16 Comments
Emily Muller
2/20/2014 08:12:59 am
The Progressive Movement has changed our American society for the better in my opinion. Although the movement is considered to be a failure, it gave us free kindergarten, helped with women's rights, and it started requirements for becoming things like doctors and teachers. Overall, the movement improved our education, civil rights and health.
Reply
Arjana Begzati
2/22/2014 05:41:45 am
Very nice answer, Emily! I like your summary of all the important parts of society that you think the Progressive Movement has influenced. You also pointed out some concrete examples (like free kindergarten) that are important today and only available because of reforms in that period.
Reply
McCall Etl
2/23/2014 06:48:02 am
Do you personally think the movement was a failure? I like your short and sweet answer and it really included great points. Good job!
Reply
Elayna Muller
2/23/2014 11:25:16 am
I agree with the examples you gave (very good!) but what was the Progressive Movement? I'd go into more depth such as saying how they were about reforming the government and things like that.
Reply
Arjana Begzati
2/22/2014 05:27:55 am
The American Progressive Movement (from around 1890 to 1920) was a movement started to bring order to the chaos that the sudden and rapid industrialization and urbanization had brought. Crowded cities due to many new immigrants, bad working conditions, women's rights and the decline of the political system were only few of the problems. The name of the movement suggests that progress was its main goal. The changes that this movement intended to make were both political and social reforms. Many progressivists, being educated and in the middle-class, believed that science and technology could help improve the society. They believed that the government should take more actions in order to deal with the new problems of the country. Since the government itself had problems, progressivism were convinced that the government had to first be reformed itself. For that reason, it encouraged the adoption of commission and city-manager forms, which divided the city's government into departments, each under the control of an expert commissioner. Progressivism also made reforms in business regulation by setting up the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserver System to control money supply. In the field of social reforms, progressivism encouraged the passing of child labor reforms, building codes to improve housing in urban areas, temperance laws to ban alcohol, workers' compensation laws and many more. Some of its lasting contribution, that impact the United States even today, include that candidates for office are directly elected from the political parties, senators are also directly elected as the Seventeenth Amendment (ratified during the Progressive Era) says, food and drugs regulations exist today because of the changes started during that period, and women have the right to vote (the Nineteenth Amendment). The Progressivism Movement addressed and solved many problems of America. Though, it did not do anything regarding issues of African Americans.
Reply
Keeya Marquez
2/22/2014 09:32:10 am
I completely agree with your closing statement. I wish there would've been more reform for African Americans that came from the government instead of just themselves. Great answer.
Reply
Maddy Vogel
2/22/2014 02:35:48 pm
Arjana, really nice work! However, I disagree with your last point. I do think some progress was made in the racial equality sector of this movement. W. E. B. Du Bois encouraged blacks to receive education and fight injustice, and the NAACP was formed. To this day the NAACP organization strives to disband racial prejudices, and I believe its creation was an important part of the Progressive Era.
Reply
Keeya Marquez
2/22/2014 09:28:52 am
The Progressive Movement was a movement inspired by ideas to increase social reform and order. This movement involved reforms in certain areas such as jobs, education, politics, and women's suffrage. In the workplace, expertise was becoming more important, as well as an increase in administrative or professional jobs. Thus, there was limited access for many jobs. Women brought along many reforms through Women's Clubs, involving support of schools, food laws, drug laws, child labor laws, etc. Perhaps even more importantly, their fight for women's right to vote. In the government, new ideas such as the destruction of Urban Machines and initiatives and referendums were produced to further the reform in America. The Progressive Reform, in my opinion, changed our society for the better.
Reply
Maddy Vogel
2/22/2014 12:19:14 pm
Keeya, I agree with your answer! The Progressive Reform brought about changes that our modern society has definitely benefitted from, and you listed many of those. Nice job!
Reply
Arjana Begzati
2/24/2014 12:14:06 pm
Thank you for supporting your disagreement with an example. That allows me to believe that maybe a little was done, though I still think not enough.
Maddy Vogel
2/22/2014 02:46:34 pm
The Progressive Movement, obviously, focused on progress. This impulse began with a few truth-seeking journalists who took every change they got at exposing hidden injustice. Railroad trusts were the initial targets, but efforts soon turned towards the government. “Muckrakers” sought to reveal the corruption of society in anyway they could. However, efforts made during this time can now be divided into three central areas of reform. The limitation of concentrated power and the dispersion of power and wealth were first on the table for reform. Second, social cohesion was believed to be a necessity to progressives. They thought that the welfare of a single person depended on the entire society. Third, progressives believed that social order came from organization and rational procedures in society, especially regarding economics. The Progressive Movement’s lasting impressions on society came from these three specific impulses.
Reply
McCall Etl
2/23/2014 06:46:41 am
Maddy! I really enjoyed reading your answer with your additional thoughts and points. You did a great job covering everything that has really lasted, and I like how you included the things that didn't! Awesome job.
Reply
Kirsten Comstock
2/24/2014 12:26:26 am
Maddy this is an awesome answer. Like McCall I also liked your overall answer and your additional thoughts. You have a ton of information and did a great job on this question!
Reply
Elayna Muller
2/23/2014 11:21:48 am
The American Progressive Movement consisted of people who believed progress could be achieved with certain steps in the right direction. These movements strived for a) antimonopoly, b) the belief in the importance of social cohesion, and c) the belief that social order was a result of intelligent social and economic life. Restoring order and stability to their society was all that the progressive movement was about. They tried achieving their goals by making politics more efficient and less corrupt and by empowering or restricting organizations. This movement has impacted this society by providing us with the 18th amendment (prohibition) and the 19th amendment (woman suffrage). It's also helped American society by reminding us that progress can be earned if we unite and come up with ways to overcome injustices. Society will no longer be hopeless due to progressives. As long as progressives seek to improve society today, there is hope. The American Progressive Movement has given American society hope.
Reply
Megan Chintala
2/24/2014 12:59:58 am
Great points Elayna! You did a great job on getting through the message of the American Progressive Movement. I agree that it has given American society hope. Without this movement what would our society be like?
Reply
Luke Stewart
2/25/2014 02:25:01 am
The Progressive movement, considered a failure, actually had some last impacts. One of the most important, may have been the outlined requirements to become a doctor or a teacher. This movement is also responsible for a lot of women's rights.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2014
Categories |