APUSH Progressive Era DBQ On September 14, 1901, President William McKinley died in office after being the

target of a single- man, impulsive assassination attempt. This proved to be a watershed event in United States history as Theodore Roosevelt, McKinleys vice president, was quickly sworn into office and then began an era that would come to define America for the next twenty years. As President, Roosevelt was tremendously strong and effective in his methods. Among his many achievements, he substantially improved the working conditions in American industries through aggressive attacks on large corporation that has come to be known as trust busting. Roosevelt, together with the two presidents that would succeed him- William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson- formed a period in American history that has been very appropriately named the Progressive Era. During the early 20th century, the Progressive Era reformers were predominately effective in bring about reforms at the national levels, despite several shortcomings and limitations that somewhat slowed the direction of these reformers. These reforms worked to alter and improve the political, economic, and social landscape of the United States. Since the progressive reformers were ultimately politicians, it should come as no surprise that the political landscape was significantly altered during this era. To begin with, a huge change came with the introduction of the 17th amendment, which modified the law so that senators are voted into office by the direct votes of the public for each and every state, and not that states respective state legislature. The law was supported by Theodore Roosevelt, who in a speech given in 1912 (Document D) gave reasons to support the proposals, using the sentiment among most that the amendment lowered corruption rates and also allowed for more democracy in the nation. In addition to the 17th amendment, Americas politics shifted dramatically as President Roosevelt bolstered the power of the presidency. Apart from being one of the most popular Presidents, Roosevelt also passed through many policies regarding the workplace and environment, which came to be known as the Square Deal. In reaching his goals, Roosevelt used often executive orders and made himself the center of everything from foreign policies to the environment. In doing so, Roosevelt shifted attention away from the legislative branch of the government and more towards the executive branch, while also setting a trend of increased power and involvement for the presidents that succeeded him. The reforms and changes, however, were not without limitations and drawbacks. Some still believed that not enough was done by the reformers, which was the sentiment expressed by Herbert Crolys New Republic in Document F, while there was conflict within the political system as well. Theodore Roosevelt, after his refusal to run for a third term in 1909, regretted that decision after fellow Republican William Howard Taft seemingly went back on some of the policies he set forth in the Square Deal. Their conflict in the 1912 election led to the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson, the last progressive reformer, who drew on critics of his own when he showed conservative

sentiments over womens rights, as shown in Document H, a photograph of a woman standing next to a political sign which essentially compared Wilson to a German Kaiser. Overall, however, these limitations were overshadowed by the tremendous progress made during this era. Apart from the politics of America, progressive presidents were also very effective in bringing economic reforms during the early 20th century. One of the biggest changes brought on by these reformers, especially Roosevelt, was trust- busting. Roosevelt relentlessly went after and broke apart trusts in the oil, steel, and tobacco industries, among others. This was illustrated in Document A, where Roosevelt is depicted stepping on a dead animal labeled bad trusts, while also restraining another animal labeled good trusts. This political cartoon from the Washington Post in 1907 indicates that Roosevelt had killed the bad trusts while also regulating and restricting the good trusts. The effects of Roosevelts trust busting campaigns were profound, as wages were driven up for the working class, and the price of commodity was lowered. Another reform that has its impact felt strongly even today is the 16th amendment, which was passed in 1913 during the end of the Taft Administration. This amendment allowed the government to have a more steady stream of financial resources by implementing the income tax, an attribute vital to any successful government and their respective economy. A third reform that was passed during this time was the Federal Reserve Act, which was signed into effect by President Woodrow Wilson. It created the Federal Reserve System, which allowed the Federal Reserve Board to create and circulate paper money, and also gave the government significant control over the U.S. banking system. However, the economic reforms came with limitations as well. Children were still common in factories, as their families were too poor to have them in school, as seen in Document G, which is focused around a court case on child labor. Finally, the landscape of Americas society also changed greatly during the turn of the century. The Clayton Antitrust Act not only banned monopolies, but also explicitly allowed for labor unions, as shown in Document E, an excerpt from the actual act. This reduced the oppression of the working class tremendously, and provided for more social equality in the country. Another huge social reform came with the passage of the 19th amendment. This amendment, which came during the final years of the Progressive era, finally allowed women to vote and become self governing. In addition, womens rights were also protected with policies detailing womens limitations in the workplace. Yet, despite these reforms, social progress in the U.S. during this era was much more limited than the political and economic reforms mentioned earlier. Immigrant workers still worked in conditions that were shockingly unsanitary and almost inhumane, as highlighted by Upton Sinclairs The Jungle. In addition, most of the lower classes would live in crowded, filthy slums riddled with crime and disease, a stark contrast to the luxuries enjoyed by the higher classes. Finally, another huge issue that had remained unaddressed during this era was segregation. African Americans were still heavily discriminated against, as seen in Document

I, which is an excerpt from W.E.B. DuBois The Crisis. The document put a spotlight on the fact that tens of thousands of black men were serving their country in the military, yet they remained heavily oppressed and denied their constitutional rights. Despite some limitations, reformers in the Progressive Era were generally very effective in bringing about political, economic, and social reforms. Politically, Roosevelts bolstering of the presidential power set the ante for all future presidents. Economically, the passage of the Clayton Antitrust act and Federal Reserve Act helped shape the country we are today, and socially, women were finally granted the right to vote. Interestingly enough however, it proved to be less popular than many expected, as the percentage of eligible voters that voted after the 19th amendment was substantially lower than before, as detailed in Document J. Nonetheless, without the Progressive Era reformers Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, the political, social, and economic landscape of the U.S. would not be what it is today.