The Progressive Era was a time of varied causes and movements here activists and reformers from different backgrounds and very different lifestyles pursued their goals of making America better. The cause of the era was the reformers reactions to the challenges that took place during the end of the nineteenth century such as, female suffrage, education, and working conditions. Some people believed problems such as poverty, racism, and violence could be fixed by providing education, a safe environment, and good working conditions.
Female suffrage
During the Progressive Era, women reformers fought for their rights as citizens to build public policy and create public institutions. Women fought for their rights through organizations such as Young Women’s Christian Association, the National Consumers’ League, Professional associations, and trade unions. The three main women in the women’s suffrage movement were Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Carrie Chapman Catt. NAWSA, NWSA, AWSA, and NWP, were groups created by women that were very important to the suffrage movement. Women reformers were always on the front line in November going against child labor as well as the women’s suffrage campaign. During this era, women’s priority was women’s suffrage and they were focused on having the right to vote. Overall, women in the Progressive Era tried to change society and change ideas involving the roles of women.
Education
The Progressive Era brought the idea of everyone having the opportunity to have an education. Today it is normal to go to school through high school or some college. The normal before the Progressive Era was that you only go to school to be on the level to be able to function in life. Women only went to primary school, while most men had an education through middle school. Having an education was based on who you were, and your role in society. If you were a woman, immigrant, or poor you did not have equal opportunities to receive education as men did. During the Progressive Era, people who were educated and higher class thought that giving everyone equal opportunities to receive education would benefit everyone and would be a way to reach equality for everyone. So, during the Progressive Era high school began to spread, and everyone no matter who you were started going to school. Thanks to the Progressive Era, going to high school became normal and still is today.
Working conditionsreformer’no
People typically worked seven days a week, twelve hours each day. Until 1938, there wasn’t a mandated minimum wage, railroad workers get paid ten cents an hour. A good month for railroad workers would be making twenty-five dollars. Most American workers made four-hundred to five-hundred a year, and they should make at least 600 to maintain a simple, comfortable life. If you had a daughter she would start to work at age fifteen, mostly at child caretheychildcare jobs. Boys would start working around the age of twelve, they would be crawlingused to crawl into the coal mines to get chunks of coal out. If a worker got hurt, there was not a worker’workers’ compensation to help them, they just had to keep going. There were so many underaged children working in factories, to be exact 1.7 million. During the Progressive Era, the census report took place, which was a national movement to end child labor. The Progressivism’s reaction to the awful working conditions was introducing workers compensation. So, now if workers got into an accident at work they will be covered and receive compensation. Another where stateimprovement during the Progressive Era was how I’m 1914 almost every wherestate has enforced child labor laws, which meant there was a minimum age for employment and not allowing children to work in such awful conditions.
Conclusion
The Progressive Era came about due to lots of bad going on in America. The Progressive Era helped the people of America get the opportunity to have an education, helped women gain equality, and improved the dangerous working conditions. America grew as a whole by being a country full of opportunities, having freedom, and equality.
