Aakash Shukla

6/3/2018
Progressivism's Broad Reach:

In the era following the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era brought much needed reform

into the changing nation. Under the presidencies of Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson modifications to

the government set the precedent for institutions that still prevail to this day. Like numerous

political movements, the progressive party was once a strong faction within the Republican

party. In this short time, its members often saw eye to eye on various reforms until the party’s

eventual decline. As a result, the party was able to create a long lasting effect on the government

and nation alike in a short period of time. The idea that progressivism changed the country is best

represented by the social, political, and economic reforms that were placed into effect. ​In regards

to unity, the progressives demonstrated the same values in regards to social reform and

economics, but not in the sphere of politics.

To begin with, one of the core values of the Progressive Movement was to establish

moral reform on society. This concept was greatly influenced by the culture of alcoholism and

crime that commonly found itself within American cities. At the time, many Progressives created

solutions to get the many living in poverty off of the streets. One progressive thinker once states

that individuals living in poverty were in a “losing struggle” and were bound to live a life of

crime, violence, and alcoholism if there was no intervention in their lives. (Document G). One

historian claims that this intervention was, “... remarkable….because the progressive agenda was

so often carried out in settlement houses, Churches, and schoolrooms….”(Document I).

Therefore, the progressives sought unity and equality in terms of treatment of the needy. Many

different types of progressives opened up YMCA’s, Salvation Armies, and other variations of a

community center. In regards to the overall party unity, the party demonstrated a national
standard when such institutions were opened across the nation. In the end, the progressives

demonstrated how American society viewed the needy. This is best represented by the

continuation of these programs into modern society.

In terms of economics, the progressive presidents worked on policies to better protect the

American consumer from corporations. This was done to crack down on the inhumane practices

that were previously followed by numerous industries to maximize their profits. In the simplest

terms, Americans became increasingly worried about the corporations in their society feared that

corporations could use their influence to infringe upon their consumer rights. Therefore, many

progressives saw this as a time for the public to urge reform on the wealthy corporations

(Document B). Furthermore, they, “... distrusted big business…. and worked to collar the

captains of industry….”(Document H). These basic reform principles were satisfied within the

Federal Reserve Act, FTC, Hepburn Act, FDA, and other Progressive Era reforms (Document

A). In regards to the party, the act of “trust busting” and regulating American industries was a

common trait of Progressive presidents. It represented that the party universally championed

economic reform. In terms of affecting the federal government, the party introduced the

regulation of trade and industry. This idea is still present today in order to insure that

corporations don’t break the rules by establishing monopolies and taking advantage over

consumers. In the present day, corporations can no longer place their profits ahead of their

customers to prevent further government intervention into their business.

Although the progressive presidents agreed when in the spheres of societal reform and

economics, the party was less unified in terms of their political efforts. Since Roosevelt was a

liberal thinker, Taft was a conservative, and Wilson was a Democrat, their ideas were never
bound to match. To begin with, Theodore Roosevelt believed in the protection of America’s

natural resources. He believed that Americans had had exploited natural resources and that their

abundance would decrease if such exploitation continued. (Document F). Although this idea was

progressive, it indicated the first signs of political disunity in the party. It was one of the few

ideas in which future presidents, like Taft, would fight against. In his presidency, Roosevelt

introduced the Newlands Act as part to protect the environment. In the following years, Taft

opposed this idea by firing Pinchot, and replacing other individuals in charge of ensuring a better

environment. Furthermore, the rift in the Republican party grew during the election of 1912

when Republican party split between its progressive and conservative members. This led to the

progressive members forming the Bull Moose Party. The party was headed by Theodore

Roosevelt and fought against the Republicans and the Democrats in the election. As a result of

the mudslinging by the Republican candidates, Wilson was easily able to secure the presidency.

This is best represented by a political cartoon from the time period. It depicts a moose at a zoo

that’s being watched by a donkey and an injured elephant. Traditionally, the donkey represents

the Democrats and the elephant represents the recently split republican party. The moose is

representative Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party. In the document the traditional parties mock

the moose as it drinks water supplied by a trust (Document D). Therefore, the Progressive party

didn’t have a concrete political foundation or association. This allowed for progressive

politicians to make their own interpretations of progressivism. This behavior ultimately caused

the party to collapse.

In the end of its short run, the Progressive party greatly impacted American society. The

party left its greatest mark in regards to social reform and economics. It is for this reason that
today’s government has more aid for the less fortunate and consumer protection. These values

were secured by the efforts of the unified progressive thinkers of the time. On the other hand, the

party showed that a lack of unity can be disastrous. It is a representative of how politics can

cause rift in a party and alienate its major factions. With these events in mind, the progressive

party was able to create a great amount of reform in American society in a short period of time.