Progressive Movement

The Progressive Movement was a welcoming concept to many Americans. As America continued to advance the people needed a government that also changed, so “As Americans ushered in a new century they began to demand change, equality and reform and the progressive era was born.” (The Progressive Era, n.d.) The current president’s first campaign slogan sounded incredibly familiar to the Progressive Movement. As in the late nineteenth century, citizens were tired with the business as usual approach and they wanted an entirely new direction for the country and they were promised “change”. As both generations would learn there is a fine line between change and being disappointed.

Progressives were successful in areas of government concerning reform, regulation, as well as implementing changes to help shape the American government we have today. Looking at what the three progressive presidents, Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson, and what the progressive party accomplished were instrumental in shaping the future of America and is nothing short of remarkable. There is the Panama Canal, Hepburn Act, the Federal Reserve Act, Clayton Antitrust Act, sweeping reform and regulations throughout various corporations, and the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments. After all, the Progressive Party’s stance was to bring change, equality and reform to the people. Therefore, a large portion of these regulations and acts were implemented to address the corruption within large corporations and to bring economic justice to the poor and middle classes as well as establishing a foothold for workers’ rights to advance.

Just like any other political party there were different variations amongst the Progressive Party. Each variation was striving for change, however, their definitions, or degree of change was rather different. There was one area that the white male Progressive Party seemed to agree on and that was the idea of a segregated America. While the Progressive Party was wildly successful with regulations, reform, and amendments Progressivisms