Changes In America's Social Environment

Populism, or the People’s Party, was formed for many economic reasons. Most of the agrarian society felt as if they were not equal to bigger industries (Brinkley 449-451). Railroad services charged small farmers more for shipping rates and bigger industries less. The farmers claimed that railroad services fixed their rates because they would cut deals with the bigger businesses. Populists also wanted a reform of currency (455). They wanted to do so in a way that would raise crops and farm products, so they could get more money and would be able to alleviate their debt.

Through a multitude of significant changes physically, conceptually, economically, and more, the societal reformation of cities in the Progressive Era had set themselves as the foundations of American civilization. The juxtaposition between the rich and poor statuses in these urban areas show the drastic separation within developing cities. Through this division caused a wide variety of living conditions, the majority of which held the overcrowded sections of cities where the population mostly stayed while the higher end communities had more luxurious lives. Through this success of entrepreneurship and economic growth from all aspects in cities, the entire landscape, both physically through innovative architecture and the perspectives outside rural and suburban areas had on them, had transformed for the better in these areas.

The Populist Party was the people’s party, hence the name Populist, the party was created in the late 1800s when the Southern Famer alliance contacted Powderly, the head of The Knights of Labor. The party’s first platform was called the Omaha Platform which called for the abolition of the national bank, graduated income tax, direct election of senators, civil service reform, an eight hour work week, and the gov’t control of railroads, telegraphs and telephones. The Populists supported the Prohibition

American Reformers, 1815-1860 goes into the social and political issues surrounding the Jackson Presidency. Ronald G. Walters effectively chronicalizes the reformation and radicalization of the main issues prevalent in early 19th century. These issues included slavery, alcoholism, women’s rights, religion and science. He explains how these issues led to the transformation of our country into what it is today and explains the reformers responsible for such radical change. He emphasizes the idea that every individual during this time period had some sense of radical reform ideology. These antebellum reformers worked to resolve the social and political issues plaguing the nation through reform and Ronald G. Walters eloquently depicts the reform movements of the early-mid 19th century. His work is very accurate and progressive in every sense.

Farmers united to protect their interests, even creating a major political party. The party was called the peoples party which became known as the populist party. Populists drew its strength from rural areas. Populists tended to be poor and uneducated. They had ideas such as government ownership of major industries. The Populists supported labors demand for an eight

2. Many men around the time of the 20th century had parts in the progressive era reform and were influential in politics and majorly through social conditions.

From the ashes of the American Civil War period, the Gilded Age movement emerged into rapid economic growth. From the end of reconstruction in 1877 to the panic of 1893, the American economy nearly doubled in size. The expansion of Industrialization led to growing wages and the urge to work. As new machinery developed, so did the urgency for rapid production of manufactured goods. In this period, new ideas of time being money emerged. Big business men controlled the Gildan age instead of political leaders. Out of the rapid need to gain money and work harder, negative effects such as child labor, women labor, and unfair working conditions appear. In response, the progressivism era emerged. The Progressive movement arose as a response to negative effects of industrialization such as child labor and unemployment. Reformers longed to regulate private and large industries to strengthen working conditions for both employers and consumers Progressivism was an important political and social reformation from 1890-1920 that aimed to make major political and social reforms in effort to progress society after the negative outcomes of industrialization.

With the arrival of the 1920’s, new battles fought between traditionalist rural society and modernist urban civilization arose in the postwar United States. These urban-rural culture wars of this time period represent the everlasting conflict between conservatives and liberals. The 1920 census demonstrated to traditionalists that their views were under attack by the modernists who gradually came to outnumber them. Traditionalists were disturbed that they were losing a battle against immigrants who didn’t understand or appreciate “old American values” and against their own children, a new generation of rebellious youth who brought about sexual revolution, materialism, and skepticism.

The 1800s to 1820s, America was still in its growing phase; it had gained independence only 25 years prior and was already becoming a great nation filled with proud, hard working men. Arts, architecture, business, and books were all a large part of society. Eighty percent of the population was farmers and the import of slaves to America was banned. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison had each been elected as President, in a government that was beginning to build a nation. “During this decade we were once again at war with England, in the War of 1812” (Sutton, 2008). Colleges were for the privileged, “The cost of education at Harvard was $300 a year” (Sutton, 2008). Slavery was still ramped in America and women had no

With this development came many land speculators. It was widely known that with transportation comes a greater demand for the land being developed. Developers built rows of luxury

Reform was the goal of the Progressive movement, and with that in mind the reformers had great success. Progressive reformers were made up primarily of middle class men and women whose two main goals were to limit the trusts and to improve conditions of life and labor. These people were part of both political parties at the time, as well as in all regions of the country, and in all levels of the government. They wanted to remove bribed members of the legislature so that just laws and regulations were made that would benefit the people rather than the power-hungry corporations. This major movement altered all aspects of life creating a better living and working environment for people. The Progressive Era reformers and federal

Impact of Reformers on American Society Between 1800 and 1900 various types of reforms and reformers strived to make America a better country. Whereas a majority of the population experienced a good life, several contentious issues could not be hidden. These problems were flagged and raised by the then reformers in the 1800s who were of the belief that America could be a better society. Everyone living in America was attracted and motivated by the available opportunities which included employment, acquisition of wealth and living a quality life. Most of the population were not able to even o exercise their fundamental human rights while a majority of the privileged were the whites and the wealthy individuals.

The Populist Party was started by a massive grassroots movement that wanted political reform. The supporters of the Populist Party were usually laborers who were sick of the government supporting big businesses. Because of this support, there were many violent strikes, such as Pullman, Homestead, and Haymarket, where strikers were killed, and the government did nothing. Eventually, the Populist Party combined with the Democratic Party because the Populist Party was limited because of its regional location.

From 1900 to 1920 a political group called the progressives demanded change and more government involvement after the gilded age where there barely was any action taken by the government. While the progressives were becoming more and more popular among politicians and people they brought reform and change to the United States. The progressives brought change through industries, social movements and the economy. The progressives, (as their name suggests) brought progress to America that forever changed the United States for the better. Without the progressives Americas change to more government involvement for the time being would never have happened thus showing the American people what is truly “American”.

In 1920, for the first time, the United States census revealed that more Americans lived in cities than in rural areas. This fact speaks to a dramatic cultural shift that had taken place. The older ethnically homogenous white Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) culture, characterized by their traditional religion and farm life fell into decline. Overtaking its influence was a new, secular, urban mass culture rooted among diverse ethnic groups. It was a culture that provided more opportunity for equal participation to women and minorities than did the older traditional culture. Like all periods of change, however, the Twenties were accompanied by a reaction against these changes, as the older culture tried to reassert itself as the dominant