Progressive Era
DBQ Essay
Assignment 1: Introduction
Go through and answer the questions on the
power point. When you have finished with the
questions construct an introductory paragraph for
the essay prompt on the next slide. Your
paragraph will need to include a thesis statement.
• Progressives sought to restore economic
competition, make government more
efficient, and create a more pluralistic
electorate in American politics. To what
extent were progressives successful in
achieving these goals?
The Prompt:
Restore Economic Competition
• Who were the millionaires of the Gilded
Age?
• How did they get their wealth?
• What was a “Robber Baron?”
• What were some of the negatives to “Big
Business?”
• What did some of these Captains do to
the competition?
• How did the majority of the people
live in the Gilded Age?
• What were their working conditions
like?
• Could they effectively improve their
working hours, wages or
conditions? Why or Why Not?
Make government more efficient
• Who was Boss Tweed?
• What did political machines do to
the democratic system?
• How did political machines continue
to stay in power?
• Who did they feed upon?
• Were political elections fair during
the Gilded Age?
• Fought to make
lynching illegal.
• What is lynching?
• How were senators elected before the
17th amendment?
Create a more pluralist government
• Why were the ladies fighting for the right to
vote?
• What were some of the tactics they used
during this fight?
• Who were some of the leaders?
• When did they get the right to vote?
• “Fighting Bob” aka Robert La Follette and his
Wisconsin plan.
• What did he create that helped the people with
transportation?
• First impressions are so important. How many times have you heard
that? It is true that the first impression—whether it’s a first meeting
with a person or the first sentence of a paper—sets the stage for a
lasting opinion.
• The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start
with a sentence that piques the interest of your readers.
• In a typical essay, that first sentence leads into two or three sentences
that provide details about your subject or your process. All of these
sentences build up to your thesis statement.
• The thesis statement is the subject of much instruction and training.
The entirety of your paper hangs on that sentence. But its function is
to be informative and direct.
• This means it’s not normally very exciting.
• Remember to restate your prompt in some way.
Introduction Paragraph