By the turn of the century immigration was at a high, corruption in politics and in business was

common and more and more people began to move from the country in to the cities. Low
wages, inequality, and inhumane living and working conditions sparked a movement for reform.
This shift would go on to be called the Progressive Movement. People wanted to see change in
how the government was ran and also change for the betterment of society as a whole. The
Progressive movement ignited reform that would drastically change the social, economic, and
political sphere of American life.

Progressivist believed that as more people transitioned in to city life, the working and living
conditions should be corrected. Immigration during the early 1900s was at a high and to
compensate tenement housing were created. Though this type of housing gave people a place
to live, the conditions were abhorrent. Most did not have an effective plumbing or drinking
water source. Overcrowded spaces caused the spread of disease and violence. The Pittsburgh
Survey revealed that the causes of poverty were a social problem rather than a personal one
(Oakes 603). Proof to support this new finding were documented with photos. Jane Addams
created Hull House, which was a settlement house used to fight the poor living conditions of
tenement housing. Jane Addams was a remarkable reformer, because she actively fought for
change and called for the investigation of corrupt landlords. Industrial work in the city,
especially for the poor and immigrants meant being subjected to unsafe working conditions and
long work days. Groups such as the IWW, though radical, fought for better working conditions
and higher wages. Better working and living conditions were a few of the reasons why
Progressivism sparked the need and want for reform. Through progressivism, working and living
conditions could be made humane. There were also other areas in the nation that needed to be
addressed such as the economic problem, and the Progressive movement sought to reform
that.

As American life became more urban, industrialization began to cause a change in the
economy. Larger businesses and corporations started to take control. As the rich became richer,
the poor still continued to work long hours and many were still under paid. Health concerns and
poor sanitation was a growing problem. The monopolization of smaller companies spread due
to the growing power of larger corporations. During the progressive era, it was recognized that
many corporations and businesses were corrupt because of the belief in a free market (Porter).
But Progressives were not the only ones who believed that the economy needed change.
Socialist also believed that the modern day problem was the economy. According to Of the
People, the authors argued that “socialist believed the ownership of industries should be
collective” (Oakes 601). The Federal Trade Commission, created by President Woodrow Wilson,
was intended to control how much power corporations had. Wilson also lowered tariffs by
creating the Underwood-Simons Tariff, which imposed an income tax. In summary, the bill
helped lower prices while also increasing the competitiveness of the markets (Oakes 620). The
Progressive Movement reformed much of the economy, some of which are still present in
today’s society. While immigration, overcrowded living and work facilities, and the economy
were major issues, politics was another prominent problem that also needed reformation.
As the Progressive Movement began to spread across America, each state had its own idea of
what reform and progressiveness should look like. For example, the south had an entirely
different idea of reform than the north. In the west, reformation came in the form of voting.
Oregon was one of the first states to start the Initiative, recall, and referendum procedures.
These procedures allowed for voters and legislates to provide proposals for legislation, the
recall procedure allowed for voters to remove an official. According The Unfinished Nation “the
largest single reform movement during the Progressive era is the fight for woman suffrage”
(The Unfinished Nation-Progressive Era, 10:35). The right for woman to vote was not passed
until 1920. Reformers also wanted to clean up politics by removing political machines and
correcting city bosses. One way to do this was to have the government become more
responsive to the American people. Under the Roosevelt administration the Department of
Commerce was formed to make sure that corporate affairs were clear (Oakes 612). With these
changes to government and politics the Progressive era was in full bloom.

In conclusion the Progressive era was a national collective effort for the betterment of society
as a whole. The American people of that time no longer wanted to sit back and accept the way
things were. Americans demanded better living and working conditions so that a good and
healthy living could be made. Clean plumbing and drinking water so that the spread of diseases
would stop. Presidents like Theodor Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson established some of the
greatest reform in American history by cracking down on political machines and big time
corporations. The introduction of an income tax which not only helped the revenue, but also
aided consumers by lowering tariffs. Because of the Progressive Movement social, economical,
and political reform took place. Most of which have shaped the America that we know today.
 Works Cited

Oakes, James. Of the People: a History of the United States. Oxford University Press, 2017.

History.com. “Labor Movement.” History.com, A&E Television Networks,

www.history.com/topics/19th-century/labor.

Porter, Natalie. “The Progressive Era and Economics.” Historical Society of Pennsylvania,
hsp.org/education/unit-plans/the-progressive-era-and-economics.

“The Unfinished Nation-Progressive Era” Films Media Group, 2004,

http://fod.infobase.com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=71435