Era Through the Great Depression_ the Economy

¶ … era through the great depression_

The economy of the United States was faced with fair share of challenges towards the close of the 19th century that had to be mitigated lets they got out of control. Other than the economic woes, there were also widespread social injustices. There was eminent war between capital and labor. Progressive era was realized in the very last years of the 19th century up to 1917 (Sage, 2010). The progressive era was a dawn of new ideas and progressive reforms. Some of its advantages are enjoyed to date. Some of the major events that characterized the progressive era were the birth of the American oil industry in 1901 and the initiation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909.

The first American oil was prospected in Texas' Spindletop and this set precedent for evolution of the nation's oil sector. The Texan oil was discovered on a salt dome near the Jefferson County on the 10th of January 1901. The discovery of oil within the borders of the United States impacted, significantly, the politics, economy, culture, and the general social lives of the Americans (Sage, 2010). In fact, the oil industry did not only contribute to the rapid evolution of the United States political and economic power but also became one of the major employers in the United States economy. A reasonable number of Americans are employed in the oil sector.

The creation of the National Association of the Advancement of the Colored People (NAACP) was a major boost with regards to development of racial values and attitudes in America. The NAACP was and is still committed to ensuring that the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons. It also endeavors to eliminate racial discrimination (NAACP, 2012). In the progressive era, racism was very rampant; besides, women's rights were persistently ignored. However, when NAACP was created, equality and human rights protection was enhanced. The NAACP changed the culture of race relations in the U.S. because it protected vulnerable population from discrimination. The NAACP also strengthened law enforcement against hate crime. It generated greater tolerance to diversity and difference in the United States.

Women and their voting rights

It is in public domain that women hailing from Western Frontier earned right to vote before those from the southern and eastern states. The mere fact that women could vote revolutionized the mindset of the general population. It had profound effects on the political landscape (Bridgen, 2012). Initially the women were entrusted with the responsibility of raising children and doing household chores while men were presumed to be breadwinners. Men from the eastern states likened allowing women to vote in the western frontiers with the downfall of ethics and morals in society (Bridgen, 2012). Eastern states were not receptive women's suffrage because they felt it would result into massive divorce because these women would have right to have sex with any man they wanted. Eastern states had higher rates of population diversity relative to the American West; this was an impediment to the implementation of women's suffrage laws. Perhaps this is why women from the west were the first to take part in the electoral processes especially that of the 1912. Women in the eastern states first took part in the electoral process in the 1913. When the Nineteenth Amendment was past, suffrage became a universal human right thus putting to end the women's suffrage movement (Bridgen, 2012).

Business in the progressive era

A number of corporate legislations were passed in the progressive era. The relationship between business, government, and society was intensified by the creation of the Department of Commerce and Labor in 1903 and the passage of the Hepburn Act in 1906. Department of Labor and Commerce was later divided into Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor to resolve the labor capital conflicts (Grossman, 1973). To be precise, this division was intended to turn capital and labor into two arms of business to promote the interests of industrial manufacturing in America. Hepburn Act was intended to establish and regulate maximum railroad rates. It strengthened railroad regulations and submitted national railroad companies to Interstate Commerce Commission (I.C.C.). The Hepburn Act of 1906 gave the I.C.C. power to establish and regulate maximum railroad rates (Commercial Laws, 2011). The railroad companies under this act had to justify their accounting procedures and fairness of their rates. The act reduced the powers of the employers and their relations with employees. The act checked against employee exploitation as it mandated railroad companies to establish an 8-hour-long day for all their workers.

The Spanish American War

The Spanish-American War significantly contributed to the creation of the American Empire as it turned the U.S. non-aristocratic empire founded on state power but orientation towards commercial gain for friends and associates (Stromberg, 1998). The war geared towards expanding America's export market and strengthening its political and military power. The war made relevant the role national government plays in the lives of the American population. It was a manifestation of the United States' commitment to establishing American power in non-American territories. Save for Spanish-American War, the U.S. extended its political and military influence over new territories (Stromberg, 1998).

The period after the progressive era

This period was fondly referred to as the roaring twenties. In the 1920s the federal government was least involved in business activities and markets. During this period, Americans enjoyed a lot of freedom. This freedom came to "crashing end" on October 29, 1929, when the American Stock Market crashed. The period before great depression was characterized with huge economic and social imbalances. There were widespread income disparities across major social groups. The prospects of looming economic crises never bothered Hoover (PBS, n.d). His administration failed to provide any financial relief to those who were poverty stricken. He eventually came up with an economic program that was intended to help employees retain their jobs that never went down well with business owners and executives who blamed him for the Great Depression. When President Roosevelt came into office, he proposed the New Deal which settled the jinx of government-business cooperation (PBS, n.d).