History
The study of history is a challenging and often ambiguous pursuit of reconstruction. Historians are forced to remove themselves from the confines of modernity while desperately trying to grasp the fleeting remnants of an ever fading past. It is impossible, however, for a historian to fully accomplish either one of these necessities of research. The present remains an integral part of his perspective causing a distinctive slant in the analysis; evidence of the past can remain hidden or be entirely lost in the strides of time. These limitations of individual historians’ conceptions of the past necessitate the study of history to be an accumulation of different theories throughout the ages by conflicting researchers. A prime example of the historical dialogue that has continued between historians of various perspectives is the study of American Progressivism that was started in 1955 by Richard Hofstadter in his controversial book entitled The Age of Reform. His theory of the Progressive Movement is explored and questioned by Peter Filene’s “An Obituary for ‘The Progressive Movement’,” Richard McCormick’s “The Discovery that Business Corrupts Politics: A Reappraisal of the Origins of Progressivism,” and Paula Baker’s “The Domestication of Politics: Women and American Political Society, 1780-1920.” These extremely different perspectives of the Progressive Movement serve to explore components of the time that may have been dismissed or construed by previous historians in the hopes of further building a more complete picture of the past.
The historical discussion of American Progressivism begins with Richard Hofstadter’s innovative theory explained in The Age of Reform. He charts the development of the reform ...
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...r understanding the complexities of Progressivism. The conflicting points of view that arise from these historical “discussions” lead to a more realistic idea of history. Just like the diverse opinions of the Progressive Movement, these historians’ different perspectives highlight the various attitudes that are dispersed throughout society and time.
Bibliography
Baker, Paula. “The Domestication of Politics: Women and American Political Society, 1780- 1920.” American Historical Review 89 (1984): 620-647.
Filene, Peter G. “An Obituary for ‘the Progressive Movement’.” American Quarterly 22 (1970): 20-34.
Hofstadter, Richard. The Age of Reform. New York: Vintage Books, 1955.
McCormick, Richard C. “The Discovery that Business Corrupts Politics: A Reappraisal of the Origins of Progressivism.” American Historical Review (1981): 247-274.
Progressivism, defined as “a broad philosophy based on the Idea of Progress, which asserts that advancement in science, technology, economic development, and social organization are vital to improve the human condition”, was a huge factor in advancement in this country, especially in the early 1900s. In the article “In Search of Progressivism” by Daniel T. Rodgers, he claims that there was much confusion as to what the progressive movement actually was. His thesis states “For decades the notion that the political and intellectual ferment of the Roosevelt and Wilson years cohered into an entity called progressivism was one of the central organizing principles of American history.' How that coherence should be defined was a matter of starkly
Department of Labor (2009, September). Other Workplace Standards: Notices for Plant Closings and Mass Layoffs [White paper]. Retrieved from United States Department of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/layoffs.htm
In the late 1800’s a group of Americans decided that something needed to be done about the decline of moral and ethical values in most Americans. These people called themselves the progressives and started one of the most comprehensive reform movements in the United States to this day. Progressivism became so widespread that by the end of World War I, anyone who didn’t agree with Progressive ideals was labeled a communist. The Progressives had four major goals that they wished to accomplish. These four goals were to democratize America, to Americanize America, the humanization of capitalism and rationalization of the economy. Each goal dealt with a different aspect of America’s society that the Progressives thought needed help. The way these goals were accomplished was to get laws passed that would reform the practices of many Americans. Progressives held that in order to bring American back to its old time, rural values people would need to attend church more.
The progressive era was a time of enormous changes that flourished in the United States. Activists demanded a reform in education, technology, science, and Democracy. Purification of government was the main goal, and it was during this time that progressives made “scientific” the social sciences, especially history, economics and political sciences (http://www.iep.utm.edu). It was also during this era (1890’s-1920’s) that the Federal Reserve System was founded. The 16th through 19th amendments, the Food and Drug Act, and Federal Trade Commission were also put into play. It wasn’t until World War I that such drastic change started to slow. Amidst all this change existed an amazing woman by the name of Jane Addams; a political activist and pragmatist whom made enormous social and economic changes to the United States. It wasn’t until the late 20th century however that she was properly recognized as one of the most influential philosophers and sociologists of her time (http://americanhistory.unomaha.edu).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed as an agency of the federal government that is charged with protecting workers from recognized safety hazards within the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created as a result of passage of the “Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 in response to dangerous working conditions across the nation and as a culmination of decades of reform” (Walter, 2011, para. 5). President Richard Nixon signed the act into law on December 29, 1970 and The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was officially established on April 28, 1971 (Walter, 2011). During the 41 years on the job, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has identified and addressed numerous work hazards, as well as provided solutions to mitigate and/or avoid placing workers in unnecessary danger. OSHA regulates as enforces regulations throughout the country, however the agency does declare that “states can run their own safety and health programs as long as those programs are at least as effective as the federal program” (http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-osha.htm). The states that choose to implement their own version of the occupational safety and health plan are referred to as OSHA states, whereas those who implement no plan are required to follow the federal regulations, as set forth by OSHA. OSHA effects all workers and employers in the United States, as the desired effect of the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act is “to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources” (Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act, 1970). OS...
