The Progressive
Era
Era of Change
 Between
1889 and 1917
 Time when Americans decided to use
governmental powers and influence to
reform society
 Changes in every realm of society from
labor to women’s rights to education
Focus of the Progressive
Crusaders

Government Reform- Changes in primary methods


Labor


Theodore Roosevelt threatened owners with a
government take over if they did not agree to
negotiate with labor- specifically coal industry.
Health- improvement in the training of doctors


Initiative and Recall- Gave the people more direct
control of the political system
Improved treatment for major diseases
Education

John Dewey- belief in practical education that
was meaningful in students’ lives- as well as active
participation
Roots of Progressivism
 Social

Gospel
Reformers were heavily influenced by the
church, and by the Social Gospel, which
stated that the church should be active in
reforming society
 Muckrakers


Given this nickname by Roosevelt,
journalists who exposed the corruption in
business and politics
Upton Sinclair and the Jungle
16th Amendment



Lack of income from tariffs, expenses of
expanding the navy and civil war pensions
caused a deficit in the federal budget
Originally brought to the Supreme Court in
1909, approved by Congress, but the needed
3/4ths of the states was not achieved until
1913
Created a federally mandated income tax as
a way to raise revenue.
Works Cited
 Mintz,
S., & McNeil, S. (2016). The
Progressive Era. Digital History. Retrieved
January 28, 2016, from
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?
eraID=11&smtID=2