Progressive Era - Research Paper

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Exit Project Research Paper Progressive Era (1880-1920) By Zarin Shurovi The end of the Gilded Age occurred with the Panic of 1893, deep depression which lasted till 1897 and marked a major political change in the election of 1896. While the Gilded Age was an era of prosperity for many Americans, economic depressions brought hard times to the society. America was like a tinderbox during that period. Cities were crowded with millions of poor laborers and working conditions were terrible. As more and more Americans moved into urban areas to work in factories and other jobs created by this economic boom, new social problems were created, such as slums, the spread of diseases and labor disputes, among dozens of others. Something had to be done in order to fix the nation. Thoughtful people of the era, who see inequalities in life, wanted to do something about the unfairness. In other words, it can be said that they see life is not fair and some people have it really well and other people have to struggle so why not help these people who are struggling rather than take advantage of them and exploit them. Many Americans attempted to reform the often harsh social and economic conditions fostered by rapid industrialization and urbanization and progressive movement was the response of the nation. The nations focus shifted from Industrialization and Immigration, Gilded Age to Progression. The Progression was focused on in the United States between the years of the mid-1890s and the early 1920s. Progressive Era was a period of rapid economic growth fueled by the changes brought about by industrialization. It was “a bridge to modern times” as its effects touched virtually all Americans and transformed the role of government in American society. Antitrust laws, Prohibition, women's suffrage, development of social insurance programs and the federal income tax all came
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