History Vault

Progressive Era: Reform, Regulation, and Rights (Module 44)

The Progressive Era, dating roughly from 1890-1920, was a reaction to the rapid industrialization and social and economic changes of the “Gilded Age” in the last two decades of the 19^th century and the turn of the 20^th century. Progressive Era reformers, as the name implies, believed in progress and their ability to improve society through a broad range of reforms. The efforts of these reformers created one of the great movements in American history. This module on the Progressive Era consists of 11 collections and documents a variety of the ways that the Progressive Movement attempted to improve the lives of the American people. The collections cover women’s right to vote, the Standard Oil monopoly case, the efforts of journalist Henry Demarest Lloyd, the University Settlement Society of New York City, prohibition, reform of law enforcement, the Teapot Dome bribery case regarding petroleum reserves on government lands, and regulation of food and drugs.