The American Family Life During The Progressive Era

529 Words2 Pages

In June of 1904, as reported in the New York Times:

Come on out here, Hattie, and give us a tune, It was “Billy” Snyder, keeper of the

elephants in the Zoological Gardens, Central Park, New York, who spoke nonchalantly

and in his most ordinary tone of voice, while twenty children craned their necks

wondrously across the railing. It was “Hattie” the champion trick elephant of the world

and the great pet of the children of New York City.

Youngsters surprisingly viewed these otherwise threatening, menacing creatures as

friends. It would seem that children developed such a close relationship with the animals

that each beast was given their own individual personality and characteristics. In an era where

industrialization was king, …show more content…

Modern zoos quickly noticed this distinguished pattern

and subsequently began marketing to the working class family.

The Progressive Era saw a shift from a straight-laced Victorian sophistication to a more

dynamic mass culture, reacting to both fatiguing tendencies of modern life and an earlier

emphasis on moralizing self-control and refinement. A pivotal point in American history, the

Progressive Era lead to the development and in many cases the unmasking of many aspects of

the American family life. According to historian Andrew M. Scott, Progressivism was

“the New Deal” before there was a New Deal. According to Scott, “The Progressive Era was

more original than the New Deal and daring as well.” Furthermore he states, “The Progressives

blazed the trail; the New Dealers turned it into a thoroughfare. These pre-New Deal initiatives

pointed to working class families. Since leisure time was a new concept, the primary goal of

these proposals was to create environments to facilitate leisure time. The American modern zoo

is a product this …show more content…

“Children at the Zoo.” The Spectator. 80, (June 11, 1898): 820-821.
This article in the Spectator cites that children see and the emotions that they feel when they visit the zoo for the very first time. Children for the most part found going to the zoo a joyous occasion even when it contains many dangerous creatures. The central theme of families joy that one child feels may reciprocate into the entire family unit. The author cites children’s letters from the period and first hand accounts of zoo visitation as sources for his research and analysis.
Unknown, “Hattie of Central Park: Most Intelligent of All Elephants.” The New York Times. June 19, 1904. This newspaper articles is description of Hattie the elephant, a popular fixture of The Central Park Zoo. This article will pair nicely with my research of the perception of animals at the time. Sources used in this piece were interviews with zoo staff and also visuals in the form of photographs of the elephant.
Unknown, “Hattie, Central Park Elephant, Dies; News Hidden to keep Sad Children Away.” The New York Times. November 20,

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