Era According to Lecture? Which

¶ … Era according to lecture? Which of the themes do you think had the most impact on American society?

The five major themes of the Progressive Era were democracy, efficiency, regulation, social justice, and active government. Democracy refers to the fact that the democratic form of government was increased during the Progressive Era because of the institution of the direct primary, initiatives and referendums, and the 17th Amendment, which provided for the direct election of U.S. senators. Efficiency refers to the idea that governments became more efficient and were characterized by budget control, and the institution of the commission system and the role of the city manager. Regulation refers to the increased amount of governmental regulation of business, most notably the Sherman Anti-trust acts, trust-busting, and a turning away from laissez faire business policies. Social justice refers to the idea of ending the practice of the wealthy profiting from the mistreatment of the poor, and was characterized by protective legislation such as child labor laws and workers compensation. Finally, an active government refers to the idea of a government working to promote the needs of its people by focusing on education, infrastructure, conservation, public health, and welfare. While all of the themes of the Progressive Era had an impact on American society at that time, many of them were abandoned in the years following the Progressive Era. However, Americans have clung to the idea of an active government. While the government may not always get it right, it still tries to play a very active role in education, infrastructure, conservation, public health, and welfare. For example, the United States has a highly-developed infrastructure which permits extensive private land travel over a vast amount of space. Furthermore, even with the MMR-autism scare, the U.S. vaccination program has greatly reduced public health epidemics in the United States. Those are just two examples of how an active government has impacted life in America.

2. What are the 4 major groups of reformers in the Progressive Era? What are their goals? Which group 'wins' out in the end?

The four major groups of reformers in the Progressive Era were the middle class, the upper class, the working class, and the socialists. The middle class pushed for reforms that actually cemented the place of the middle class in U.S. society, which marked a significant change from other nations, especially young nations, which had traditionally been characterized by a two-class system. The upper class wanted to limit reforms, because those reforms generally had a negative impact on the upper class. The working class pushed for reforms that would elevate their socio-economic status and place them in a better financial position. The socialists pushed for reforms that would call for an overall more equitable distribution of resources. It is difficult to determine which group of reformers won out in the end. Clearly, it was not the socialists, because the United States is still characterized by a tremendous disparity in wealth, with something like the top 5% of people controlling 99% of the resources. However, while that would make it appear that the wealthy won out in the end, that answer would only be correct if the only goal of the Progressive Era was the equal distribution of wealth, but that was not even the primary goal of the Progressive Era. If the goal of the Progressive Era was to improve overall quality-of-life, then it is fair to say that the middle class and the working class both experienced significant victories. Both the middle and lower classes have experienced an almost continual climb in quality-of-life since the Progressive Era, so that the middle class is wealthy by global standards and even the poorest members of America's lower class live in conditions superior to the majority of the inhabitants of the world.

3. Briefly describe America's territorial gains from the Paris Peace Treaty of 1898. What did the conclusion of this war do for the American people at home?

The treaty of Paris in 1898 ended the Spanish-American War, ended the Spanish Empire in the Americas, and opened up the pathway for U.S. led colonial expansion in the area. One impact of the treaty was that it gave the United States the rights to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. Both Guam and the Philippines were critical additions because they signaled the beginning of U.S. involvement in the Pacific. It also marked a significant change in how America was viewed in the global arena, because almost all of Europe was sympathetic to Spain, and did not wish to see the decline of a fellow colonial power. However, with the treaty, the U.S. entered into the global arena and poised itself to emerge as a superpower. This status also brought about an atmosphere of economic, population, and technological growth that lasted for more than a century. Furthermore, the Spanish-American War helped repair the rift between the North and the South, and helped establish better relations between blacks and whites during that time period, an improvement that was temporary, but real. Perhaps most significant is that Teddy Roosevelt became a war hero in that war, which paved the way for his presidency.

4. After taking Theodore Roosevelt's program and accomplishments in office into account, what do you think is his 'lasting legacy?

As a charismatic president during a period of reform, one would think that Theodore Roosevelt would be clearly linked to a lasting political legacy. The reality is that the vast majority of Americans are familiar with him because of the Teddy bear, named in his honor. This is not to suggest that Roosevelt was not responsible for significant reforms, such as: the Elkins Act, which eliminated unfair business practices in the railroad industry; the creation of the Department of Commerce; the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906; the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, the Hepburn Act of 1906, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the right to set maximum railroad rates; and his conservation efforts. However, most of these reforms have not had the lasting and permanent impact that Roosevelt probably imagined. The tainted food supply and information about how agri-business has impacted the meat industry reveal that food packing conditions are actively declining.

Furthermore, while railroad regulation and the Department of Commerce helped further the aims of interstate commerce at the time, subsequent deregulation has eliminated many of those benefits. Of all of his reforms, the most lasting reform is probably Roosevelt's legacy of conservation. Though the United States is not known as a conservationist nation, there are actually millions of acres of preserved space in the United States, all due to Roosevelt, who was the first conservationist president. Without his actions as president, it is questionable, and even unlikely, that the United States would have national parks and monuments. Therefore, conservation is very literally Roosevelt's most lasting legacy.