DBQ: The Progressive Era

The progressive era directly followed the post-civil wartime of chaos and corruption. The United States of America desperately needed change. As a result of this desire for change a varied group called progressives (which were largely composed of white middle class), pushed to improve America’s current condition and created a set of goals. A majority of these goals were achieved pushing America to having increased social justice, corporation control, and regulations on consumer products. However not all hopes of change were granted and some failures still remained. The progressive era was a time of major reform and for the most part took strides of success towards its myriad of goals, which the U.S. desperately needed to achieve. This era
Document D describes the shift from the previous system of indirect voting through the electoral college, to the new direct nominations made from the people. This signified the power of the people and increased democracy ideals. Another one of Roosevelt’s contributions to progressivism was the regulation of meat, food and water. Document B illustrates the horrifying unsanitary conditions of meat packaging, but during the progressive era acts were passed to make restrictions and laws about the sanitation of consumer products. There were also regulations on water purity, and systems were developed to improve piping systems and created healthy water available to the public (especially in urban areas). The diseases and health issues portrayed in Doc. B were dramatically lessened as these regulations were put into place and medical advances were made. Roosevelt also contributed to the much needed act of trust busting. The cartoon in Doc. A shows T.R. using his big brandishing stick to crush monopolies and corrupt trusts which controlled big industries. However after T.R.’s terms as president Woodrow Wilson went on a trust busting frenzy and together they stamped out a