Reconstruction Era, Gilded Age, And The Progressive Era

During the period between 1865 and 1914 I believe that the federal government extended freedoms for Americans as groups through the Reconstruction Era, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era each of these are major events in history that had an impact on freedom in the United States. African America slaves, immigrants, the working class, and women are all groups that grained freedom. Overall, I think the federal government had an effective protector of freedom. During the Reconstruction Era this was an important time especially for African Americans salves because slavery was being abolished and some freedom was being gained. Unfortunately, during slavery slaves didn’t have freedom, “To begin with, freedom meant escaping the numerous
During 1875 the Statue of Liberty was built, which showed freedom, “In time, the Statue of liberty, as it came to be called, would become Americans’ most revered national icon. For over a century it has stood as a symbol of freedom” (Foner 593). Many immigrants felt welcomed by this icon. A majority of the immigrants came to the United States in search of freedom especially for freedom of religion. There were many economic changes that also affected ideas of freedom, which opened many opportunities for people, “Most manufacturing now took place in industrial cites. New York, with its new skyscrapers and hundreds of thousands of workers in all sorts of manufacturing establishments, symbolized dynamic urban growth” (Foner 595). The increase in America’s economic growth provided freedom, “For minority of workers, the rapidly expanding industrial system created new forms of freedom” (Foner 600). In the 1870s and 1880s technology was invented such as the telephone, typewriter and handheld camera in result to these inventions it was beneficial to business becoming successful. However, freedom was limit the workers with little skill they worked in poor working conditions and had a very low pay
Before the women’s suffrage females weren’t allowed to vote because of their gender. It was very unfair how only men were allowed to vote when women had no say as to whom they wanted to be elected. During this time women were fighting for better living conditions for themselves and their children along with safer working conditions. A stated in Give Me Liberty, “Female reformers helped to launch a mass movement for direct movement action to improve the living standards of poor mothers and children” (Foner 712) During this time frame women were working in unsafe working environments. They were fighting for what they wanted, which showed a sense of freedom. In 1916, workplace conditions were becoming safer for both women and men. No one should work in an unsafe working environment. Towards the end of the Progressive Era, many things were starting to change for the better; “Roosevelt’s campaign helped to give freedom a modern social and economic content and established an agenda that would define political liberalism for much of the twentieth century” (Foner