How Progressive Era Became a Turning Point in American History

The Progressive era was a turning point in American history. The progressivists were also known as Reformers. They all played a large part in making a move towards civil rights and equality.

The goals of the reformers were different but in the end they all wanted change. Those who fought for women's suffrage and civil rights wanted both the African Americans and the women to have equal rights as white men. This was hard for them to do. There were laws such as the Jim Crow laws that allowed for segregation to occur which would not allow for the African Americans to be equal. Some of the women reformers were also a big part of the civil rights movement. They would help to get the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) up and running. The NAACP was an organization that helped to get African Americans to be more equal to white men. The women who were working with the NAACP were also a part of the Womens Christian Temperance Union. They were the group of women founded by Frances Willard, who wanted to eradicate alcohol, reform labor and gain voting rights. So, the goals of Womens suffrage and civil rights were similar to that of the other reformers. (550-551, 607).

Now the goals of the political reformers and the labor reformers were also different, but they still wanted change in the end. The political reform was a major event that took place. It was very different from the labor reforms that were also going on at the time. The political parties were going through a change. There was a definite separation between the Democratic party and the Republican party. They were at odds with each other due to the differences they had. The Democrats fought for the state governments and the Republicans pushed for greater federal assistance. The ideas of the two parties really appealed to the voters. Now this is very different form the labor reforms that are also taking place. But the labor reform is worked alongside with women's suffrage. The labor laws that were put into place in 1912 supported children.

But it also helped with labor laws in general. The National Child Labor Committee created in 1907 helped change labor for women and children as well as make a move for equality. One thing that merged women's and children's labor rights together was Jane Addams and the Hull House. This served as a place for women and children to get back on their feet. It served as a work station for women. The labor reform helped immigrants, women, and children. It was a way to help change the way people worked. The work day was cut down to just 8 hours a day. There are some very big differences between politics and labor. But the end goal of change for the better is still the same. These events were a major turning point for equality and the civil rights movement. But they were not the first sign of equality. (508-509, 578-579, 606-607).

The Industrial Revolution was a major event that sparked a movement towards equality. There was a lot of things happening during this time. Many people were coming into the country, cities were developing and growing, and industries were being created. All of these events have positives and negatives associated with them. A lot of good came out of the Industrial Revolution. But with that good came some bad. One thing that happened was it gave a lot of people the chance to have a better life in a new country. Many immigrants were able to come here for a new life. But their lives were not very good. Many of them lived in small, crowded apartments in the middle of the city. Some were able to live else were in smaller towns. But even their lives were not the best. But they were better than where they came from.

With the coming of the immigrants made it possible for Americans to not have to do the factory work. The Americans were the ones running the factories and making the money. Many of the Americans did not want to do the factory work. The immigrants were happy for any work. So, they did the factory work. It was hard work, but it was work that helped to shape our country to where it is today. A lot of changes for equality came out of this. The many different labor laws that were put into place after this helped bring the country to a civil rights movement and to equality. (508-514).

The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle by African Americans within the mid-1950s to late 1960s to gain civil rights equal to those of whites, as well as equal opportunity in a job, housing, and education, also the right to vote, the right of equal access to public facilities, and therefore the right to be freed from racism. No social or political movement of the 20th century has had as profound an impact on the legal and political establishments of the U.S. This movement wanted to give back African Americans the rights of citizenship secured by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, that had been taken by Jim Crow laws within the South. It basically altered relationships between the federal government and the states, because the federal government was forced repeatedly to enforce its laws and defend the rights of African Americans.

The civil rights movement also spurred the reemergence of the judiciary, as well as the Supreme Court, in its role as defender of individual liberties against majority power. Also, because Martin Luther King Jr, and other leaders of the movement predicted, the movement prompted gains not just for African Americans but also for women, people with disabilities, and lots of other minority groups. (810-842).

The focus of the Civil Rights Movement was based on the idea of liberalism. They wanted to exercise all their rights and they wanted change. It was a good change for the country, and it was a move towards the future. It does not seem like a crisis at all. It seems like a good move towards better things. Liberalism can be seen as good and as bad. But in the case for the Civil Rights Movement it is a good thing. It created good changes in the end. This was a turning point in American history towards equality. (834).

Although we have seen changes towards equality, we are still not 100 percent an equal country. Minorities are discriminated against every day. The laws may say they are equal but that does not stop people from treating minorities as if they are lesser of a person. Many events are happening right now that are moving away from the equality that was created from the events of the past. But overall there is more equality now than there was 100 years ago.