The Progressive Era and the Great Depression in the US - Essay Example

 The Progressive Era and the Great Depression in the United States Introduction The Progressive Era of the United States was the reflection of ambitious restoration of the reformers. Their reforms focused on the government, democracy, opportunities to the immigrants, students and the poor and economic stability. However, the reforms came with consequences that opposed the Progressive state the country was aiming for during that time. With this came the Great Depression that affected the foreign policies of the United States. With this on hand, the paper will cite historical events during the said era. Progressive Era: Historical Turning Points and its Impact One of the turning points during the Progressive Era to the Great Depression was the change in the education of the United States. Progressive education was born during the time when there was an economic and political turbulence. During this time, a new educational philosophy was born that highlighted unity, diversity, and child-centered learning and curriculum. This new educational philosophy was strongly delivered by John Dewey and other philanthropies, with the principle being implemented all throughout the country. The vessel of the new educational reform was the Ellwood Cubberley and other trained educators. Today, this educational philosophy is still depicted in the current educational system of the United States and is considered as the best practice in any form of schooling. As an example, the Riverdale School District uses the progressive educational philosophy, which is still in the light of controversies. This included the establishment of the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics that does not encourage the paper and pen process of arithmetic computations. They believe that as early as kindergarten, a child must use calculators (Bowles and Gintis, 1976; Kremer, 2005). Furthermore, the Progressive Era, the main source of crude oil America was northern Pennsylvania; however, on 1901, Patillo Higgins decided to dig a 1,000-foot hole in Spindletop, Texas, then oil flowed. For this reason, Spindletop, with different oil companies, produced almost 17 million barrels. Due to the ability of the United States to produce a large amount of oil, the face of transportation was transformed from using coals to oils. Aside from this, the automobile industry was also strengthened, and flights were also fueled. Currently, the Oil and Gas Extraction subsector in the United States has been employing citizens by exploring new sources of natural gas and petroleum and other industrial activities (Jaycox, 2005; United States Department of Labor, 2013). Women and the Right to Suffrage In August 18, 1920, the congress ratified the 19th amendment which allowed the women the right to suffrage. This was considered as a milestone that required a long line of write-ups, lectures, marches, and lobbying by the supporter of the women's suffrage. However, not all women in the country earned the right to vote simultaneously. The women in the Western states first earned the right to suffrage because they were treated similarly and with equal rights with men, which is why the amendment was openly accepted and enacted. Nonetheless, the eastern states had limited independence. Some states arrested women who are smoking or dining alone in a restaurant. The women in southern states were also given lesser independence if a woman works; her wages will be given directly to her husband. These unequal rights in the eastern and southern states which were stated in their laws were the reason why these states did not immediately adopted the amendment on giving equal rights for women to suffrage (Brill, 2010). Economy during the Progressive Era Years During the time of Roosevelt, the passage of the Hepburn Act in 1906 was done in the congress. The act changed many regulations, especially in the business sector. For the railroads, the act tried to eliminate the transportation and hauling of products. Aside from this, the Act also lengthened the notice of changes in rates, from 10 days to 30 days. The most valuable part is that the act gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to create rates which are just and reasonable. With this, the railroads had to obey the ICC which also expanded its governing powers towards shipment of packages, sleeping cars, other vehicle lines, and interstate pipelines. As a current result, the Hepburn Act paved its way to regulatory policy, which regulated the monopolistic acts in the system rather than controlling the effects of having less competition. In relation to Taft, his main support was given to the small businesses. During his governance, he supported the legislation which was introduced by Senator James M. Mead that focused in the establishment of a corporation for small businesses. Through this, small businesses were given loans in order to balance the power of the public and initiatives of the private institutions (Northrup, 2003; Wunderlin, 2005). Spanish-American War in the American Empire The Spanish-American war was declared on April 25, 1898 by the United States against Spain due to the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana on February 15, 1898. Though the war ended with the Treaty of Paris being signed on December 10, 1898, Spain already had no power over its empires beyond its land. With this on hand, end of the Spanish-American War also paved the road to the creation of the American empire, which stretches from the Caribbean to the western parts of the Pacific. America became superior above other societies and countries which led to the civilizing and acquiring Guam, Hawaii, Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Also, when Spain was defeated, the domination and the expansion of America became natural (Ross, 2002; Hispanic Division Library of Congress, 2011). The Boom and Bust of the Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties was coined during the time when the American economy was considered as invulnerable by many investors during the 1920s. It was a booming period for investors and the industrial sector of America, but it was a bust situation for the agricultural sector. For this reason, the federal government had to create a program that encompasses work for the public at large, and extending credits to cities and for housing projects that are low-cost (Gunther, 1990). Conclusion The Progressive Era of the United States was a declaration that all progresses are inevitable for any downfall. The progress during the said era was immediately followed by the Great Depression due to the overwhelming openness of investors and the eagerness of the people for credit. Today, there have been many lessons from the said experiences while others are still applying philosophies from the said era, such as in education. Nonetheless, the essential part of this boom and downfall of the country is that it served as a lesson for other countries and for the United States to create strategic plans in order for the events not to occur again. References Bowles, S. & Gintis, H. (1976). Schooling in capitalist America: Educational reform and the contradictions of economic life. New York: Basic Books. Brill, M. T. (2010). America in the 1900s. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books. Gunther, J. J. (1990). Federal-city relations in the United States. Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses. Hispanic Division Library of Congress. (2011, June 22). The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/ 1898/intro.html Jaycox, F. (2005). The progressive era. New York: Facts on File. Kremer, R. (2005). Progressive education: One parent’s journey. Oregon’s Future, 1, 32-36. Northrup, C. C. (2003). The American economy: A historical encyclopedia. California: ABC-CLIO, Inc. Ross, S. T. (2002). American war plans. Abingdon, Oxon: Frank Cass Publishers. United States Department of Labor. (2013, February 1). Oil and gas Extraction: NAICS 211. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag211.htm Wunderlin, C. E. (2005). Robert A. Taft: Ideas, tradition, and party in U.S. foreign policy. United States: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Read More