Progressive Era reformers and the federal government …show more content…
B]. These reports alarmed many people, and helped to enforce the Meat Inspection Act to be passed. Other reformers worked for child labor laws, and better conditions for those children. Some children were forced to work in factories and mines, and the horrible working conditions resulted in their deaths at early ages of their lives. Because of the spread of photographs, many were alarmed to see the hardships that these children were forced to deal with. Jane Addams advocated for child labor laws, as she pointed out that many people were “so caught in the admiration of the astonishing achievements of modern industry that they forget the children themselves” [Doc. C]. With the influence of Addams and other reformers, the Child Labor Act was passed. However, many corporations again neglected the law since it was not strictly enforced, again showing that the reforms were not very successful. Many people also neglected the significance of African Americans and Women in the white male-dominant …show more content…
There was still a lot of racial discrimination against African Americans and there was not much improvement during the Progressive Era. Reformers like W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington gained recognition for blacks in society. W.E.B Du Bois pointed out that black men were drafted to fight for their country, however, they were still forced to deal with the hardships of “lynching, disfranchisement, caste, brutality and devilish insult” [Doc. I]. Although reformers advocated for change, the Progressive Era failed in the improvement of civil rights. Similar to blacks, women wanted more rights in society. Women were upset that they did not have the right to vote, and compared Woodrow Wilson to the German Kaiser, as he sympathized with Germans who did not have self-government, yet, not with American women who were in the same condition [Doc. H]. Women’s voices were heard, and the 19th Amendment was passed that allowed women the right to vote. However, the amendment proved to be less significant as many thought, as presidential voting declined from the years 1900 to 1920. Although women and African Americans advocated for change, the reforms made were not as successful as many hoped to