What Was The Progressive Era

The Progressive Era is well known for reform, change and making America better. Order, structure, control, and the betterment of were some motives for progressive reform. While the population was calling for reform it was the responsibility of the government to reform society. Separate Car Acts, Plessey v. Ferguson and The Jim Crow laws are some of those reforms that government put in place to help make America more American and protect the people from the ‘outsiders’. These reforms can be considered progressive reform because they were ordering society, keeping order between the races and cleaning up country. These reforms first started with states passing Separate Car Acts. Individual states passed different acts to segregate people by
Georgia, Alabama and other states all separately passed different train segregation acts. Maryland took quite awhile longer not passing their act until 1904. These acts had progressive roots from the very beginning. In regards to passing this kind legislation one Kentucky newspaper stated, “we have never advocated for the formation of the law for any other reason then what we saw would before the best interest of society.” This shows that the Separate Car Acts were progressive because they attempted to bring order to society. The newspaper goes onto claim passing this law would help keep the different classes of people separated which would ultimately result in a “ better arrangement then the present.” One of the most well known states to pass the Separate Car Act is Louisiana because of its role in the Plessey v Ferguson Supreme court case. Homer Plessey bought a first class ticket on the East Louisiana railroad in New Orleans, but he was 1/8th black which meant he could not legally board the white (first class) car due to the Separate Cars Act of Louisiana. He was charged with violating that act and his case went to court. Through appeals it finally made its way up to the Supreme Court resulting in the landmark decision of racial segregation being constitutional—separate but equal and
Ferguson case only fanned the fire of segregation. In Louisiana, other practices of segregation went on without any specific laws giving those practices authority. “There are no laws providing for the separation of races in our theaters and in our wards in hospitals, yet it is a well known fact they are separated” . Schools and restaurants and other places of business all around the US started passing laws of segregation. These laws, rooted in progressivism, came to be known as Jim Crow Laws. Government and newspaper claimed that these laws were for the best interest of the Negro and the white man. In the Iowa Bystander is one newspaper that argues the spreading of segregation is “on behalf of the negro race.” This article helps show that the betterment of the Negro race as well as ordering