What Is The Role Of The Muckrakers In The Progressive Era

Words: 616

Pages: 3

Open Document

The Progressive Era was a time of significant and dramatic social, economic, and political change. A variety of broad and substantial movements would arise around the passionate issues of the era, including woman suffrage, racial equality, and the rights of labor. One of the first of the various groups that began to speak out for reform were crusading journalists who attempted to gather the public’s attention to social, economic, and political injustices. This group of journalists that inspired Americans to take action by presenting social problems to the public came to be known as the “muckrakers.”
Thomas Jefferson, who committed his presidency towards the protection of both civil rights and minority rights, and also believed that the federal government should be “rigorously frugal and simple,” once stated: “Our citizens may be deceived for awhile, and have been deceived; but as long as the presses can be protected, we may trust to them for light.” Jefferson believed that although the citizens of the United States of America had been lied to in the past, as long as the journalists and newspapers could remain protected, that they would “shed light,” or expose, the truth. Based on this quotation and Jefferson’s beliefs, it is likely that he would have …show more content…
As seen with two of the more-famous muckrakers, Steffens and Nader, this group has continued to play its role as a light illuminating corruption throughout history in an attempt to benefit the general public. Through their actions, numerous social problems have been resolved and various sources of corruption cleansed. The muckrakers have served in an attempt to better American society, and while the American public may have been deceived in the past, “as long as the presses can be protected, we may trust to them for light”

Muckrakers In The Progressive Era

Muckrakers of the early 20th century are the main reason why today we have laws that regulate our food, drugs, and cosmetics. They are a big influence to changes of laws. One of these Muckrakers was a gentleman named Samuel Hopkins Adams. He has contributed a lot to the formation of new laws which helps us have better regulated medicines and medicines that have to be truthful. “In the Progressive Era (1890-1920) and before there were a lot of medications being sold from unreliable sources.”(Wood)…

Words 1018 - Pages 5

Muckraker Research Paper

I agree with Jessica Mitford that it is an honor to be a muckraker. By exposing social injustices and advocating for social, political, and economic reforms, it shows that investigative journalism means nothing more than exposing the truth to benefit society. Explain the importance of a muckraker and what they did The muckrakers were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers in the Progressive Era in the United States who claimed to expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions…

Words 430 - Pages 2

Essay on Progressive Era

Progressive Era Progressivism is the study of politics, justice, liberty, property, rights, and laws. Progressivism was not just a particular movement, there were numerous issues addressed. Just to name a few of what the social movements were: labor, environmentalism and women rights. The progressive era problems were generated because of the new urban-industrial order. The massive social changes were too much and the cities became crowded into slums. They had mostly immigrants from…

Words 762 - Pages 4

Progressive Reformers Dbq

Progressive reformers were successful in producing reform and receiving national attention during the early stage of the progressive movement, but as America entered into the Great War, the government ceased to aid the movement, hence ending the era of reform from 1900- 1920. Up until 1917, the progressive movement was successful in bring federal attention to issues such as monopolies and trusts, the working conditions in factories and the women’s rights movement. Strong reformers and the support…

Words 1280 - Pages 6

The Role Of Muckrakers In The Progressive Era

Muckrakers did help bring change in the Progressive Era. They helped exposed problems in business and helped make change in America. They went against popular opinion to make change. Yellow journalism acted like it was exposing the truth but it was really only spreading lies and it manipulated people. It caused America to support the Spanish American War. The government in WW1 wanted Americans to support the war so they started to create propaganda. The government successfully changed to public’s…

Words 142 - Pages 1

The Progressive Era And Immigrants

Progressive Era The progressive era was a time of big ideas, ambitious reforms, and agriculture was a heavy force to reckon with in the American economy. Urbanization and the larger volume of immigration was transforming the nation. The progressive era was from 1900-1917 more than 15 million Immigrants were coming to america from all over the world , especially form Italy, Poland, and Russia. A new wave also was included in the larger migration, they were Mexicans and Japanese who settled…

Words 1790 - Pages 8

Jane Addams and Assignment Essay

Graded Assignment Humanitarian Award Follow the directions in the Student Guide to complete this graded assignment. Your teacher will use the rubric and scoring information at the end of this document to grade your assignment. When you are finished, submit this assignment to your teacher by the due date for full credit. (40 points) Criteria List the four criteria you have established for the humanitarian award and give an explanation of each. Criterion #1: Establishes Hull-House…

Words 1422 - Pages 6

Rebulding the Economy Essay

weren’t living in harmony? There was a time where women didn’t have the right to vote simply because they were women, and men didn’t want them to do what they would call “A Man’s Job”. It took us a long time to get where we are today. Allow me to elaborate. The problems we faced many years ago are reasons we stand strong today. During the Progressive Era, there were many major historical turning points selected on America’s current society, economy, and culture. One of the major turning points is the…

Words 1200 - Pages 5

United States and Essential Questions Essay

Using chronological and thematic approaches to the material, the course exposes students to extensive primary and secondary sources and to the interpretations of various historians. Class participation through seminar reports, discussions, debates, and role-playing activities is required; special emphasis is placed on critical reading and essay writing to help students prepare for the AP examination. The course is structured chronologically, divided into 21 units. Each unit includes one or more of the…

Words 7288 - Pages 30

Essay on Sat Raw Material

time that provided those vivid images in Shakespeare's mind. (可以套平凡小事的大作用之类的问题) In the late 1580s, Shakespeare went to London and worked in the theater as a handy man who sometimes prompted the stage lines to the actors or played an insignificant role in the play. His talent of drama writing first appeared when he tried to revise the old scripts because the theatre's immediate requirement of different scripts everyday. (这个勉强算 struggle 好了) During the summer of 1592 to the spring of 1594 because of…

Words 3212 - Pages 13