Ray Stannard Baker During the 1890s to 1920s a massive movement began to form against corruption and destruction in the American government. Through the help of many important historic figures, social and political reform manifested throughout the states as the American way of life was changing dramatically. A prominent figure in this revolution was a journalist known as Ray Stannard Baker, famous for his technique of journalism called Muckraking. Ray Stannard Baker deserves a place in history because he devoted his time and efforts to help America become more aware of the corruption in the government and in big business, providing fuel for the change in social and political affairs. Motivation Baker’s upbringing and background of his life …show more content…
Due to his six years of reporting all the events occurring in Chicago, Baker was exposed to the poverty and disaster within the city. This knowledgeable awareness introduced him to new viewpoints that became focal points to his arguments of reform. To add, Baker created many articles released to the public,”Many articles on social and economic problems, as seen from a liberal viewpoint, with the purpose of exposing corruption and instigating reform.” (Princeton University, 2011). Through his liberal point of view he was able to touch the common people throughout America and allow them to gain awareness on this corruption. By releasing articles on these problems, Baker is effectively exposing corruption that no one has ever realized Ray Stannard Baker’s History 3 and people begin to take action. Through these experiences and his upbringing, Baker’s background creates a sturdy grounding for his large accomplishments and contributions. Preparation In order to make such a giant footprint on society, Ray Stannard Baker had endured much preparation to successfully bring recognition to the corruption taking place throughout the …show more content…
Moreover, In 1897, Baker prepared even more to spread the word of corruption and reform when he,”joined the staff of McClure’s magazine, which was at the forefront of a new style of journalism that emphasized critical investigative reporting”("Spartacus Educational," 2013). This style of writing was known as muckraking and it was practiced by Ray Stannard Baker and other famous progressive era reformers such as Ida Tarbell and William A White. By joining together and creating larger numbers, key events and points were able to be spread more effectively. By gaining an education at michigan state and joining McClure’s magazine, Baker had access to distribute unknown information to citizens. Accomplishments During his efforts to spread awareness throughout America of the corruption and poverty occurring through the cities, Ray Stannard Baker achieve many accomplishments and contributed much to American society and reform. For instance, during his time at McClure’s Ray Stannard Baker’s History 4 magazine, “ Baker wrote a series of gripping exposes on pressing social issues working with highly accomplished journalists like Ida Tarbell.”(PBS Online, 2001). This series created was
Both constitutional and social developments greatly changed the United States to a revolutionary proportion between 1860 and 1877. The new amendments and the fight for civil rights altered the previous way of life and forever changed American society. Inequality, fear, and corruption sent the United States into turmoil that would transform the country and lead to a revolution of change.
The numerous problems that the US faced paved way for an era of reform that was directed at enforcing direction and integrity on a society in crisis – The Progressive Movement.
The Effects of American Reform Movements in the 1900s Living in the United States of America is all about opportunity. The opportunity to get a good job, make money, and lead a life of good quality; in other words, the opportunity to live, live, and live the Pursuit of Happiness. However, the opportunity for many people was not around throughout the 1800s. Certain groups of people did not hold the basic rights that were guaranteed by the Constitution. In fact, most of the people that had opportunity were the wealthy white men, and few other people ever had any chance to lead a good life.
During the nineteenth century, America went through a number of social, economic and political changes. Revolutions in manufacturing and commerce led to substantial economic growth. Several cultural movements reformed American society. Mary Paul, once just a normal girl from Vermont, led a life that was shaped by the changes of the 1800's. The information gathered from Mary Paul's letters to her father make it clear that Mary's life experiences turned her into anything but an average woman. However, in the scope of the economic and cultural reforms of the nineteenth century, Mary Paul represents the average American.
gave America the reputation of freedom, he gave a backbone and a firm ground to
period of American history. Those working for a social change did so under a variety of
Dark Days in the Newsroom concentrates on the 1955-56 Eastland investigation of the New York Times. “The Mississippi Democrat James Eastland and his colleagues put the newspaper industry on the defensive on the rights of the accused to face their accusers and cross-examine witnesses and the powers of Congress to hold witnesses in contempt or charge them with perjury if they refused to answer questions” (Alwood, 3). Alwood brings into the public domain new information about McCarthyism’s conspiracy against the press and the FBI’s complicity through a thorough...
Journalism proved to be a valuable tool in the fight to reveal the hidden secrets of Watergate. One newspaper in particular, “The Washington Post,” dug up important and necessary dirt on the those involved in Watergate. Two young journalists working for “The Washington Post,” Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, were assigned to the Watergate case (Kilian 28). The efforts of these two men provided a significant lead into the investigation of the scandal. The two spent much of their time working on the cases and were able to discover a money link between the burglars and the Nixon reelection committee (Kilian 28). They also interviewed members of Nixon’s reelection committee that wanted to talk.
...in opinion. We should remember the great sacrifices our fellow citizens made during this time and appreciate their actions or endeavors. Especially that of Abraham Lincoln. The best way to assess the value of Lincoln is to think what the condition of American would be in today if he had never lived or never been President (Whitman 262).
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, and especially after the War of 1812, America has taken on yet another revolution. In this time period, the country saw a rapid expansion in territory and economics, as well as the extension of democratic politics; the spread of evangelical revivalism; the rise of the nation’s first labor and reform movements; the growth of cities and industrial ways of life; a rise in abolitionism and reduction in the power of slavery; and radical shifts in the roles and status of women.
great country was founded on. He gave it all, all those skills of being a lawyer, judge,
In order to regain the sense of comfort that America once had, many people, especially women, created and sought after societies of reform. They felt very inspired, considering the Second Great Awakening just ended. In doing so, the control of the nation's future slowly returned to the citizens of the United States.
McCormick, Richard L, “The Discovery that Business Corrupts Politics: A Reappraisal of the Origins of Progressivism,” American Historical Review, 86 (April 1981): 247-274.
theory. Washington spent all his time and effort to make the school a permanent success
Montesh, M. (n.d.). Conceptualizing Corruption: Forms, Causes, Types and Consequences. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from