Social Justice Reformers And The Progressive Era

During the Progressive Era, many citizens attempted to stop the racism within former confederate states by exposing the horrors of the wrongdoings, through speeches, protests, literature and other means of expression, who were known as progressives. One progressive, Ida B. Wells. helped to expose lynchings and racial discrimination through the use of bold and clear literature. Another, Booker T. Washington, believed that blacks should become more economically independent, so that discrimination will eventually cease. W.E.B. Dubois, another progressive, wanted and expressed instant racial equality through the use of forming groups and classic literature.

1st sub-topic- Progressives believed that the American society was ill due to unjust with the workers and farmers, in other words corruption.

During the Progressive Era, which was known as a large reform movement, there was a widespread across the United States of political reform and social activism. The main focus and goal of the Progressives and their movement was lowering government involvement and eliminating corruption in the government. Progressives reacted to problems caused by large factories and cities. Furthermore, they attacked big corporations, such as the Armour meat-packing company and others, for how harsh their practices were. The progressives exposed these companies and how they treated workers, removed competitors, and set high prices. The meatpacking industry capitalized when the growth of livestock farming in the Midwest started to grow rapidly. Meatpacking companies and industries, such as the Armour meat-packing company, handle the slaughtering, processing, and distribution of animals including cattle and pigs. Although the meatpacking industry created a lot of jobs, working in a meatpacking company was not luxurious because the factories were unsanitary, unregulated, and tremendously dangerous.

The Granges ultimate goal was to help farmers “gain economic leverage and strengthen the commercial position of the American farmer” (Globalyceum, The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, 1877-1914). The Labor Unions and the Grange set up social justice for the workers during the Gilded Age. They both built social solidarity and collaborative action, as well as empowered the workers to exercise self-determination, realize their full potential, and fight for what they deserved as workers.

When it comes to the American Progressive Era there is really no other movement like it. This was a movement that had not just one but many faces that ranged from people as big as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson to people like Jane Addams that accomplished so much. It was a movement so broad that it encompassed basically everyone and spoke not just to but for all those excluded from power. It also wasn’t just one big movement but a conglomeration of them varying from social, to economic, to political. After the Gilded Age and the rapid start of Industrialization many Americans were concerned that urbanization as well as trusts and monopolies were taking over the nation. In theory the Progressive movement was a response to this as well as the breakdown of representative government, the exploitation of women and children, and the growth of financial and industrial concentration.

The Progressive Era was an era that used social reforms to rapidly transform the major problems of the United States. The two major reforms that took place during the Progressive Era was the Populist Movement of the 1890s and the Progressive Movement of the 1900s. During the period of the 1870s and the 1880s, referred as “The Gilded Age”, most American citizens supported the principles of a laissez-faire. Many people would disregard the Congress and the government, because they were expected to not make any reforms during this time. Because of this, the Democratic party, who controlled the House of Representatives, and the Republican, who controlled the Senate, are now so equally balanced that they decided to take stands on controversial issues,

Progressive Era reformers such as Theodore Roosevelt, Jane Addams, and W.E.B Dubois were largely successful in prompting national reform in issues regarding direct democracy, social equality, and economic regulations through the use of political power, public pressure/opinion, and muckraking however, the progressive change was not met without resistance as multiple political and social belief obstacles prevented such progress, but the overall impact of the Progressive Era was its lasting success.

Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln’s successor, fought with Congress over Reconstruction policies. Johnson imagined a lenient and rapid “restoration” of the South to the Union rather than the fundamental “reconstruction” that Republican congressmen favored (Norton, 14 intro). The president and Republican congressional leadership disagreed and by the time it was all over, Congress impeached the president, enfranchised freedmen, and gave them a role in reconstructing the South (Norton, 14 intro). The nation then also adopted the 14th and 15th Amendments ensuring equal protection of citizenship, law, and universal manhood suffrage.

The Progressive Era was notable for being a time of social activism and political reform at the turn of the twentieth century. It was a time of severe change in America and American society. The progressives' goal was to avail and improve American society by working towards equality. Progressives shared feelings of hope about American citizens' ability to improve social conditions, by actively helping, both politically and morally, and ascertain social justice. During an age of mass industrialization and urbanization, acquiring social justice was essential because with social justice established, social control would naturally be achieved due to the contentment of citizens being treated fairly.

In spite of the fact that industrialization in the United States raised ways of life for some, it had a dull side. Corporate managers, in some cases alluded to as "burglar aristocrats," sought after exploitative and out of line business rehearses gone for taking out rivalry and expanding benefits. Assembly line laborers, large portions of them late migrants, were much of the time subjected to severe and hazardous working and living conditions. Political debasement enhanced legislators to the detriment of the lower and regular workers, who attempted to make a decent living. The crevice between "those who are well off" and "the poor" was augmenting.

During the Progressive era many changes were made to the american society, especially when the United States entered WW1. The progressives saw the war “as a special opportunity for reform, a chance to promote their agenda at point after point” and “the nation would confront , not ignore social problems at home. ”(282) Many of the the reforms the progressives enacted turned to be a deadly poison to the party, shifting the populous to the republican party. Many of these Changes including nationalism, wealth equality, and the increased cost of living helped to influence the demise of the progressive party and it’s era.

By the year 2015, it has been long since brothels have lined the streets of well-known cities to the extent in which they did during the early 1900’s. While there are still a few legal brothels in Nevada and in some foreign countries, we usually find similar sorts in the forms of gentleman clubs or strip clubs nowadays. When examining the early 1900’s and our current modernity, there are, of course, both extreme and subtle similarities and differences. In Karen Abbott’s novel, Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys and the Battle for America’s Soul, there is no pronounced comparison of our modern world with the one of the past, but we can insightfully see that we are not so different. Prostitution, sex trafficking, drugs,

The progressive movement was one of the greatest times in America’s history, not only was the progressive movement noble but also needed especially after the lasting effects of the Civil War. Although there were many problems still plaguing the United States the progressive movement provided some Americans with a sense of hope because of changes in politics. First of all, progressive Presidents like Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson would not necessarily fight for their own political parties, but would fight for the people, reduce the power of big businesses that exploited their employees and helped small businesses by introducing antitrust legislation. Women’s rights also became a huge issue during the progressive movement which would be solved by granting women more rights and even giving Americans the right to directly select senators. Basically the progressive movement was beneficial to America because it gave more Americans more opportunities, like being able to vote, being able to make decent wages and small business to be able to compete.

Prostitution has been around as long as human beings have engaged in sexual activities, and it is even touted as the world’s oldest profession. Despite these proclamations, the subject of prostitution continues to spark controversy in the United States in moderns times as it is a hot debate topic. Off and on, throughout the years, various states around the country have proposed that the practice should be decriminalized; however, it remains illegal nationwide, except for a few counties in Nevada. The reasons for this stem from both sides of the argument, as anti-prostitution advocates claim decriminalization of prostitution is immoral and sexually exploitative, while pro-prostitution advocates want to keep the government out of the bedrooms of consenting adults. No matter the stance for or against prostitution, the current legal construction surrounding it is undeniably harmful. Regardless of the arguments against prostitutes, it is time to decriminalize the laws against this practice to protect the rights of sex workers.

Thesis: The criminalization of prostitution does more harm than good when often women are left unprotected, both socially and legally, and therefore, the United States should make efforts to decriminalize and regulate prostitution instead.