The Gilded Age and Progressivism Creating Modern America

The Gilded Age Underneath the shine of prosperity and industrialisation, America was suffering. Business boomed at the expense of the workers and corruption was rampant. Eventually, Americans from all political parties, social classes, ethnic groups, and religions decided to do something about it. This movement became known as Progressivism and it changed America forever.

Need for Reform Corruption plagued national politics – Big business used its money to maintain favourable government policies – The spoils system dominated the government Prejudice and discrimination limited rights – Immigrants, women, and children were taken advantage of Business was unregulated – There were no laws pertaining to quality of goods – Making money was more important than anything

Progressives Aimed to change the social injustices that they saw around them – Used logic and reason to make society run more efficiently – Mostly highly educated and middle-class – Believed that modern ideas and scientific techniques were the way to fix society’s problems

Progressives Progressives attacked a variety of societal problems – Many women worked for the vote – Some made cleaning up the government their priority – Others felt fixing the terrible conditions of the cities was the most pressing problem – Settlement Movement, 1886.Settlement Movement, – Big business and its abuses captured the attention of others – Economic and social inequality also attracted the Progressives’ attention

Muckrakers A group of socially conscious reporters and writers who took up the cause of drawing attention to the need for reform – Lincoln Steffens exposed political corruption – Jacob Riis published photographs of the squalor of the cities – Ida Tarbell revealed the ruthlessness of John D. Rockefeller – Upton Sinclair drew attention to the plight of immigrants in the cities Watch the Clip