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Progressive Movement There was a great need for the progressives during the early 1900s. In 1900
America’s population was around 76 million, and one out of every seven of those
76 million was foreign. By 1915 there were 13 million more immigrants. If that
wasn’t enough of a drastic change in America’s culture, there was another huge
change taking place. America was switching from small personal businesses, to
the big business type of economy. Newer and bigger businesses meant different
working conditions, different working classes as well as economic classes, and
completely new jobs that hadn’t even existed before.
Often my parents and I
disagree on current events, movies, music, etc. Sometimes I feel like they are
both against change. If they see that things aren’t just as they were before,
like during the time when they were my age, they see things as bad or wrong. On
the other hand, I feel like change is necessary sometimes, and the times of the
late 1800s and early 1900s were no exception. In defense of my parents, I don’t
always see the need for total changes. After all, as the old saying goes, if it
isn’t broke don’t fix it.
The progressive movement refused to stick with the
status quo and instead welcomed change. However progressives also recognized
that some things worked fairly well, like the general form of American
government. So they felt a complete change was not necessary, but that some
things could use a little work, and that is how progressives formed their basic
goals.
The progressive movement worked towards a more honest and active
government at all levels so that the public interests might be better protected.
During the late 19th century and early 1900s political machines held most of the
political power at the state and local levels. These political machines were
often corrupt and gained their power not by running good campaigns about
relevant issues, but instead through providing favors for, and appealing to,
those in need like immigrants. Most involved in the machines were more
interested in making money than relevant political issues. The Federal
government was itself fairly inactive, passing little or no important
legislation and having usually passive election campaigns that addressed few
issues. When the entire country is experiencing the effects of the dramatic
changes I mentioned earlier, I feel disturbed that the government acted so
passively. Progressives did Americans good by working for a stronger
governments.
Working conditions was also a point of focus for the
progressive movement. With all the new jobs created by industrialization, new
working conditions were also created. I suppose that some Americans worked in
nicer places, got paid well, and also worked decent hours. However, it was too
common that workers were overworked and underpaid. So progressives worked for
better wages and more tolerable work conditions.
Progressives also believed
in sociological jurisprudence, or dealing with issues by viewing them from a
sociological standpoint. When trying to decide what needed to be changed and
fixed, the progressive movement was concerned with effects the changes would
have on the entire society. Often when new standards or legislature was being
set up, the composers were only concerned with how it would affect one specific
group such as the wealthy upper class, the poor lower class, or immigrants. That
system could hardly be effective during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Progressives realized that industrialization, immigration, and even expansion
towards the West were changes that affected everyone, not just one particular
group of people.
The theory Social Darwinism was rejected by the progressive
movement, and it is something I personally reject too. Social Darwinism was the
belief that if a person failed, it was of some fault of their own and not of
their conditions or surrounding environment. I just don’t feel that way about
personal failures. Reasonably, I feel that if a person fails because they don’t
or won’t try then their failure is a fault of themselves. However I also realize
that if a person is laid off because a company wants to make cutbacks, or if
there is an explosion at work and it injures workers so badly they can no longer
work, I cannot see these as failures caused by their own personal faults.
Apparently, neither could the progressives.
Finally, the last reason I would
have chosen to become a part of the progressive movement is because I feel I
would have more closely identified with their lifestyle and status. The majority
of those involved with the progressive movement, even though they were typically
men, were white, protestant, and members of the middle class. Often they were
self-employed, like much of my family, or had some college education, like
myself. I have never been very wealthy, and I have never been overly poor.
Therefore, I feel I would most easily relate to those taking part in the
progressive movement.
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