Introduction
The Gilded Age that preceded the Progressive Era was characterized by the aggravation of the wealth gap and economic inequality. Despite the industrialization of the United States and the progress in all spheres of human life, the concerns were not evident to people at first sight. The reformers considered the lack of labor regulation, the domination of the monopolies created by Rockefeller and Cornelius, and violence against African Americans the major problems that required political action. Therefore, the context of the reforms in the Progressive Era was broad, and all spheres were equally crucial in the upcoming change.
Even though the Progressive Era is traditionally regarded as the period of effective reforms in Americans’ political, economic, and social life, it is a controversial topic. Not all social groups benefited from the changes that occurred during this time. It is critical to mention such negative aspects of the Progressive Era, like the exclusion of immigrant workers from skilled labor and various anti-immigrant restriction acts, voting practices that excluded African Americans, poor women of color compared to white middle-class skilled workers, and middle and upper-class white women. Therefore, the distinction between the opportunities of the privileged social groups was significantly higher than the ones of the minorities. The limitations of the reforms included contradictory policies between Roosevelt and Wilson, impedance from the federal court system, and exclusion of marginalized groups by concentrating on the middle-class concerns of the white majority. Although the Progressive Era fostered significant changes due to the federal government’s increased role in economic, political, and social issues, the effectiveness of reforms was controversial.
Discussion
The political context is critical in understanding and evaluating the Progressive Era’s reforms. Even though attempts to change the political context were made during this period, there was no unanimous perception of the actions that would give the optimal results. As a result, most policymakers agreed that there was a need for the consolidation of political power in the United States. The most vital reform was the attempt to consolidate a local and a national movement to fight political corruption during this time. For instance, the policy known as muckraking aimed at exposing the corruption of party bosses to improve the political climate in the country and ensure it is democratic. At the same time, it led to disputes between the Progressive Era’s prominent political actors who rivaled each other. It is possible to illustrate these claims with the example of Roosevelt’s run for the Progressive Bull Moose Party of 1912 against Wilson. The overall increase in a democratic election by the people is represented in the Wisconsin Plan in California and the passing of the 17th Amendment. These details state that the political disputes and the tendency to reform American political life led to the active development of this sphere, which was a positive effect.
The political reforms were far from the ideal, which foregrounds the hypothesis that the Progressive Era did not achieve all goals it initially set and proclaimed. Despite the amendments that granted Black suffrage, color-blind policies like the grandfather clause and literacy tests attempted to exclude African Americans. Wilson’s inaugural speech vividly illustrates these policies that perpetuated racism in the White House. For example, the politician agreed with the laws that did not allow African Americans to study in the same universities as white people. Even though this opinion was regarded as the norm by his contemporaries, it emphasizes the existing racial inequality in the Progressive Era the reforms did not change.
The reforms in the sphere of economics were a critical part of the Progressive Era changes. As already mentioned, the preceding decades were marked by the increasing domination of monopolies in the market, which had negative consequences for American business and the prosperity of citizens. Another peculiar issue was connected with the high level of industry corruption that did not allow the market to develop actively. Roosevelt and Taft’s efforts to limit corruption in business through aiding unions and trustbusting were part of these actions. These regulations were Clayton Anti-Trust Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the 16th Amendment.
The advertisement where Roosevelt steps on a “Bad Trust” bear illustrates the tendencies of that time’s economic reforms. The state tried to control corporations that had uncontrollable power in the market. It is also necessary to mention the influence of the muckrakers or the journalists who focused on urgent topics during the Progressive Era. They wrote about business corruption and made these cases known to the general audience. For instance, Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” was one of the examples of the muckrakers’ work, and the publication of this text directly led to the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. As a result, the state could not ignore these problems and tried to solve them.
Despite the passage of these laws, industries remained largely unregulated, and workers of marginalized groups continued to face dangerous and inhumane working conditions. As Leonard notes, “many progressives held racist and eugenic beliefs and advocated for policies that would restrict immigration and limit the opportunities of non-white and non-native-born Americans.” This narrow focus on middle-class white interests hindered the effectiveness of the Progressive Era’s efforts to improve working conditions and industrial opportunities for all workers. The jobs of US-born white skilled workers and the work that unskilled immigrant laborers and African Americans could get were dramatically different. For instance, the white American had the opportunity to receive higher education and could expect well-paid jobs simply because he was more trustworthy than the African American. At the same time, child labor was not rare in the immigrant communities where racial minorities lived. These inequalities showed that the economic reforms did not make everyone in the United States rich. In the cases of ethnic minorities, they did not even improve their quality of life and work.
Social reforms were also characteristic of the Progressive Era, and the changes of that time were critical for the subsequent development of society. Women questioned their place and started to fight for equality. In addition, women received the opportunity to work and become professionals, which was not typical for middle-class women before. The ratification of the WCTU and Anti-Saloon League on the temperance movement was essential in changing the public attitude toward alcohol consumption. The 18th and 19th Amendments provided the legal basis for the prohibition of alcohol distribution. Other vital issues were the Maternalist reform on child labor and Margaret Sanger’s birth control movement. They protected women and children, among the most vulnerable social groups in the United States during the Progressive Era.
These reforms were also quite controversial, making their evaluation challenging. For instance, Sanger held white supremacist beliefs, and the birth control initiatives were closely connected with eugenics. This wave of feminism was limited to the cause of middle-class white women, while immigrant, Black, and Native American women did not benefit from it much. Women from low-income families in the communities of ethnic minorities worked long before the feminist reforms were implemented because they had to provide for themselves. Children from poor immigrant families did not have the same rights for legal protection from exploitation as white children. These details show that social inequalities in the United States persisted after implementing the reforms during the Progressive Era, making their effectiveness dubious.
Conclusion
The Progressive Era was a time of severe political, social, and economic reforms that changed American life. The reforms were an effective attempt of the government to cope with the problems that were dominant in the political discourse of the Gilded Age. For instance, the monopolies, racial segregation of African Americans and other vulnerable social groups, and political disputes were clearly defined as the problems the United States had to solve. It allows the assumption that the Progressive Era’s effective reforms led to industry development, which was the basis for the improvement of the quality of life for people. Creating large trusts instead of monopolies and pursuing the laissez-faire goals in economics led to business development. At the same time, numerous issues were still connected with the lack of opportunities for racial minorities, and social inequalities were not completely solved. Therefore, the reforms of the Progressive Age cannot be regarded as fully effective decisions, but the first steps in the improvement of the political, economic, and social life in the United States were made.
References
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Leonard, Thomas C. 2009. “American Economic Reform in the Progressive Era: Its Foundational Beliefs and Their Relation to Eugenics.” History of Political Economy 41, no. 1: 109-141. Web.
n.a. 1914. “The Clayton Antitrust Act.” Web.
n.a. 2013. “Teddy Roosevelt and Bears Political Cartoon.” Web.
Schuman, Michael. 2017. “History of Child Labor in the United States — Part 2: The Reform Movement.” Monthly Labor Review, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web.
Thelen, David P. “Review of Modernization and Reform in the Progressive Era: An Essay Review.” The Wisconsin Magazine of History 52, no. 1 (1968): 62–65. Web.
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Wilson, Woodrow. 1913. “First Inaugural Address of Woodrow Wilson.” Web.