Henry J. S. (2010).The Progressive Era: The Great Age of Reform. Retrieved January, 5th, 2013, fromhttp://www.academicamerican.com/progressive/topics/progressive.html
The Progressive Movement in the United States presents the efforts of working class citizens aiming to change what they perceived as a non-functioning state. McGerr argues that Progressive Movement’s mission was to bring change the arbitrary manner in which the American government, American traditions , and the economy functioned under this new industrial norm. He describes these aspirations for change as he states “progressives aimed at people more than institutions; they wanted to change big businessmen as well as big businesses “ ( McGerr 80). The people oriented movement sparked a change in thinking about how society should operate by challenging the individualized focus of society in exchange for a collective movement that benefitted for the larger part of society.
Many Americans today have little or no understanding of what progressivism is and why it is so important to American history. Progressivism is a broadly based reform movement that reached its peak early in the 20th century, which sought ought ideas, impulses, and issues stemming from modernization of American society. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization such as the growth of large corporations, railroads, and fears of corruption in American politics. Little do people know is that America got involved in WWI not just because of German aggression toward the United States, but the mindset of Americans who believed that it was their duty to protect democracy and to eliminate modernization. In order to understand the overall effectiveness of progressivism it has to be explained why Americans wanted to intervene, what happened during the intervention , and what were the consequences.
Abrams, a known disputer, even admits the Progressives made great strides. He states, “Progressivism indeed had real, lasting effects for the blunting of the sharper edges of the self-interest in American life, and for the reduction of the harsher cruelties suffered by the society’s underprivileged” (Madaras, SoRelle
Progressivism is a broad political philosophy based on the idea of progress, which assets that advance in science, technology, economic, department, and social organization can improve the human condition. It implies a philosophy which welcomes innovations and reformers in the political, economic, and social order. Progressivism was in 1890- 1920 when the middle class and lower class came together to attack the upper crust cities. Progressives crossed party lines, came from variety class in society, most urban middle class, college educated, committed to improve all aspects of American Life, and etc.. The progressive movement was not for everyone. Several problems were appointed during progressivism, for example women suffrage, and America
Magill, Frank N., ed. "Much Ado About Nothing." Masterplots Vol. VII. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Salem Press, 1949.
The progressive era in the United States is associated with political reforms and social change. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the United States’ power was experienced across the globe. Business firms experienced immense growth making some owners excessively rich. On the other hand, the American people experienced unhappiness owing to some problems at home. Workers in the huge corporations did not experience considerable changes in their lives. Employees were subjected to severe working conditions, which were exposed by muckrakers among other people. Railroad charges for shipping crops were very high, which gave farmers immense problems. Increased immigration rates also caused numerous concerns with the need to reform the foreign attitudes. The rise of the middle class in the country also facilitated the progressive movement. This research focuses on progressivism in the United States with the aim of identifying changes experienced during the period.
Progressivism is an ideology that is based on the notion that economic, social and historical progression is inevitable. The notion of progress assumes the role of a movement toward the idea of some sort of perfectibility of human nature and society. While progressives believe that progression is inevitable, they still understand that political, economic and social reform are necessary means of achieving it. The philosophical founders of progressive ideas include Francis Bacon, Hegel, Marx, Comte, Rousseau, Condorcet, Bentham, Mill, and Edward Bellamy. These thinkers ushered in a new era of thinking in society. Progressivism grew significantly during the years of 1890’s and 1920’s, producing a wave of reform movements in the United States that
Heneman, H. G., Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2012). Staffing organizations (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
United States Department of Labor (2004) Occupational Safety & Health Administration. In Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care & Social Service Workers. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html