Dbq On The Progressive Movement

The high prevalence of injustices among members of lower socioeconomic classes in the late 1800s influenced the launching of the Progressive Movement. In the 19th century, there was a large influx of immigrants entering the United States from the eastern and western coasts. Many immigrants fled their countries to escape political corruption, religious persecution, and economic hardships. Although immigrants were forced to live in treacherous conditions, the Progressive Movement was a successful attempt in reforming the way immigrants lived in the United States. Many muckrakers exposed the realities of poverty-stricken immigrants to those who were unaware of the lifestyles that many were forced to live in. In fact, many injustices …show more content…
In a statement made by Theodore Roosevelt in 1900 (Document 5), Roosevelt speaks out against the atrocities of monopolies. He states, “our laws should be so drawn as to...discriminate sharply against [regulate] those organized in the spirit of mere greed.” To summarize, Roosevelt says that the government should enact laws that are unfavorable towards corporations that do not work to benefit the common people. An example of this type of monopoly would be John D. Rockefeller’s “Standard Oil Company.” Rockefeller inflated prices in order to force immigrants into taking out loans and paying high interest rates. Roosevelt wanted to make it difficult for monopolists like Rockefeller to continue hurting the common people of the country. A statement from the Progressive Party platform in 1912 (Document 6), is also in opposition towards the unfair practices of certain industries. The Progressive Party states, “we propose effective legislation to prevent… unemployment… to fix minimum standards of health and safety.” The Progressive Party is proposing laws to protect people from being taken advantage of by trusts. Fixing standards of health and safety would decrease the amount of deaths in the immigrant communities. Laws enforcing safer food commerce and quality would strengthen the influence of agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, which was created in …show more content…
The 17th Amendment to the Constitution in 1913 (Document 7) states, “The Senate of the United States...elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each senator shall have one vote.” The Senate would be elected by the people every six years, and each senator will have one vote in the government. Before the amendment, the Constitution stated that senators would be chosen by the legislature. By allowing people to vote for senators, elections would become more democratic. This was a solution to the Senate “of the monopolists by the monopolists and for the monopolists.” The legislature wouldn’t choose senators in favor of monopolies; the people would decide who the senator would