The Social Reform Movement

"Progressivism was the reform movement that ran from the late 19th century through the first decades of the 20th century, during which leading intellectuals and social reformers in the United States sought to address the economic, political, and cultural questions that had arisen in the context of the rapid changes brought with the Industrial Revolution and the growth of modern capitalism in America"(Heritage). With the new Industrial age at a rise, Progressives believed that the old order should be replaced with a new order that would use social change and scientific knowledge to make it more opened and more democratic. This led to "the direct elections of Senators, the open primary, the initiative and referendum"(heritage). They also had come to agree that it needed to supply more revenue. And the results of This led to the Sixteenth Amendment and the progressive income tax.

These were tough goals to accomplish and Progressives needed to ruffle feathers to get it done. There were many different areas to focus on. Some focused on regulating business, improving working conditions, reforming government, and others focused on improving the conservation of land, women's rights and improving health. An example of one Progressive was Theodore Roosevelt. He went to

California in 1903 to meet with John Muir. It was a three day impromptu camping trip that made Roosevelt see the beauty and the treasures of Yosemite. ""There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias...our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their Children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred," said Theodore Roosevelt"(Vault). He granted it a national park and that was one of five parks he granted through his presidency. He also came up with the name muckrakers "after the character in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress who was so fixated on raking the muck at his feet that he failed to see the celestial crown"(Heritage). These people were journalist that wrote about the problems they saw during these times. They would soon uncover the horrors going on behind closed doors. A famous uncovering was in Upton Sinclair's', The Jungle. It showed many people the poor conditions in meat packing plants. This led to the Meat inspection Act which later lead to, what we know today, as the Pure Food and Drug Act.

"The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (Jan.

16, 1883), landmark U.S. legislation establishing the tradition and mechanism of permanent federal employment based on merit rather than on political party affiliation"(Brittannica). Progressives favored this policy and I believe that Progressiveness was a building block for Civil Service Reform. This is because Theodore Roosevelt was a major role in the Civil Service Reform. So he used what he learned from the Progressive Reform and helped create the Civil Service reform. He also become the federal Civil Service Commissioner. The Service Reform was the next step to follow and Roosevelt guided it beautifully to continue to destroy the corruption in big

business.