The Progressive Movement in the US occurred between Reconstruction and WWI, with a focus on social changes and the use of science and reason. It aimed to regulate business and promote innovation, and was supported by middle-class workers and journalists. The movement led to important changes such as women’s suffrage, prohibition, and the establishment of the FDA.
The Progressive Movement was an American reform movement that occurred primarily during the period between Reconstruction after the American Civil War and America’s entry into World War I. Between 1890 and 1920 was a period known as the Progressive Era, during which numerous people pushed for social changes that were typically humanistic in nature and “progressive” in thinking and design. Among the changes that occurred were a renewed focus on workers’ welfare, the women’s suffrage movement, and the prohibition and regulation of huge corporate assets.
Science and reason are generally considered to be the main aspects of the Progressive Movement, with less focus on religion and the importance of God, and a renewed sense of humanity’s ability to improve the well-being of other people. Because the Progressive movement was concurrent with much of the Industrial Revolution, there was a greater sense of what humanity was capable of, as well as ensuring that technological improvements weren’t misused. While many people consider the social aspects of Progressivism, the movement was equally involved in technology and promoted the use of science and innovation to improve the world.
There has been a strong push among members of the Progressive Movement to regulate business and prevent corporate interference in American legislative and electoral processes. Progressives pushed through laws such as the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which regulated railroads in the United States (USA), and the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which established laws for breaking monopolies or “trust busting”. Though opposed by big business, the Progressive Movement was typically supported by middle-class workers such as teachers, lawyers, and doctors.
Journalists and writers of that time often became involved in progressive struggles and provided new perspectives on the world. Often called “muckrakers,” these writers documented what it was like to live in squalor or work in a factory without government regulations. Writer Upton Sinclair’s visceral work The Jungle is often seen as the seminal work of its kind and exposed the unsanitary practices of Chicago’s meat industry. In response to Sinclair’s work and public backlash, the federal government established the Food and Drug Administration to oversee the processing and handling of meat, establishing hygiene and cleanliness guidelines to better ensure the health of American citizens.
The women’s suffrage movement was also an important facet of the Progressive Movement, with efforts culminating in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote. Prohibition was promoted by many progressives, and the Eighteenth Amendment’s ban on alcohol was another major victory for the progressive movement. Progressives also pushed for the Seventeenth Amendment, which established direct voting for senators by a state’s residents, replacing the previous system in which state legislatures chose senators.
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