Early Twentieth Century
The Gilded Age witnessed industrial progress and accumulated wealth that boosted the growth of the middle class, yet at the same time there was the spread of "appalling" conditions in the slum areas of the cities, the farmers were in desperate times, and factory workers and others were trampled upon by the wheels of progress (Progressive pp). The "war between capital and labor" demonstrated that Americans were willing to fight for their economic rights, and many historians believe that if the conditions of the working poor had not been addresses, the country very likely would have been thrown into another revolution (Progressive pp). Yet, a revolution did actually take place, just not on the battlefield (Progressive pp). It was called the Progressive Movement, and as a basic conservative movement, it was not meant to cause as stir, but to address the problems of society and find solutions in order to retain its basic character (Progressive pp). Although the conditions were harsh for workers, living standard had actually risen dramatically for many since the Civil War (Progressive pp). Moreover, education opportunities had expa
Progressives were often referred to as "middle-class moralists," because they targeted issues such as alcoholism and prostitution, both felt to be socially damaging (Progressive pp). The businessmen, entrepreneurs and the wealthy classes in general, referred to as capitalists, supported progressive reform due simply to self interest (Progressive pp). They were aware of the importance of reform because of the national attention drawn to social issues and working conditions by sociologists and others, and just as business recognizes today that workers benefits and comfortable working conditions results in greater productivity and thus higher profits, so did the capitalists of the early twentieth century (Progressive pp). They also knew that reform could either start at the top or at the bottom, thus to preserve the capitalist system, the business community welcomed the progressive movement (Progressive pp). The Progressive Movement succeeded because it had support from both political parties, as well as support from labor, management and middle class America (Progressive pp). Workers themselves were in no position to start a mo
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Approximate Word count = 769
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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