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¶ … Twentieth Century
The Gilded Age witnessed industrial progress and accumulated wealth that boosted the growth of the middle class, yet at the same time there was the spread of "appalling" conditions in the slum areas of the cities, the farmers were in desperate times, and factory workers and others were trampled upon by the wheels of progress (Progressive pp). The "war between capital and labor" demonstrated that Americans were willing to fight for their economic rights, and many historians believe that if the conditions of the working poor had not been addresses, the country very likely would have been thrown into another revolution (Progressive pp). Yet, a revolution did actually take place, just not on the battlefield (Progressive pp). It was called the Progressive Movement, and as a basic conservative movement, it was not meant to cause as stir, but to address the problems of society and find solutions in order to retain its basic character (Progressive pp).
Although the conditions were harsh for workers, living standard had actually risen dramatically for many since the Civil War (Progressive pp). Moreover, education opportunities had expanded, people enjoyed more leisure time, there was a variety of newspapers, books and magazines,...
Although reform movements were nothing new, this movement became the largest in American history and its effects felt for a long time (Progressive pp).
The Progressive Movement succeeded because it had support from both political parties, as well as support from labor, management and middle class America (Progressive pp). Workers themselves were in no position to start a movement on their own behalf, for they had neither the time nor the vision to address the scope of the problems, thus they joined unions (Progressive pp). Violence that sometimes erupted, such as the 1877 railroad strike, and the Homestead strike, provided an "impetus for those at higher levels to work to reform the capitalist system on which everybody depended" (Progressive pp).
Progressives were often referred to as "middle-class moralists," because they targeted issues such as alcoholism and prostitution, both felt to be socially damaging (Progressive pp). The businessmen, entrepreneurs and the wealthy classes in general, referred to as capitalists, supported progressive reform due simply to self-interest (Progressive pp). They were aware of the…
Work Cited
The Age of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1945. Retrieved October 17, 2005 from:
http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec2/essay10.html
Boom or Bust. Retrieved October 17, 2005 from:
http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec2/essay09.html
from: http://www.sagehistory.net/progressive/Progressive.htm
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