Women's Rights During The Progressive Era

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The 1900's were remembered as a time of change when everyone began to demand equality for themselves. The need for change became so imperative that around 1910, the word progressive began to summarize an American movement calling for political and social change. Some of these changes included voting rights, equality in economics, and shorter working hours. During this time, according to Benjamin P. Dewitt, “Slowly, Americans realized that they were not free” (Give Me Liberty: An American History Vol. 2, Foner, 2017, pg. 693). This period was referred to as the Progressive Era, many things were addressed. In 1911, after the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire broke out, it exposed some of the flaws in the American workplace. One example was that …show more content…

Journalists began to expose the dishonesty happening in bigger corporations, something referred to as muckraking, a name given by the President. Muckraking is “the use of journalistic skills to expose the underside of American life” (Give Me Liberty: An American History Vol. 2, Foner, 2017, pg. 695). Some influential “muckrakers” were Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarrell, and Upton Sinclair. Lincoln Steffens, who wrote the Shame of the Cities, “showed how party bosses and business leaders profited from political corruption” (Give Me Liberty: An American History Vol. 2, Foner, 2017, pg. 695). His work was published in McClure's Magazine from 1901-1902, then in book format in 1904. Ida Tarrell, hired by McClure's Magazine, exposed Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company's schemes. Her final product called, History of the Standard Oil Company, became two volumes, published in 1904. Upton Sinclair, considered as one of the most influential uncovering novel, the Jungle, exposed America's Meat Industry. In 1906, the Jungle described “unsanitary slaughterhouses and the sale of rotten meat” (Give Me Liberty: An American History Vol. 2, Foner, 2017, pg. 696). These discoveries led to change in Americans protesting for change. Some issues may not have been addressed immediately, but the issues did have their time in the spotlight, like, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. After the

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