Monday, October 13, 2014

The Progressives were NOT successful in their efforts to reform society

It would be inaccurate and fallacious to believe that there was a successful change that came out of the era of progressivism. Through contrasting beliefs and clashing ways of solving problems, it is difficult for the changes in this society to be effective; rendering it pointless. Although the Progressives tried effortlessly to create change in the country, their tactics were not effectual. The Progressives were narrow-minded, and did not provide a system of productive ways that would provide for equal rights, equal pay, and ways to help the less fortunate. Leaders from this time period such as President Theodore Roosevelt believed it was imperative to take down monopolies and protect our environment, but these goals should not have deteriorated from the American way of life—a chance for opportunities and freedom for all. The Roosevelt administration was somewhat successful in taking down monopolies, but they failed to serve the common man. They also did not take into consideration that not everyone living during the Progressive Era, or even now are in the top 1% of business owners profiting from capitalism. Far more superior changes occurred outside of the era that aimed to take care of specifics in government and the general population in order to improve along with the conflicts’ growth. The underlying issues of what was pushed under the rug for future generations has still not been fully dealt with, and still causes our country to have such dividing issues today.
As time passed in the country, the conflicts in which the progressive era attempted to solve evolved with the nation without the Progressive’s methods. However the goals of that time still take effect, as far as providing fundings and housing only to a particular social economic status in order to maintain proper living conditions. This gave the classification of people (evidently fixed into certain demographics and races, mainly the 2nd class citizens) the idea that complacency is the most efficient way to live in this country. With that mentality, it is easy to say that America is undoubtedly a caste system, which contrasts its name to fame of the “land of opportunity”. That statement alone proves that the efforts of Progressivism managed to spark more conflict than intended.
In 1905, Teddy Roosevelt addressed the nation’s racial equality issues and took his stance by saying that the way the North and South would become one, and the whole country would be accepting of each other was for the white Americans—“the forward race”—to train the “backward race in industrial efficiency, political capacity and domestic morality.” Another claim made during this speech was that “whites bore the burden of preserving the high civilization wrought out by its forefathers.” As an advocate for change in the Progressive Era, Roosevelt did not set a good example for helping anyone but the common white man achieve anything. TR’s main goals were focused on helping the environment, which has not been successful, and taking down big monopolies, which we still have today.


This was an improper endeavor to alter the struggles in America. If this era were able to make things better the way it should have, the Great Depression would not have occurred immediately afterward. Other acts and laws would not have needed to be considered in distinctly similar fields. The basics of those beliefs would have been enough for America to run on, but the impracticality frequently appears in the periodical strikes, protests, and outward criticisms on rights, economic authoritative regulation, environmental care and conservatism, the actual political system the country is functioning under, and so on. This was no more than a vague venture to create an impractical utopian society of the United States, without enough vigorous thought as to the outcome of the adaptation to the freedom and system of control that has changed with the promises made to the people who adapt with it.

Because the Progressives only focused on the things that were prevalent at the time, they ended up leaving other problems for future generations without the direction or path to still be successful.

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