The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project is a university-chartered research center associated with the Department of History of The George Washington University |
The Progressive Era (1890 - 1920)Progressivism
is the term applied to a variety of responses to the economic
and social problems rapid industrialization introduced
to
America. Progressivism began as a social movement and grew
into a political movement. The early progressives rejected
Social Darwinism. In other words, they were people who
believed
that the problems society faced (poverty, violence, greed,
racism, class warfare) could best be addressed by providing
good education, a safe environment, and an efficient workplace.
Progressives lived mainly in the cities, were college educated,
and believed that government could be a tool for change.
Social reformers, like Jane Addams, and journalists, like
Jacob Riis and Ida Tarbel, were powerful voices for progressivism.
They concentrated on exposing the evils of corporate greed,
combating fear of immigrants, and urging Americans to think
hard about what democracy meant. Other local leaders encouraged
Americans to register to vote, fight political corruption,
and let the voting public decide how issues should best
be addressed (the initiative, the referendum, and the recall).
On a national level, progressivism gained a strong voice
in the White House when Theodore
Roosevelt became president in 1901. TR believed that
strong corporations were good for America, but he also believed
that corporate behavior must be watched to ensure that corporate
greed did not get out of hand (trust-busting and federal
regulation of business). Progressivism ended with World
War I when the horrors of war exposed people's cruelty
and many Americans associated President Woodrow
Wilson's use of progressive language ("the war to make
the world safe for democracy") with the war. For more information on progressivism see the following web sites:
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