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The Progressive Era in the US from the 1890s to the 1920s was a time of reform, with a focus on fighting corruption, securing voting rights, and improving working conditions. The era saw the rise of major oil and railroad companies, and activists sought to make reforms permanent through amendments to the US Constitution. The 18th amendment, which banned alcohol, was later repealed in 1933.
The Progressive Era was a time of reform in the United States from the 1890s to the 1920s. He was part of the larger Progressive Movement, which calls for new laws to improve changing social conditions. Fighting corruption, securing the right to vote and improving working conditions were central priorities of the progressive era. Many reforms of this time made their way into the US Constitution and continue to shape American society today.
In the wake of the American Civil War, the US economy was still largely privately run. This time period, sometimes called the Golden Age, was characterized by high population growth, industrialization, and the creation of a national rail and communications network. Both rich and poor flocked to urban and industrialized cities. This period also saw the rise of major oil and railroad companies.
Fighting corruption was one of the major goals advanced during the Progressive Era. Activists and journalists have tried to keep corruption out of politics by exposing corrupt city government officials. Progressives also relied on the opinions of neutral and disinterested experts to solve a variety of social problems and create more effective government.
Voting rights were another focal point of the Progressive Movement. Despite the abolition of slavery in 1865, voting policies effectively prevented certain groups from exercising their right to vote. Some Southern states mandated a literacy test as part of voter registration, a process that appeared to be targeted at illiterate blacks. The women’s suffrage movement achieved full voting rights for women in 1920.
Working conditions for the working class were brought to attention during the Progressive Age. The Industrial Revolution served to replace many traditional jobs with machines, and this had the effect of reducing wages for the remaining assembly line jobs. Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle exposed the harsh living and working conditions that the working poor faced in American meatpacking industries. A particular concern for the activists was the way women and children worked in factories for long hours and for low wages.
Activists during the Progressive Era sought to make the reforms permanent by amending the US Constitution. Amendment 16 implemented the federal income tax, which today provides a large amount of tax revenue for the US federal government. The 17th amendment aimed to fight corruption by requiring US senators to be elected by the people. The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote.
The 18th amendment banned the production, sale and transportation of alcohol. This policy, called Prohibition, was a major campaign of the Progressive Age; one of his goals was to resist the political power of the saloons. Once implemented, it was met with great opposition and subversion. The amendment was repealed in 1933.
