The Progressive Era Of The Late 19th Century

The progressive era was a time starting at the end of the 19th century until the beginning of World War 1 when people banded together to reform social, political, economic, and moral issues. Workers were moving from farms to the city and would often live in crowded slums where diseases were common. The goal of the progressive era was to create a better environment for these workers and end corruption within the government. In addition to this, they wanted to pass more regulations for businesses to make sure no one could get away with dishonest practices.
Immigrants began moving to the city for jobs. They were typically in the lower class. They had previously worked on farms and were separate from the middle class. Once they moved to the city, they were interacting with the middle class on a daily basis. This interaction caused the middle class to realize the poor working conditions and lifestyle these immigrants had. In return, the middle class started the progressive movement to bring about better working conditions.
With greater technology, factories were able to produce goods at a much faster pace. To produce goods faster, there was a requirement for a larger number of workers. The workers had to live relatively close to the factories to go to work every day. Because of this, cities began to grow in
They were much cheaper than paying an adult and could often complete the same job. Their smaller size helped them to fit in small spaces. Many children skipped going to school so that they could work and supply food and money for their families. Child Labor Laws were an idea that was born during the progressive era. The middle class felt as though jobs should be for adults and children should be going to school. It took a while for this idea to catch on but soon after the progressive era ended, the Great Depression got many people on board with this idea.