How Did Progressive Reformers Influence Society

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Many of the new movements in the nineteenth and twentieth century began to gain influence in the US. These new movements such as immigrant communities, progressive reformers and women’s movements began to influence mainstream political and social trends through the creation of cultural communities and new amendments and ideals . Immigrant communities bred crime, created ghettos and aid societies, and were the backbone of political machines. Progressive reformers influenced US politics and society through the use of direct primaries, Robert M. La Follette’s reforms and the conservation of the environment and women’s movements introduced birth control, prohibition and women’s suffrage. Immigrant communities were one of the first movements to …show more content…

Politically, reformers adopted direct primaries. This was different from before because now voters could select candidates rather than allowing a handful of machine politicians to make decisions behind closed doors. To get decrease the influence of political machines, progressives replaced district elections with citywide elections. Robert M. La Follette was the republican governor of Wisconsin and an important progressive leader. He dismantled the statewide political machine by instituting direct party primaries, an expanded civil service, a law forbidding corporate contributions to political parties, a strengthened railroad regulatory commission and a graduated income tax. His reforms were a major stepping stone for progressives, and he continued to battle for further reform when he entered the US senate in 1906. Conservation and preservation of the environment was a reform that influenced both politics and society. As chief forester in the Department of Agriculture, Gifford Pinchot emphasized the efficient use of natural resources and looked to reconcile public interest with private profit motives. Large companies supported Pinchot, they saw conservation as a way to drive their smaller competitors out of business who could not afford the additional costs. The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco led to water and power shortages, which caused officials to ask for a hydroelectric dam and reservoir in Hetch Hetchy Valley. Pinchot supported officials because he believed the project was for the greater good. President Theodore Roosevelt adopted progressive reforms and in the process helped reinvigorate the presidency. Roosevelt supported both conservationists and preservationists by reserving one hundred fifty million acres of timberland as part of the national forests, but he also authorized eighty million dollars in federal funds to construct dams, reservoirs and canals in the West.

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