American History

Progressivism  in  the  United  States  is  a  widely-based  reform  movement  which  attained  its  apex  early  in  the  twentieth-century  epoch,  and  is  usually  taken  into  consideration  as  a  middle  class  reform  movement  in  nature  (DiMaggio,  1988).  It  took  place  as  a  retort  to  the  extensive  transformations  which  were  brought  about  as  a  result  of  modernization,  such  as  the  development  of  large  corporations  as  well  as  rail-roads,  along  with  frights  of  corruption  in  the  politics  of  America.  Progressivism,  which  suggests  that  governmental  conventions  must  be  fine-tuned  with  evolution  of  the  society,  creates  the  philosophical  basis  for  several  American  progressives.  The  Progressive  Movement  was  an  attempt  towards  the  cure  for  many  of  the  ills  of  American  society  which  had  cropped  up  during  the  enormous  gush  of  the  industrial  development  in  the  conclusion  of  the  nineteenth  century  epoch  (Ideas  and  Movements,  2010).  The  limits  were  played  with,  giving  rise  to  great  cities  and  businesses,  along  with  the  establishment  of  an  overseas  empire.  However,  sharing  the  novel  wealth,  status,  and  optimism  was  not  in  the  fate  of  many  citizens  of  America.

Progressivism  was  a  sequence  of  contemporaneous  efforts  which  was  instilled  with  strong  political  overtones  as  the  driving  force  for  transformation.  Its  specific  goals  addressed  its  various  attempts  towards  a  response  to  the  vast  changes  which  were  witnessed  as  a  result  of  modernization.  Amongst  the  major  goals  was  the  desire  to  eradicate  corruption  and  unjustified  influence  from  the  government  by  means  of  humanization  of  political  machines. The  belief  that  government  ought  to  play  a  significant  part  in  fairly  resolving  social  issues  was  one  of  the  most  targeted  aims  of  the  Progressivism  Movement.

The  prosperity  of  Progressivism  is  indebted  much  to  the  publicity  that  was  created  by  the  muckrackers  who  specified  the  terrors  of  poverty,  slums,  perilous  factory  conditions,  and  child-labor,  which  contributed  to  the  ills  prevailing  in  the  American  Society  (Ideas  and  Movements,  2010).  The  Progressive  spirit  of  the  US  is  evident  from  the  new  constitutional  amendments  which  were  added  to  the  Constitution  of the United States  (Ideas  and  Movements,  2010).  There  were  four  constitutional  amendments  which  were  taken  up  during  the  Progressive  epoch,  which  sanctioned  an  income  tax  that  was  provided  for  the  unhindered  selection  of  senators,  comprehended  the  vote  to  women,  and  proscribed  the  production  and  sale  of  alcoholic  beverages.

The  professional  social  work-persons  who  ran  settlement  houses  as  a  source  to  secure  and  enhance  prospects  of  the  deprived  also  talked  about  the  urban  issues  that  were  prevalent  in  the  society.  According  to  a  Module  about  the  Progressive  Era,  on  a  local  basis,  a  number  of  Progressives  looked  forward  to  hold  back  the  red-light  districts,  expanded  high  schools,  created  play-grounds,  and  reinstated  damaged  political  machines  with  an  even  more  efficacious  system  of  municipal  government.  On  the  other  hand,  at  the  state  level,  the  progressive  reforms  ratified  minimum  wage  regulations  and  decrees  for  women  workers,  and  instituted  industrial  accident  insurance.  Lastly,  on  the  national  level,  Congress  had  passed  various  laws  that  established  federal  directive  on  the  meat-packing,  drug,  and  rail-road  industries.  It  also  reinforced  anti-trust  laws  and  diminished  the  tariff,  thereby,  developing  federal  regulation  over  the  banking  configuration  (Module,  2006).  Despite  all  this,  the  efforts  to  place  restraints  on  the  issue  of  child  labor  were  persistently  disenchanted  by  the  courts  (Ideas  and  Movements,  2010).  One  of  the  significant  shortcomings  of  the  Progressive  Movement  was  the  fact  that  the  needs  of  blacks  and  Native  Americans  were  either  badly  fulfilled  or  not  fulfilled  at  all.

Progressivism  is  believed  to  be  less  a  philosophy,  and  more  an  empirical  array  of  principles.  It  lays  emphasis  on  anatomical  and  systematic  reform  which  talks  about  the  causes,  and  not  about  the  legislative  solutions  which  are  targeted  as  symptoms  (Wesser,  1967).  The  progressive  reforms  exchanged  and  contributed  many  convictions  and  principles  which  captured  the  essence  of  progressivism.  Firstly,  they  believed  that  the  government  is  able  to  and  ought  to  be  used  for  the  general  welfare  of  the  society.  Secondly,  they  believed  in  the  vital  worth  and  dignity  of  all  citizens  along  with  a  responsibility  to  help  others  in  need.  They  were  cognizant  of  the  gigantic  summative  of  power,  chiefly,  under  the  regulation  of  corporate  communities.  Hence,  they  worked  upon  a  conviction  that  society  is  better  served  when  political  authority  is  allocated  on  a  wider  basis.  They  worked  with  a  fair  and  justifiable  criterion  in  decision  making  and  also  believed  that  there  is  something  called  common  good  and  ought  to  be  followed.

The  Progressive  Movement  is  a  label  for  an  extensive  range  of  economic,  political,  social,  and  moral  reforms  (Module,  2006).  It  is  inclusive  of  a  number  of  efforts  which  outlaw  a  number  of  movements  that  were  against  the  law.  This  revolutionary  movement  has  bestowed  upon  the  public  a  more  direct  control  over  government  by  means  of  direct  primaries  to  elect  their  own  candidates.  All  in  all,  progressivism  was  a  major  push  for  change  which  included  all  the  efforts  of  social  activists  to  reform  working  conditions,  thereby,  humanizing  the  cure  for  ills  prevailing  in  the  American  Society.