Progressive Era

733 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Child labor laws during the industrial era

Intro In the wake of the First World War, the United States of America experienced significant changes in society, government, and the armed forces. Before World War I, the United States underwent multiple variations of reform in several areas. Numerous groups created labor unions to make the work force more suitable for the workers and government officials promoted change in the government in order to restore or establish balance between industry and the government. During the Progressive Era which preceded World War I, regulation of industry, banking, and the application of child labor laws occurred. The country underwent a great deal of change before the involvement of the United States in World War I.
Preparedness
The state of preparedness …show more content…

Sadly, these efforts were in vain; if participation in the military served as a rite of passage out of slavery, it would not have existed during World War I (Wynn 170). The military illustrated segregation and derogatory treatment of African Americans just as the rest of the country. They basically possessed no more rights in the military than in any other place in the country. While African Americans continued their struggle for equal treatment with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), women, specifically Caucasian women, attempted to gain suffrage rights in the …show more content…

In the government’s attempts to restrain resistance to the war it began taking and suppressing civil liberties. For example the government enacted the Espionage Act of 1917, which granted the government the necessary means to deal with “the man who …cries for peace, or belittles our efforts to win the war (Brinkley 618)”. It castigated people even vaguely accused of spying or “obstruction of the war effort”. In addition, laws like the Sabotage Act and the Sedition Act of 1918 were enforced to further discourage those opposed to the war by making it illegal to express publicly their disapproval of the war, a clear suppression of freedom of speech, right to protest, and freedom of press. These laws in addition to the propaganda regularly released by the Committee on Public Information created a paranoid society of people that spied on their neighbors and families. This was an effective tactic

Show More
Related

  • Schenck v. United States (1919)

    427 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Schenck court case of 1919 developed out of opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I (1914-1918). Antiwar sentiment in the United States was particularly strong among socialists, German Americans, and religious groups that traditionally supported antiviolence. In response to this outlook, Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917. This law provided heavy fines and jail terms for interfering with U.S. military operations or for causing or attempting to cause insubordination or disloyalty in the military. In addition, the act made it illegal to obstruct recruitment efforts of the U.S. armed forces.

    Read More

  • Disillusionment Era Vs Progressive Era

    497 Words  | 1 Pages

    According to Oxfords Dictionaries Disillusionment is “A feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be” and Progressive is totally the opposite as the word references is progress, advance, or innovation. This two words also apply to society and in this particular case applied on how society felt before and after World War I. People during this period of time experienced both eras which had people completely tired from being well and later devastating after World War I, physically and psychological .

    Read More

  • Civil Liberties of the Early Twentieth Century

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    Schenek v. United States was a trial in 1919 that reaffirmed the conviction of a man for circulating antidraft leaflets among members of the armed forces. This trial upheld the Espionage and Sedition Acts, which by many deemed unconstitutional. The Espionage Act of 1917 was a United States federal law, which made it a crime for a person to convey information with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the armed forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies. The Sedition Act forbade Americans to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces during war. The act also allowed the Postmaster General to deny mail delivery to dissenters of government policy during wartime. These two laws denied the freedom of speech that our sacred Bill of Rights was supposed to uphold. The antidraft flyers that Schenek passed out claimed to be freedom of speech so the government could not stop the circulation of Schenek’s pamphlets. However, by passing out antidraft laws, Schenek had “the intent to interfere with the operation of success of the armed forces of the United States.” By doing this, he broke the law. He was sentenced to six months in prison for breaking an unconstitutional law. The government was trying to reduce the freedom of speech during a time of war so that the nation would be united as one. The opposition of some feared Woodrow Wilson and his cabinet so they took action by reducing some freedoms and imprisoning many people unconstitutionally.

    Read More

  • Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act (Amendment) of 1918

    1469 Words  | 3 Pages

    government enacted the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 which led to the suppression of anti-war documents and sentiments, as well as the prosecution of over two-thousand individuals.#

    Read More

  • Gilded Age Dbq Essay

    1434 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the late nineteenth century known as the Gilded Age (or the Reconstruction period) and the early twentieth century known as the Progressive era, the nation went through great economic growth and social change. Beginning from the 1870s, there was rapid growth in innovations and big businesses. This could be because there was population growth and when there is population growth, there is a high demand of products and other necessities in order to strive in society. Many immigrants from Europe, mostly from the eastern and southern Europe, and Asia moved to American cities. Additionally, farmers from rural America desired to increase economically in society and since corporations ruled and political problems occurred, they decided to move into the cities. Afterwards, the 1900s started with the dominance of progressivism which many Americans tried to improve and solve the problems that were caused or had arisen because of the industrialization of the Gilded Age. It was basically the time when progressives fought for legislations like regulation of big businesses, end of the political corruption, and protection of the rights of the people: the poor, immigrants, workers, and consumers. Thus, between the periods 1870 to 1920, big businesses had arisen and taken control of the political and economic systems through corruption and innovations. In response, American citizens reacted negatively and formed labor unions and political systems to diminish the power that large corporations had in America.

