Progressive Reform Movement essays

Progressive Reform Movement essays The Social Origins of the Progressive Reform Movement Throughout history many interpretations of the Progressive Movement and its goals and motives have been produced. Historians during different ages have analysisd the different aspects of the progressives and what made them who they where. This paper will classify and analyze each of the assigned historians to fully understand an important time in history. When it comes to the Progressive Movement and its specific politics many historians provide different causes and influences. Who were the progressives, what did they accomplish? J. Joseph Huthmacher contends that the progressives were mainly lower class citizens who were part of the ever so growing melting pot of the industrialized America. Huthmacher writes about how the middle class helped the cause, but it was the lower class who had the most bearing on the issue, and who would be the most affected. He points out as he queries How does one explain the fact that in the legislature of New York and Massachusetts many reform bills received more uniform and consistent support from representatives of urban lower class then they received from the urban middle class or rural representatives.(Huthmacker) It seems logical that the lower class was more involved due to the fact that most of the reform sought would benefit them the most in terms of safety, the number of hours work, wages and benefits. The lower class occupations of the time included such jobs as steel mill worker, meat factory employees and as train company employees. Of the four researched historians Huthmachers view of the lower class being the main contributor to reform in the progressive area stands alone, but isnt unprecedented in terms of new left ideals. Anne Fior Scott a consensus idealist doesnt take on the same view as Mowry, Huthmacher, and Kolko in terms of class but looks in the gender roles. She doesnt look as ...