The Progressive Movement 1900-1920

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Progressive Movement Progressive Movement

The period from 1890 to 1917 in the history of United States is known as Progressive era . This period is marked by an all-encompassing and intensive change in all spheres of American life viz . political economic and social . The progressive leaders with faith in the traditional American ideals of democratic government , individual liberty , rule of law and protection of private rights and property , felt that Gilded Age was marked by corruption . They further felt that due to the policies and practices of the previous regimes

, a privileged wealthy class has been created that had plundered the national wealth and resources . Prof . Ekirch (1978 ) explored the profound intellectual factors behind the Progressive movement . He illustrates trans-Atlantic roots of this phenomenon that starts with Darwinism . He says in this regard that it was the transformation of the Populist and Socialist ideas of the 1890s into an American version of the state socialism or social democracy (p .34 . Furthermore he considers it a response to industrialization of America and Imperialism invasion the world over Still there is another viewpoint that postulates the theory that the progressive movement never existed (ne , 1970 .

.1 So these motives propelled them to create a new socio-political milieu to nurture the true American ideals . They wanted that majority of the people must be associated with the government and those ruling over the United States must be made answerable to the electorates . They also expected higher standard of professional morality and integrity from the officials . In the economic sphere they were alarmed by the growth of increased monopoly of a few entrepreneurs and exploitations of the farmers and working classes

These leaders from middle class pleaded for government regulation of big businesses to prevent exploitations pf the weaker sections . Stressing on the needs for reforms , Theodore Roosevelt said , "No hard-and-fast rule can be laid down as to the way in which such work [reform] must be done but most certainly every man , whatever his position , should strive to do it in some way and to some degree (Roosevelt ) Most of the problems that Progressives wanted to tackle was an outcome of the industrial expansion and the political-industrial coalitions of the Gilded Age During the Progressive almost every department of American life was overhauled and modernized . Thus Progressivism was a movement with predominantly middle class objectives and viewpoint , deriving much of its support from small businessmen , farmers and professional people . The typical progressive leader was some lawyer , journalist or businessmen who , aroused by corruption or misgovernment in his own community started a crusade to elect better men to office , and gradually came to the realization that what was needed was a reform of the system as well as a change of men ( Parkes ,

.544 Broadly speaking the Progressive reformists fall in to categories . The first category consists of those who had its origin in the agrarian West and concerned themselves mainly with economic issues . The prominent among these Progressives were Henry George...