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DISCONTENT AND REFORM
By 1900, America's political foundations had endured growing pains, civil
war, prosperity, and economic depression. The ideal of religious freedom had
been sustained. Free public education had largely been realized, and a free
press had been maintained. At the same time, however, political power seemed
concentrated in the hands of corrupt officials and their friends in business. In
response, a reform movement called "Progressivism" arose. Its goals included
greater democracy and social justice, honest government, and more effective
regulation of business.
Writers and social critics protested practices that were unfair, unhealthy,
and dangerous. Upton Sinclair, Ida M. Tarbell, Theodore Dreiser, Lincoln
Steffens, and others produced a "literature of exposure" that put pressure on
lawmakers to correct these abuses through legislation. The reformers believed
that expanding the scope of government would ensure the progress of U.S. society
and the welfare of its citizens.
President Theodore Roosevelt embodied the spirit of Progressivism and
believed that reforms needed to be addressed nationally. He worked with Congress
to regulate monopolies and take legal action against companies that violated the
law. He also was tireless in his efforts to conserve the United States' natural
resources, manage public lands, and protect areas for recreational use.
Reforms continued during the presidencies of William Howard Taft and Woodrow
Wilson. The Federal Reserve banking system was established to set interest rates
and control the money supply. The Federal Trade Commission was established to
deal with unfair methods of competition by businesses. New laws were enacted to
help improve working conditions for sailors and railroad laborers. A "county
extension" system was developed to help farmers get information and credit. And
taxes on imported goods were lowered or eliminated to help reduce the cost of
living for all Americans.
The Progressive era was also the era when great numbers of people from all
over the world came to the United States. Almost 19 million people arrived
between 1890 and 1921. Earlier immigrants had been chiefly northern and western
Europeans and some Chinese. The new arrivals came from Italy, Russia, Poland,
Greece, the Balkans, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.
The United States has always been a "melting pot" of nationalities, and for
300 years few restrictions were placed on immigration. Starting in the 1920s,
however, quotas were established in response to Americans' fears that their jobs
and culture were being threatened by the newcomers. While large surges of
immigration have historically created social strains, most Americans — whose own
ancestors arrived as immigrants — believe that the Statue of Liberty in New York
harbor represents the spirit of a welcoming land to those "yearning to breathe
free." This belief has preserved the United States as a nation of nations.
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