The Progressive Era

Progressives Drive Reform

Uncovering Problems at the Turn of the Century

Problems of the Progressive Era Poor living conditions Poor working conditions Unsafe products (meat & medicine) Problems with the environment Political machines, corrupt government Social Differences among classes

Urbanization Evidence of progress: Census reveals diverse America By 1900 forty percent of Americans lived in the city (rural to urban migration) 100 years earlier six percent lived in urban areas What did the city offer? Evidence of progress: Skyscrapers “Palaces of Merchandise” Mansions Census reveals diverse America 12 Million Immigrants in a 50 Year Span

Poor Living and Working Conditions Many of the urban poor lived in slum tenements 90,000 people per square mile in New York City! Infrastructure: Facilities and equipment required for a community to function Roads, sewage, power systems, transportation, etc. Very poor Couldn’t support large numbers Sanitation problems promoted disease

Problems in the Workplace “Life in a factory is perhaps, with the exception of prison life, the most monotonous life a person can live.” The workplace was unsafe and unsanitary Many times whole families were employed Injury only meant poverty