By the beginning of the 20th century America' frontier had disappeared.  There was no geographical line of demarcation where the frontier began.  America had become a young nation of people from the Atlantic to the Pacific, thus ending the three hundred years that it took to bring civilization to this continent.

Disturbed by the waste, inefficiency, and injustices of the Gilded Age, which produced Middle Class America, the progressives were committed to changing and reforming every aspect of the state, society and economy.  Initially the movement operated mostly at the local levels, but later expanded to state and national levels. 

There were many efforts to reform local government, public education, medicine, finance, insurance, industry, railroads churches, and many other areas. Thus the era of reformation evolved with political leaders such as, Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover on the Republican side, and with William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wilson on the Democratic side.  

A main issue of the day between the 1890’s and the 1920’s was purification of government by trying to eliminate corruption by exposing the undercutting political machines and bosses.  A powerful tool was the Muckrakers, investigative journalist, publishing their writings in popular journals and magazines of the day.

Other important issues were prohibition to control alcohol consumption; women’s suffrage to bring a purer female vote to the polls; and the preservation of families, by creating, more time away from work, and parks, in which to spend more wholesome time as family units.  The progressives believed that the family was the foundation stone of American society, and the government, especially municipal government, must work to strengthen and enhance the family.  Much emphasis was put on pure food, milk and water for family consumption.

Business Reform

In the Gilded Age political parties were reluctant to involve the federal government too heavily in the private sector, except in the area of railroads and tariffs.  The attitude started to change during the depression of the 1890’s when small business, farm and labor movements began asking for government intervention.  By the turn of the century middle class America was leery of the business elite and the radical political movements of farmers and laborers.  The progressive’s argued the need for government regulation of business practices to ensure competition and free enterprise.  

The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, regulating railroads, and the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prevented large firms from controlling a single industry, were not strictly enforced until the turn of the century, when Theodore Roosevelt came to power, continuing through the Wilson administration.

Many of today’s U. S. regulatory agencies were created during these years, including the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration. 

Monopolies, such as, the Standard Oil monopoly, were pulled down in the progressive era, with the help of Muckraker, Ida M. Tarbell, when she wrote a series of articles against the Standard Oil Company. Other Muckrakers, given the name by Theodore Roosevelt for raking up muck, like Lincoln Steffens, aided in exposing corruption many large cities, such as Boss Tweed in New York City.   Samuel Hopkins Adams showed fraud involved in many patent medicines in 1905 and David Graham Phillips unleashed a harsh indictment of the U. S. Senate in 1906.

Political and Social Reform

During the Progressive Era four Amendments were added to the United States Constitution.  The Sixteenth Amendment imposed an income tax, the Seventeenth Amendment added the direct election of Senators by the people, prohibition was added with the Eighteenth Amendment and women’s suffrage was added through the Nineteenth Amendment.

The progressives believed that the solution to society’s weakness was to strengthen science, technology and education with a favorable attitude towards an urban-industrial society.  They believed in mankind’s ability to improve the environment and conditions of life with the obligation to intervene in economic and social affairs. They believed in the ability of experts and in efficiency of government intervention.

Progressives sought to enable citizens to rule more directly and circumvent political bosses. In 1902, Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that created the initiative and referendum processes for citizens to directly introduce or approve laws or amendments to the state constitution.  In 1908, Oregon was the first state to pass an amendment that gave voters the right to recall elected officials. 

In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment was added to the U. S. Constitution, requiring Senators to be elected by the people at state levels, instead of being appointed by state legislatures, preventing power bosses at state levels from controlling Congress.

Many cities set up municipal bureaus to study the budgets and administrative structures to reorganize and strengthen local governments during the Progressive Era. In the Progressive Era, America took on a new shape at local, state and national levels, which still serves this nation today.

Education was reformed and modernized during the Progressive Era, with expansion in the number of schools, especially in large cities.  Even in smaller metropolitan areas, the number of schools increased.  Many states passed compulsory schooling laws. More emphasis was placed on hygiene and health, and physical education. 

In the legal profession, the American Bar Association was set up in 1900, establishing a national standard for law schools, which led to universities having accredited schools of law.  Until then, law was studied privately.

Labor Reform

Labor unions grew rapidly during the Progressive Era.  They turned from cooperation with business in the National Civic Federation to working political alliance with the Democratic Party, which was especially important in large industrial cities.  The unions sought restrictions on judges, who intervened in labor disputes, usually on the side of the employer.

Conclusion

America is a nation of checks and balances, and as long as they remain in place, this nation will continue to grow stronger and stronger going forward.  No man or party has all the answers. America is a nation of individuals that strive to function as one nation. History shows the Progressive Era checked and brought into balance the preceding Industrial Age, making it stronger under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt in his service to America at local, state and national levels.