Progressive Era Through the Great Depression - Essay Example

During the above period, some historical turning points were felt by the Americans. Progressivism came about in the early 20th century as a varied inclination, different in various parts of the State and including all members from political parties. The period became the country’s first leading mindset to support state intervention in free market and in individual liberty in every sphere and at all levels (Perry & Manners, 2006). Moreover, the period made a history in a quick expansion for American capitalism, while at the same time the ruling class soared confidence.

Leading economists declared that the era of slumps and booms was a past, and it was time for the US economy to experience permanent prosperity. All these proclamations were made during the 1920s, but before the progressive era was over, the worst depression had hit the US economy. The 1929 stock market collapse which manifested the start of the great depression brought in a period of submersion for almost the entire working class. As a result of government intervention in free market, major businesses made more profits while wages continued to be low and workers failed to buy the goods they contributed in production.

The banking and financial systems were not regulated and some banks had crashed during the 1920s. Automotive and construction industries, whose business had boomed during the progressive era slowed down at the great depression (Hofstadter, 2011). By the year 1919, when the United States’ congress approved the 19th amendment to grant full voting rights to women, 13 out of 16 states in the west had already granted full suffrage to women. Wyoming was the first state to grant suffrage to women in 1869.

In contrast, Eastern and southern states, suffragists had the ability to win the voting right before the federal amendment only in two states that is in Michigan in 1918 and New York in 1917. One of the key reasons for the women’s right was the idiosyncratic circumstances in all the suffrage states. The fact that the West was the forerunner in granting the rights suggests a number of common social conditions at work in the Western region, contrary to the other regions (Perry & Manners, 2006).

Presidents Roosevelt, Wilson, and Taft all adopted the progressive reform spirit in the legislation that they campaigned for, and in their view of the federal regime’s role in the life of the state. Despite attempting to continue with Roosevelt’s basic directions and policies, Taft’s presidency was not smooth, and a sour rift developed between them and within their party, paving way for Democrat Woodrow Wilson. One of the legislation was the spirit of progressivism. Regardless of divergent concerns and philosophical differences, progressives held to many basic doctrines.

They were hopeful about human nature as they tried to humanize and adjust to big politics and businesses. They believed in the significance of direct intervention in citizens’ lives and wanted the government by all means to actively participate in manifesting reform. All these presidents were driven by their protestant ethics to reform the state using science techniques (Hofstadter, 2011). The Underwood tariff reduced the levy charged on imports and included a new income tax. Thus, the lost revenue was replaced by the tax, authorized by the 16th constitutional amendment.

On the other hand, Wilson reforms were not just targeted at Wall Street, but he