What does Progressive Mean?

Favoring or Implementing Reform (Change)

Progressivism

WHO? “Progressives”– urban middle-class: managers &

professionals; women

WHY? Address the problems arising from:– industrialization (big business, labor strife)

– urbanization (slums, political machines, corruption)

– immigration (ethnic diversity)

– inequality & social injustice (women & racism)

1920s

1890s

1901

1917

WHEN? “Progressive Reform Era”

The Main IdeaProgressives focused on three areas of reform:

1.easing the suffering of the urban poor2. improving unfair and dangerous working conditions 3.reforming government at the national, state, and local levels.

Progressivism

Populism to Progressivism

• Many people believed we were making progressive in improving society, but…

• Industrialization and urbanization had caused problems in the American society.

• People could improve society by relying on science and knowledge.

• Government should fix these problems.• But, Government had become corrupted by

big business and political machines.• To achieve reform, the government itself

had to be reformed.

Progressivism and Its Champions

• Industrialization helped many but also created dangerous working environments and unhealthy living conditions for the urban poor.

• Progressivism, a wide-ranging reform movement targeting these problems, began in the late 19th century.

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• Growing cities couldn’t provide people necessary services like garbage collection, safe housing, and police and fire protection.

• Reformers saw this as an opportunity to expand public health services.

Reforming Society

So, What Was Going On??