How Successful Was The Progressive Era Essay

The Progressive Era, 1900-1920, in American history was a time of immense political and economic reform. This reform was done by reformers, such as Upton Sinclair, and by the federal government. Some of the reforms include those on food regulation, increase in voter power and the breakup of trusts. These reforms were generally successful but had some limitations. An example of a successful reform during the Progressive Era was the Meat Inspection Act, and the Pure Food and Drug Act, which enforced health regulations in the meatpacking industry (O.I.). The problems in the meatpacking industry are shown in document B, saying, “In a word… other diseased workers” (doc B). That quote is from the “Neill-Reynolds Report”, which was an investigation
A referendum is when the electorate votes on a political question, ranging from something as small as if a law is good to, in modern times, if Britain should leave the European Union (O.I). Initiative is the ability of the electorate to get a bill considered and looked at by the government (O.I). A recall is when the electorate can have a direct vote to get an official removed from office (O.I). The direct election of senators is when the electorate votes for senators rather than by state legislature, and it was argued for by Theodore Roosevelt, saying that “actual experience has… the various legislatures” (doc D). The context of the document was that Roosevelt was running for the presidency via a third party and the audience was the electorate, Roosevelt hoping that the massage increase his support. The direct election of senators was put in the constitution via the seventeenth amendment (O.I.). Another success during the Progressive Era, was the breakup of many economic trusts, as shown by document A. The document shows Theodore Roosevelt hunting bad trusts, symbolized by teddy bears, and controlling good trusts (doc