Progressive Reforms

Between 1890 and 1915, progressive reforms took over the nation with leads to improvements for society. Some of these reforms ended in radical behavior. They were either for the reform or against it, but most were civil. The areas of most concern for the reforms were industrial ways and conditions, urban life, and politics.

Industrial conditions were outrageous during the early 1900's. The difficulties of being a factory worker were very harsh and unfair. The first was low, unfair wages. Many workers would work for eight-hour days and earn barely a dollar for that day. Second, were the dangerous conditions. There were thousands of injuries and deaths each year because of the unsafe use of the machinery. Thirdly, a problem was child labor. As soon as a child was able to, they were sent to work in factory where they could be easily harmed. In response to all of these horrible conditions, labor unions were formed to try and create safer work places.

The National Labor Union was formed to unite all the other labor unions, push for an eight-hour workday, and also push for labor reforms. Other labor unions attempted, but were not successful and did not last long. Their attempts were somewhat successful, but did not create as much of an effect as what was needed.

One other area of reform was urban living conditions. Cities were constantly growing and transitioning due to the increasing availability of jobs. This led to an extremely large need for homes. Homes were built cheaply and most areas in the city turned into tenements and places where crime went unpunished. Many families were crammed into small buildings, most of which were extremely unsanitary. Because of this, disease spread quickly. However, the industrial revolution experienced around the early 1900's led to improved city home life. This is because new technology let the richer people move farther out of the city and ride back in on the new automobiles and trolley systems.

Many say the Progressives were most successful in politics because of their large concern. The Progressives wanted a say in the election of the senate. They wanted this because it was something they had little power of. The Progressives pushed for the direct election of Senators, which allowed citizens more say in the government by choosing the man or woman that represented them.