Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Progressivsim Sweeps the Nation
The government that supported laissez-faire policies and Social Darwinism was finally considered corrupt and immoral. Read about the ideas of the Progressive Era and see how these ideas were put into activist government policy.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1890 1945: The Age of Empire: Muckrakers
Discusses the muckraking journalists and novelists who were at the forefront of movements pushing for stronger protections for workers and consumers. Their work led to the passage of several important pieces of legislation. Includes...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Progressives in the White House
Read a brief overview of the three presidents, two Republican and one Democrat, who believed in an activist government to help all the people, and pushed for legislation to reflect their views.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Progressive Movement 1890 1920: Progressivism at the Grassroots Level
Read about some of the grassroots movements at the heart of Progressivism, and the changes they were pushing for and what they accomplished. Discusses labor issues, including the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Also discusses...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Roots of the Movement
Progressivism got a push from the Populist movement, a reaction to the forgettable presidents and laissez-faire government in the Gilded Age. Find a listing of authors who wrote about progressive ideas, and see what influence populism...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: w.e.b. Du Bois
Read a brief biography of W.E.B. DuBois, who was an early civil rights activist and supporter of equal opportunity and treatment for African-Americans. See how he acted on his beliefs. Included is a brief quiz about the Progressive Era.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Eugene v. Debs and American Socialism
Read about the growth of the Socialist Party in America under the leadership of Eugene V. Debs. Find out about the strikes he led, his political activities, and his arrest for sedition in 1918. Read also about the radical union,...
Country Studies US
Country Studies: The Reform Impulse
This site discusses the birth of the Progressive movement came about when the ascension of Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency after the assassination of William McKinley and the new face of American politics that sought to reform...
US Department of State
American Life: Discontent and Reform
This article from the US Department of State, "USA History in Brief," reviews the reasons for and results of Progressivism in the early 20th century.