Progressive Movement 19th Century

The United States had noticeably changed throughout the last quarter of the 19th century due to the large scale of industrialism, immigration, and urban expansion. At the end of the century, a reform movement that included a mix of different people and groups had developed. This time is known as the Progressive movement or era, and the people are known as progressives. These people were culturally different, but they had the same desires. These desires were to change the way life was in the industrial movement and make political changes and social improvements by doing so with government enactment.
Most progressives were middle-class men and women who lived in cities. Among these men and women, there were groups that consisted of people who were extremely diverse. These groups consisted of church leaders, African Americans, union leaders, and feminist. Each group of individuals sought something for
These journalists were known as “muckrakers”. The public could not take action without being well-informed about the reality of political, factories, and slums; nevertheless, muckrakers specialized in writing stories about the schemes in politics and therefor giving the public the evidence they needed. These group of authors wrote about the many political and social problems that needed to be taken care of, such as the living environment of tenement houses. They also exposed the corruption of political machines of the time and the unsanitary practices of meat packaging. Muckraker’s successfully got their point across, and even were able to contribute to the development of a better American. Newman and Schmalbach said that muckrakers had a lasting effect on this time in America and “it exposed inequities, educated the public about corruption in high places, and prepared the way for corrective action” (2014,