Effectiveness Of The Progressive Era

Brooke Munroe Activists within the Progressive Era were severely effective, mirroring aspects of the United States that desperately needed reclamation. The Progressive Era reformers are still, and have been, epitomes to activists of other events such as Martin Luther King, Jr., who looked at Booker T. Washington as an example of an African American who has changed society. These reformers reflect onto political, social, and economic progressivism. Within the Progressive Era, there were many corruptions and intolerable injustices. This era held political, social and economic reforms. Political reformation was created with the goal to overall end government corruption and enable citizenry, like in the Oregon Populists party movement. “Muckrackers” wrote about things such as exposing venal politics and scandalous social problems. Social reformation helped the people in penury, and the needy (people who have been shown injustice). There were many forms of this: ranging from women’s suffrage, to labor movements, railroad unions, as well as, many abolitionists. There was also economic reformation, which focused on regulation of “big businesses.” To exemplify this, trust-busting was created to dissolve corporate trusts and monopolies. As there are many political reformers, there was a select group of exemplary men. This includes J.P. Morgan, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Robert La Follette. J.P. Morgan had a vision to rescue the government from its troubles. He was unusually skilled at transforming struggling businesses into successful, profitable businesses. He controlled $30 million dollars (which in today’s time is $7.5 trillion) which is about 40% of the nation’s economy. After forming J.P. Morgan’s Bank, he created companies such as International Harvester Corporation, as well as, the United States Steel Corporation. He helped organize Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive party, becoming executive secretary. Thus, Theodore Roosevelt, a well-known humanitarian and president, legislator, police commissioner, and governor, was one of the most influential presidents of the Progressive Era. He attempted to move the Republican Party toward Progressivism, including trust busting and increased regulation of businesses. Roosevelt coined the phrase "Square Deal" to describe his agenda, emphasizing that the average citizen would get a fair share under his policies. At the end of his second term, Roosevelt promoted William Howard Taft for the 1908 Republican nomination. When he returned from traveling Europe and Africa in 1910, he broke bitterly with President Taft on issues of progressivism and clashing personalities. Roosevelt tried to demote the public’s opinion on Taft. After Taft’s presidency, Woodrow Wilson was elected president. As president, Wilson pushed for the “New Deal”. The New Deal’s agenda included the Federal Reserve Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Adamson, the Federal Farm Loan Act and an income tax. He also had one of the most remarkable foreign policies in presidential history. He helped extend work days to eight hours, and, hesitantly at first, became a woman’s suffrage advocate. As a member of the House of Representatives, then a later governor, and U.S. Senate, Robert La Follette is best remembered as a proponent of progressivism and a vocal opponent of railroad trusts, World War I, and the League of Nations. He was known for championing African and Native American Rights. His opposition to corporate power and political corruption made him well liked. These men were supporters of a variety of suffrages and influenced the nation widely. The social reformation, in the Progressive Era, was an extensive range. Firstly, Eugene V. Debs originally took a stand for American unions; he became one of the Presidents of the Industrial Workers of the World. Debs also worked with Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, he was helpful in the founding of the American Railway Union, one

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