The 1900’s were a time of widespread social and political unrest in America. During this time, many Americans adopted new ideas which were completely different than previous traditional values. These new views were considered more modern and progressive. Some of these values were accepting diverse cultures, city lives, bigger communities, individuality, becoming wealthy, and throwing out the old and replacing it with the new. Not everyone supported the ideas of the Progressive Movement, however. Those who opposed the new ways of thinking were known as the Anti-Progressives. Anti-Progressives preferred traditional, rural lifestyles, and a slower, simpler way of living. The Anti-Progressives were also against immigration and integration. They held on to racist beliefs. The differences led to constant tension between the Progressives and the Anti-Progressives. The tensions between the two ideologies were reflected in American drama, political cartoons and silent films of that era.
The struggle and tensions between the two groups can be seen on a local level in Atlanta and a national level in America as a whole. During this time, there was a strong dislike of Jews as the Ku Klux Klan was expanding which meant there was an Anti-Semitic
…show more content…
He received a degree from Cornell University and moved to Atlanta in 1908. While living in Atlanta, on August 25, 1913, he became victim to one of the most controversial court cases in US history. Leo Frank was accused of killing a 13-year-old girl named Mary Phagan. The case became so prominent, that is caught the attention of the Supreme Court and the Governor of Georgia. Neither of the courts came to a decision because a mob of men broke Frank out of jail and hung him from a Georgia oak tree. The case of Leo Frank depicts the rising social tensions in the early 1900’s in America, which included racial discrimination, social injustice and racial
The progressive Era was times in History were local state and federal government took a leap forward in power and activism. In addition, the progressive era, was a time of development of new reforms and changes for America. Progressivism handles a wide range of problems and struggle for America. Such problems were created by unstructed industrialization, urbanization and immigration. As well as, the unfavorable distribution of power and wealth. Progressives believed strongly that problems such as these needed immediate action. Progressives existed in churches, organized labor, local political life, organizations and progressives of high education. Progressives wanted to make America better through inniatives, arranged action, idealism and social scientific research. Progressive had a tendency to expect the best possible outcome of situations. By, the 1920’s, progressives put in effect, changes of all aspects of society and government. Nevertheless, progressives had unhonorable qualities as well. They were biased of class and prejudiced against races.
In 1915, an unjust tragedy occurred. Leo M. Frank was lynched because he was thought to be guilty for the murder of 14-year-old Mary Phagan. However, was he actually guilty of the crime he was convicted for? More or less, Leo Frank was a victim of press influencing public opinion, the need for Hugh Dorsey (the prosecutor) to have a successful case, and racial prejudice of the time. Contrary to public opinion, Leo Frank was not guilty for murdering Mary Phagan.
I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things… The idea is if we don’t look out the white race, will be utterly submerged…” (Fitzgerald. 1). Being different in the 1920s, whether it be the color of your skin or the social class you were part of, gave you a hard time to go through life normally like everyone else. According to an online editor, the 1920s were described as the decade of conformity, intolerance, and conservatism. America was so conformed back in the 1920s that high intolerance for other races was built up and hard to get away from. Because of the materialistic lifestyles of people back in the 1920s, it was not a surprise that most people resulted to conformity. No one wanted to stand out or be different, much like it is today.
With the arrival of the 1920’s, new battles fought between traditionalist rural society and modernist urban civilization arose in the postwar United States. These urban-rural culture wars of this time period represent the everlasting conflict between conservatives and liberals. The 1920 census demonstrated to traditionalists that their views were under attack by the modernists who gradually came to outnumber them. Traditionalists were disturbed that they were losing a battle against immigrants who didn’t understand or appreciate “old American values” and against their own children, a new generation of rebellious youth who brought about sexual revolution, materialism, and skepticism.
