Professional Documents
Culture Documents
UNIT 2 of American History 2 examines the Gilded Age and Progressive Era through
the lenses of urbanization, immigration, power and reform.
leisure time they had. Some of these obstacles would be fuel for the Progressive Era
and help change the nature of American entertainment.
Life in urban areas changed as a result of the huge numbers of immigrants. The
mass influx of diverse cultures led to the development of ethnic neighborhoods that
continued the cultural aspects of home. Unfortunately, life in the big city was
filled with hardship. Most immigrants, as well as poor Americans, lived in
overcrowded tenements. The monotony of factory work, along with long hours and
low wages, took their toll on workers morale. Hope waned for labor reform due to
the laissez faire attitude in government.
As a result of the frustration, workers began to unite and form labor unions. People,
like Terrance Powderly, Samuel Gompers, and Eugene Debs, helped workers
organized and fight for better pay, shorter hours, and safer working conditions.
Through tactics like arbitration and strikes, labor unions hoped to improve the lives
of both skilled and unskilled workers. Though few gains were made by the end of
the 19th Century, the work of labor unions would increase the demand for major
reform.
A foreshadowing of serious reform came with the collapse of patronage, which
fueled the political machines. In 1883, the Pendleton Civil Service Act changed the
way in which government positions were granted. No longer could elected officials
pack their offices with friends. Instead, positions had to be filled by those qualified
for the position. The Pendleton Civil Service Act was yet another sign of the reforms
to come.
Progressivism: Reform
The momentum for the Progressive Era grew with the muckraking done by
journalists at the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th Century.
Muckrakers brought to light the living conditions of the urban poor, infiltrated
factories to uncover the horrifying truths of food production and worker hardship,
exposed the corruption in big cities, and reported the abuses of big business. These
actions opened the door for reform. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft,
and Woodrow Wilson answered the call for reform.
The first twenty years of the 20th Century was commanded by Roosevelt, Taft, and
Wilson, commonly referred to as the Progressive Presidents. The laissez-faire
government of the late 19th Century was replaced by a regulatory government
aimed at breaking up monopolies, improving the distribution of wealth, and
protecting workers and consumers. By the start of the 1920s, the federal
government had managed to add four new amendments to the Constitution
including one creating an income tax and one granting women the right to vote.
Additionally, federal policies aimed at regulating business and protecting consumers
were created: the Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission, and Food and
Drug Administration. These major domestic changes paralleled changes in American
foreign policy, which found America involved in imperialism and a world war.
The government was not alone in the Progressive Movement, citizens also worked
for change. People like Jane Addams and Lillian Wald created settlement houses to
help immigrants and the poor. Minority groups worked to protect their civil liberties
and gain certain rights. Although progress was made for some (women were
granted the right to vote) true equality would still be out of reach for some time.