Progressive Reform

The Progressive era includes the period from 1900 through the end of World War I in 1918. The movement was an attempt to address economic and social reform. Muckraking journalists called attention to child labor, corruption in city governments, and businesses. Poor housing, sanitation, and health care in city immigrant populations were targeted for reform. Leaders of the Progressive movement organized their own assistance through churches and other private organizations.

Hull house, organized by Jane Addams in Chicago, is a prime example. The efforts of progressives began to make the cities cleaner and healthier, workplaces safer, and businesses more considerate of employees. The purpose of Hull House, in the words of Jane Addams, is to “aid in the solutions of life in a great city, to help our neighbors build responsible, self-sufficient lives for themselves and their families” (H. H. A., 2007).

By: Paula Poynor