As human civilization broke into the twentieth century, American history has witnessed accelerated progress and development, politically and economically. The success of the Industrial Revolution in the West gave birth to numerous industries that influenced American life. This period, called the Progressive Era, also marked a period in American history wherein modifications in the country's political and economic structures (and legislation) were made. It was this need that led to the formation of Progressivism, a political thinking that aimed to resolve the problems caused by industrialization, mainly because progressive reformers believed that it was political and economic corruption that curtails people's freedom and the country's democracy. Given these objectives, these reformers sought to implement change in the society by promoting, passing, and implementing laws that helped curb business monopolies and unfair business practices among companies and business people. These legal reforms included the following (among others): (1) prohibiting railroads from charging discriminatory rates through the Elkins Act; (2) quality inspection of meat products sold via the Meat Inspection Act; (3) regulation of the banking industry and centralization of the reserve system (Federal Reserve Act); and (4) regulation of corporate practices and giving labor unions the right to strike. Apart from these economic reforms, reforms that aimed to benefit civil society were also formulated, such as: the Child Labor Act, which prohibit products made from child labor from being sold for commercial purposes; the establishment of an eight-hour workday for rail transportation employees; election of senators by popular vote; and women's suffrage. .