McGerr, Michael.

A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive

Movement in America, 1870-1920. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

McGerr proclaims in his introduction of A Fierce Discontent that it is his belief

that the roots of progressivism created much of our contemporary political

predicament. McGerr creates a large task for himself, to synthesis the Progressive

era and how it relates to modern politics. Other historians have not attempted this

synthesizes, which is telling of its complexity. Instead, McGerr becomes instead

focused on telling the story of individuals who lived in the Progressive era and how

they reformed life from 1870-1920.

A Fierce Discontent provides an excellent overview of the developments of

individuals, in the eyes of a modern social historian. McGerr’s individual insights in

the book are excellent and bring a persona to those that were affected and effected

Progressivism. ability to use individual examples and quotes throughout the book

give the reader a more personal feel.

The Progressive era was a move from earlier Victorian ideals. McGerr

highlights that the urban middle class was the catalyst for the Progressives surging

in popularity. The middle class perceived themselves to befelt in the crossfire by

between the upper class, which who controlled the business and money, and the

lower class, which who ruled the streets with a large population. The middle class

attempted to abandon self- interest in with the goal of helping the common good,

resolving to use the state and legislation to improve their life.

The problem for Progressives is though historians bindd them together as a

group, they each had separate goals, ; whether it was abolishing prostitution,

eliminating the saloon, safeguarding marriage, modernizing rural America, or

limiting the power of big business, t. These groups were not heterogeneous. but

were instead Instead, they were separated and were thus mostly generally

unsuccessful. Their goals were very utopian and in many ways unattainable. For

the middle class to be successful in their political ambitions they needed more votes

than their own class could provide. Their inability to reach out to other social classes

for support would inevitably bring their downfall.

TThe author discusses one of the dark sides of Progressivism, : segregation.

In a largely hypocritically move, reformers who were advocating democracy, were

also pressing for the separation of the races.

Where are the political motives or maneuvers during the Progressive Era?

McGerr only devotes a few lines to the legislation that was passed during WWI,

many which were largely “progressive” in idea. Where are the policy makers?

McGerr, he does not fulfill the large expectations for his self-proclaimed argument.

McGerr must be complemented complimented for attempting to synthesis

synthesize something that other historians did not want to attempt; it is well written

and provides many insightsmuch insight into life at the time. McGerr’s ideas on the

middle class are excellent and his synthesis argument sound, but when he talks

about the motivations of other groups, his persuasiveness is less soundconvincing.

His book is very well researched and his ability to bring characters to light life that

were previously unknown is admirable.

William Tyler Grove

Appalachian State University