty of America, he set aside 200000000 acres for national parks in the creation of National Parks in the National Park Service’s establishment in 1916. Because Progressives not only wanted to support the people, but also the environment they were able to create reforms that would ensure the people would be able to …show more content…
After the Spanish American War, and the passage of the Treaty of Paris, 1898, and the Platt Amendment, America had not only gained hold of the Philippines but also influence over Cuba. To begin with, throughout the war in the Philippines, the military leaders of America and the Filipinos all fought for a supposedly shared goal, to free the Philippines from the oppressive leadership of the Spanish. In fact, Imperialists back home used this message to convince many soldiers and citizens to support the war by making it seem like the right thing to do for the people of the Philippines. However, after the fighting was over, the United States unleashed its ulterior motive and tried to establish its authority over the Philippines in the Treaty of Paris, which guaranteed its acquisition of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. In response, this “stab in the back” by the Americans, the Filipino military leader, Emilio Aguinaldo led bands of guerrilla fighters in a war against the U.S. control, similar to what they had just done to oust the Spanish. In the Philippines, the increased power of the Americans, who were supposed to give them sovereignty and freedom from Western control, was met with opposition and frustration, leading to continued battle and bloodshed, with the United States ultimately taking control of even more power in government and the lands, citing its new responsibility to calm the people. In Cuba, America also fought alongside the native people, Cubans, in a
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