Alyssa Studvent
2 Feb 2021
Progressive Era DBQ
The late 1800s or the era prior to the Progressive Era was the Gilded Age. This time in
history was filled with horrific working conditions, the mistreatment of workers, women be
longed to their husbands, state and federal government corruption and the improper distribution
of wealth. This era was the base of the Progressive Era and established which changes needed to
be made for the sake of women’s rights, the labour force, children and everything in between.
This era divided the United States for those who were for its changes and those who were against
them. The United States was last seen divided like this during the Spanish-American War where
many politicians and civilians believed that this was not their war, while others believed their
partaking in this war could lead to great prosperity for the United States. Progressive Reformers
fought for changes which needed to be made to improve the nations care for workers, women’s
rights, immigration reforms, and race equality; however the federal government mainly focused
on the improper distribution of wealth, overseas legislation and the decrease in power of
monopolies.
There were many successful reforms that the federal and state governments set in place
such as child labor, educational and workplace reforms. Progressive reformers such as Jane
Addams fought for chid labour reform and helped support the urban poor and immigrants
through houses such as the Hull House. The Hull House was the first settlement house in the
United States, with many to come after offering services such as day care, and kindergarten
education. These houses were also created to create a place for women to learn things that could
not be learned within the household. During Ms. Addams work as an education reformer, she
advocated for the end or regulation of child labor as many would join the workforce as early as
state regulations would permit to bring income for their families. She addressed the attitudes of
education professionals as they are proud of the Industrial Revolution while showing no
sympathy for the children working in the Revolution (Doc C). Her attitude towards the reform
came from her point of view as a progressive reformer on the front lines meeting and helping
those in need especially children. Her work as a reformer helped pave the way for the creation of
the Children’s Bureau which also focused on child labor conditions, restricted hours, managed
pay wage and education solely for children. These reforms also worked on creating more
humane working conditions. The Neil-Reynolds Report exposes the meat packing factories as
workers were forced to work in factories that were inhumane with dirty floors, horribly
ventilated quarters, and dangerous health concerns (Doc B). This realization also helped explain
the beginning of the Tuberculosis Outbreak during the 1900s. The horrific workplace
environment was also exposed through the horrific Triangle-Shirtwaist Factory Fire as the
workers were locked in the room and could not escape the fire. 100s of women died and this was
a leading factor for the call of workplace reforms from the government and the placement of
restrictions and responsibilities of employers. Workplace reform also played a crucial part in the
tariffs placed on foreign goods as President Wilson wanted to make America richer by working
within itself instead of paying for foreign goods from which they could obtain at home. The
tariffs depressurized the competition between domestic and foreign goods sales. It also helped
stimulate efficiency, created better workers, and sellers and helped build the economy in his
opinion (Doc D). Banking Reform was crucial after the Panic of 1907 when Americans began
hoarding their money and withdrawing it all from banks leading to inflation, and economic
crashes through a 6-week time period. The Cover of Puck Magazine has believed to be J.P
Morgan collecting buildings that resemble banks with the words “Billion Dollar Bank Merger”
written across the cover. There is also a child placing a coin in a smaller bank from which
Morgan’s hand is reaching for (Doc E). The purpose of this cover was to depict the current
times, Morgan was working with the federal government to create the Central Bank or what is
now called the federal reserve. The Central Bank would act as the countries main bank and their
would be other branches from which would expand outward from this central bank. The
successes of the progressive era were because of government interference and the push of
progressive era reformers for change.
While there were many successful reforms that the federal and state governments set in
place, there were also ones that were many unsuccessful reform such as the Clayton Antitrust
Act, “International Reform” after World War 1 and race reform. President Wilson’s initiative
was to have the proper distribution of wealth, and the decrease in monopolies power. This was
combated with his Clayton Antitrust Act (Doc A). This Act worked on the restriction of trusts so
they could not discriminate their pricing. This cartoon depicts the message of keeping
monopolies in restrictions with the take down of bad monopolies with bad trusts while keeping
the good monopolies in restraints through the picture of them as wild bears. This is another way
in which the federal government brought reform on the national level but, unfortunately this Act
did not have effectively and properly distribute wealth amongst the poor and was deemed
unsuccessful. The inequality amongst blacks after returning from World War 1 gained popularity
as writer WEB Dubois expressed in his book. Blacks first fought in the civil and still they are
treated poorly, partook in segregated units, these units were not called in frequently but mostly as
support units. Even as they retuned their were welcomed home with discrimination, inhumanely
treated, struggled to find jobs their Caucasian counterparts could easily gain, and were targets of
racial attacks. He challenged this inequality and through “the Crisis” (Doc G), he describes how
blacks fight for the country country of which they are continuously oppressed happily, but they
are still treated unfairly. This except displays how this book might have been directed towards
the state and federal governments as they lead the country through their image. This America
that treats its soldiers like this also represents all of the evil of which we hypocritically convict
and judge other countries of. The federal government has hypocritically had sympathy for other
countries citizens while the same events are happening on their Homefront. A photograph from
the National Archives (Doc F) depicts a woman holding a sign of which addresses the sympathy
of which President Wilson had for the german citizens who were paying the price for the
corruption of their government while not having that same sympathy for American women.
Women struggled in displaying how they are “not self-governed” (Doc F). Suffragists such as
Alice Paul who fought for the recognition of women’s rights and even challenged the president
by standing in front of the White House gates questioning the president about women’s
advancement to liberty. The failures fo the progressive era were because of the wrong type of
government interference and the choices of which women, African Americans and the needy
were not a main focus.
The progressive era brought a change needed to grow the United States. There were some
tremendous successful reforms by the government however; there were also many unsuccessful
reforms. Many of these reforms paved the way for todays economy and still are active today.
Reformers forced the acknowledgment of problems from which others were walking over and
never looking back. They established houses to take care of those who could not take care of
themselves, fought for women’s, children and civil rights. They were the push that society
needed during that day and we have our reformers who are pushing our government today on
behalf of society and the people who cannot or are afraid to speak up for themselves.