During both the Progressive era and the New Deal era, policies as well as programs were being created in an effort to assist the American public, specifically those living in poverty. Throughout the early 1900’s Roosevelt had strayed away from the typical laissez-faire policy and decided that the people would need to be guided by the government. “Wilsonian Progressivism” had also aimed at assisting the public with his “New Freedom Program” which consisted of antitrust legislation, banking reform as well as tariff reductions. After the stock market crashed in 1929, America had fallen into a Great Depression resulting in the unemployment of millions. Newly elected Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to present his
Beginning in the early 1920’s, America found itself in a frenzy of revolutionary movements that would shift the everyday lives of American citizens and pave the way to the modern era. A struggle between old ideas of conservatism and new liberal movements surfaced during the “roaring twenties”. The new movements that began rearing their heads during this time period consisted of liberal political ideas, the advancements of rights for the common man and woman, and reforms to our social culture.
The 1920s were a period of tension between new and changing attitudes on the one hand and traditional values and nostalgia on the other. What led to the tension between old and new AND in what ways was
A political party is an organization whose aim is to gain control of the government apparatus, usually through the election of its candidates to public office. Political parties take many forms, but their main functions are similar: to supply personnel for government positions; to organize these personnel around the formation and implementation of public policy; and to serve in a mediating role between individuals and their government. Political parties are as old as organized political systems. Two parties in particular, the Populist Party and the Progressive Party are alike in many ways, from their platforms to their general issues. In general, however, the structure and behavior of
During the latter part of the nineteenth century, presumably around the 1890's, it became known as the Progressive Era, a time of change, reform, and adaptation. As Vernon L. Parrignton put it, it was a "democratic renaissance" (Vernon L. Parrington in The Progressive Movement: Liberal or Conservative). So what was Progressivism? Well, its main goals were to curb corporate power, to end business monopolies, and to wipe out political corruption. They also wanted to democratize electoral procedures, protect working people, and bridge the gap between social classes. They called for reforms such as the referendum, initiative, and the recall. They wanted the Americanization of the immigrant and the
The 1920’s were a booming time for the United States. Massive change was occurring and this led to a lot of new types of conflict about different reasons than ever before. The war had just ended and with that started a new era of people who unlike before had different morals. This was one of the biggest conflicts of the time. During the 1920’s the biggest cause of conflict were the old generations vs. the new generations because of the rapidly changing morals and the new ideas being accepted by society. This also led to a lot of changes in the United States as a whole with the result of us being more open to new ideas and new freedoms. There were some major reasons for some conflict in the United States during this time and they all were connected to the idea of old vs. new.
During the time from the 1890s to the 1920s a period of social and political reform took place in the United States known as the Progressive Era. “The era saw the expansion of political and economic freedom through the reinvigoration of the moment for woman suffrage, the use of political power to expand workers rights’ and efforts to improve democratic government by weakening the power of the city bosses and giving ordinary citizens more influence on legislation.” The progressive reformers from this time gained a majority of their support from the education middle-class of urban areas. Another term used to describe these reformers is Muckrakers.
The Progressive Era was a period that changed America greatly due to political reforms and social activism. This era brought forth many changes in America and almost all Americans were involved in this movement somehow. This period began in the late 1800s and lasted until the mid-1900s. The Progressive Era was one of the biggest movements in America. The main point of this movement was to purify the government. Several historians have wrote excerpts on their perspective of the Progressive Era. George Mowry, Joseph Huthmacher, and Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore are three key Progressive historians. In their writings, each of the historians explain who the Progressives were, who was affected during this time, events that took place in the community and government, and other topics.
The Progressive Era was a time period between the years 1900-1920 and it marked a time in American history in which society was bursting with enthusiasm to improve life in the industrial age by making political and social changes through government action that ultimately led to a higher quality of life for American citizens. Progressives were known for their beliefs in limiting the power of big business, strengthening the power of the states, and were advocators against corruption and social injustice. These progressive reformers as well as the Federal Government successfully managed to improve the quality of life and establish a precedent for a move active government, although neither was completely successful in solving significant
As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. As immigrants fled from Europe, the economy improved, and new machines offered convenience and luxury from the kitchen to the streets. However, with all change comes opposition. The 1920s revealed a conflict between traditional America and the new attitude and lifestyle through the changing role of women, continued dominance of Christian values, and racism.
Over the past century, people living in the United States have experienced many changes. As the times change, so do the people. In the 1920's, people acted differently then compared to the people in the 1960's. Yet, they both have one thing in common; they shaped our history.