R

NP

Dear Aunt Bessie, Thank you for your generous gift of one million dollars. As per your request I am using the money to help three Progressive reforms. The Progressive era was a time of great poverty, the abuse of children, the mistreatment of women, and unsanitary conditions in the meat packing industry. I have decided to give away the one million to help solve three problems. These problems are child labor, food safety, and womens suffrage. I have decided that child labor will receive the $600,000 gift. Children shouldnt be working long hours at young ages. In Lewis Hines National Child Labor Committee Report, 1911 (doc. B) he said child labor in coal mines are killing kids at 15 years old, leaving them with an arch on their back from bending over all day. The boys working in the breaker are bent double. Fingers cut by the coal and slate (doc. B). Child labor deserves the largest gift of 600k because children have the right to an education, the chance to enjoy their young life, and to work in healthy conditions. Children shouldnt be working in unsanitary sweatshops. I have decided that food safety will receive the 300k gift. The food we are putting in our bodies is unhealthy trash. In Upton Sinclairs book The Jungle written in 1905 (doc. D) he describes how meat should be inspected before being shipped to people around the world. Rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together (doc. D). Food safety deserves the second largest gift of 300k because the public is at a health risk because of the unclean meat and food that is being given to them. Meat should be inspected before being packaged with rat droppings and saw dust to be shipped around the world to markets.

I have decided that womens suffrage will receive the 100k gift. Women should have the right to use the ballot and vote for our elections. Jane Addams wrote in the magazine Ladies Home Journal, Why Women Should Vote, January 1910 (doc. C) she said women should have their liberty and the right to use the ballot to preserve the home. Then she must bring herself to use the ballot American women need this to preserve their home (doc. C). Womens suffrage deserves the 100k gift because it is important that all people in America be treated equally and this includes women. Thank you aunt Bessie for putting trust in me by giving me one million to try to help Progressive reforms. Child labor, food safety, and womens suffrage are in need of great help. I hope with your generous donation that I can make a difference in these reforms.

Your favorite nephew, Ryan