![]() The first US president to seriously become involved in domestic economic affairs was President Theodore Roosevelt, also commonly referred to as TR. The Progressive Era saw the corruption that stemmed from belief of a free market, and the progressives worked to enforce regulations of corrupt business practices in order to protect the interests of the public. The old belief was that the market would adjust itself without the help of the government. Previously, the government promoted a free market and held a laissez-faire attitude that meant the government would not become involved in regulating business practices. Some people during the Progressive Era called for major social reforms and for an expanded role of the government to regulate business practices. ![]() Between the years of 18, a total of nine steel companies were consolidated, and the corporation was able to practice ruthless tactics to monopolize the industry without consequences from the government. Steel Corporation that was controlled by Andrew Carnegie. One of the most notable examples of this was the U.S. This explosive growth in business led to the emergence of large corporations and trusts that controlled their industries by taking over smaller companies and creating a monopoly in the market. The drastic rise in economic activity at this time was mainly due to industrialization and the practice of cheap labor led by the predominant big businesses. The Progressive leaders pushed for an agenda of reform for the broken political and economic system that perpetuated the disenfranchisement of the working people. The combination of poor housing, sanitation, healthcare, and exploitation of workers led to a call for immense reform. An atmosphere of materialism and greed overwhelmed the market, often resulting in poor living conditions and long hours for working class people. Large corporations and trusts quickly arose and amassed significant power and finally controlled much industry. This rapid shift of industrialization caused drastic changes in the economy. The landscape of America was rapidly changing from an agrarian society to an urban one. This period represented a time of economic and social reform. The Progressive Era began at the turn of the 1900s and lasted through World War I. The political cartoons provided allow students to analyze opinions and economic changes that took place. The Lesson in this Unit discusses the Progressive Era from the late 1890’s through the 1912 Presidential Election.
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