    Read More

  • Contrast Between The 1920's And The 1930's

    1940 Words  | 4 Pages

    The decade after the First World War saw tremendous change. Progressivism was a leading factor of World War I and in the 1920’s the evidence can be seen. Industries were making their products at an increasing rate. Products that were not populous before World War I were now used by millions of Americans. The automobile was only used by less than ten million of Americans and by the end of this post war decade that number has climbed to over thirty million. Also many new inventions were coming through making life for Americans much more comfortable. Radios, vacuum cleaners, irons, washing machines, and refrigerators were among the new necessities Americans just had to have.

    Read More

  • Effectiveness of the Progressive Era

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    Within the period of 1900-1920, many national reforms were rising to the top as Progressive Era reformers and the federal government heard the voices of the people. The effectiveness of Progressivism is a controversial subject for some, but the future was changed through the events of any actions a president made, the rights of people, and unfair treatment and conditions. This era brings changes to our society that also changes the future of it. These two decades brought forth successful times in bettering America.

    Read More

  • An Obituary For The Progressive Movement Analysis

    2307 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Progressive Movement The progressive movement of the early 20th century has proved to be an intricately confounded conundrum for American historians. Who participated in this movement? What did it accomplish, or fail to accomplish? Was it a movement at all? These are all significant questions that historians have been grappling with for the last 60 years, thus creating a historical dialogue where in their different interpretations interact with each other.

    Read More

  • African Americans in The Civil War

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    African Americans were very questionable at first in the Civil War. The Union Navy had been already been accepting African American volunteers. Frederick Douglass thought that the military would help the African Americans have equal rights if they fought with them. Many children helped in the Civil War also, no matter how old they were. Because the African Americans were unfavorable, black units were not used in combat as they might have been. Nevertheless, the African Americans fought in numerous battles. African Americans fought gallantly. Northern leaders also saw another reason to have African Americans in the Civil War is that the Union needed soldiers. Congress aloud them to enlist them because they thought they might as well have more soldiers.

    Read More

  • The Progressive Era's Affect on Modern America

    1904 Words  | 4 Pages

    Where did some of modern America's issues originate from? The answer to that is the Progressive Era. The Legislation of that era laid all of the groundwork for today, and much of it is still in public debate today. Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, three of the presidents from that era, all played roles in the groundwork. These presidents passed acts, tariffs, and amendments that are still with us, and debated today.

    Read More

  • The Espionage Act and The Sedition Act

    2058 Words  | 5 Pages

    During World War I, congress would authorize two controversial pieces of legislation: the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition act of 1918. The Espionage Act was ratified in order to “suppress the spread of alleged disloyalty and to maintain the public image of remarkable national unity behind the war effort” (James and Wells, 71). The act inhibited the freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and some of which seems the antithesis of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Most of the Espionage Act would be in effect only during times of war, but two of the provisions stayed in effect during times of peace.

    Read More

  • Samuel Gompers: The Co-Founder Of The American Federation Of Labor

    508 Words  | 2 Pages

    A negative force leading to economic separation and inessential laws that stifled businesses and inhibited job growth from 1865 to 1940, was the development of labor unions. Every wage -worker should belong to the calling or trade of his union (Gompers, S. 1914). Samuel Gompers, who is the co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, served as the president until 1924 (Gompers, S. 1914). Gompers co-founded this organization in 1886. The United States did not properly declare war until the year 1917, even though World War I was soon to begin in Europe (Gompers, S. 1914).

    Read More

  • The Second World War (II)

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    Along with its involvement in labor matters, the federal government also became involved in business activities. With the creation of the National War Labor Board in 1941 to settle labor disputes, and then the creation of the War Production Board in 1942 to convert the America economy to war production, the federal government had become a third partner in the centralizing of the American economy. With this increased participation came an increase in government policy and regulation. This led to an increased demand for federal workers to carry out these policies and by 1945 the size of the federal government had grown form 1.

    Read More

  • Race in A Different Mirror’ by Ronald Takaki

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to enlist more soldiers into the army the Espionage Act of 1917 was enacted into law. The law made it illegal for any individual to interfere in the enlistment process. It law was meet with major protests across majority of the US cities. Throughout the 20th century the law was enforced during all foreign wars, and this led to the draft resistance to Vietnam War. During World War I many opponents who contravened the Espionage Act were imprisoned. The growth of the Anarchist movement was suppressed with the prosecution of two of their members; Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in 1920 (Zinn 1995, p. 367).

    Read More

  • Life During The Progressive Era

    137 Words  | 1 Pages

    1904 was within the Progressive Era where the world was just forming into a complex society. As the 1900’s swung around, it was time for an optimistic attitude since the middle class was growing at a steady speed, they were able to gain new materialism and more leisure time. The drastic change from the Victorian Era mindset meant that there was always room for change; this included protesting for new rights for women, access to electricity, and new inventions such as automobiles, televisions, photographs, etc. The country's new found freedom and assembly meant that society had more time to engage in tea parties, dinners, balls, and expand their education. However, this didn’t mean that old mannerisms were thrown out the window; women and men

    Read More

More about Progressive Era

Open Document