History Of The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era of American was the period of American History, beginning in 1901, during which many advancements were made for the betterment of society as a whole. A few of these advancements have remained in place to this very day, while others have been tossed to the wayside as American Society proceeded to grow and change. Some of the reforms left in place to this very day include the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and many of Roosevelt’s Conservationist policies. It also created the base which the 19th Amendment, the right of women to vote, was founded upon. These reforms all do have a lasting effect on life in modern day America and create a clear legacy of the Progressive Era. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 is one reform that
was passed during the Progressive era itself that is still in effect to this very day. Inspired by the works of Muckrakers such as Upton Sinclair, this piece of legislation ensures the safety of consumers of ingested goods by limiting the amount of contaminants allowed in the products of Food and Drug companies. This act was accompanied by another, known as the Meat Inspection Act, which required that “the preparation of meat shipped over state lines would be subject to federal inspection from corral to can” (Kennedy, 650). These two acts are still in effect today and are enforced by the FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, quite strictly in order to properly protect consumers of these goods, as is the intention of the acts themselves. This is a very obvious and direct effect that the Progressive era has had on our modern lives.