ed a role in bringing diverse regions together as a united nation. The success of railroads impacted industries and businesses Americans had. After the Civil War, agriculture was the leading push factor of America, until the 1920’s. Only 60 years later, industrialization was the leading power to not just America but globally. (Cotter, Nicholas.
“Ch. 6 The Expansion Industry.” quizlet.
com)This immense change was thanks to the support of great wealth from natural resources like oil, government support, and growing urban population. Edwin L. Drake started the use of steam engines to drill oil, and oil removal from Earth’s surface was practical. The breakthrough of success was attracting people from Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas. After all these changes took place, Westward Expansion trended.
The West was crucial to expand on since more land was available for people to settle. Lincoln’s Homestead Act attracted migration out West by providing civilians 160 acres of land for the cost of a small filing fee and five uninterrupted years of residency before they got ownership. The Expansion gave people opportunities to fulfill their American dream, and many of them had jobs in railroads and industry. More farming land also led to innovation of agriculture and technological advancement. Exodusters were freed slaves who migrated as well to escape prosecution with hopes of an improved reality where they were treated equally. With many opportunities at the people’s feet, capitalism spread throughout. America became a system that even less fortunate could soak in benefits and begin to reach, ¨the American Dream¨ to an extent. All these changes benefited the economy which satisfied American citizens.
Most saw that change was good for America. (CHECKED)”Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the struggle of equal human rights.” Martin Luther King’s quote of humanity effectively speaks about how humans struggled for rights. In the contexts of this text, the people who struggled were the ones who were the easiest targets: lower class citizens. Children and the conditions they were put in daily were the first change that occurred from a voice that rose to many. Progressivism was needed when the laws itself couldn’t protect someone from a struggle.
Children were forced into labor, working hard hours for low wage to help their parents receive more money since the wage for adults was often minimum. Labor forfeited a chance for education, yet children were ideal for maneuvering factories with their little hands and feet. The conditions of these factories were unsanitary and lead to frequent accidents and fatigue. The National Child Labor Committee sent investigators to study the issues of child labor and brought proposals to congress.
Jacob Riis described the condition of sweatshops which were a dominate workplace for women/children. “… There is no such thing as dinner hour; men and women eat while they work, and the ‘day’ is lengthened at both ends far into the night.” (“How the Other Half Lives.”)Eventually laws prevented child labor which allowed children an education. The fact that children of the 21st century are put in schools now proves that our economy differentiated for the better, when child labor ended.
(CHECKED)Another form of progressivism was during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency. Roosevelt created the Square Deals which were an outstanding benefit. One square deal that stands out is the Food and Drug safety act. The purpose of this act was to prevent corrupted manufactured goods that were deleterious. Following the Food and Drug Safety act was the Meat Inspection Act. Roosevelt hired staff to inspect meat packaging. According to a slice of an Upton Sinclair except, one can get a feel of how disturbing the condition meat was in beforehand.
Sinclair explained that the beef was placed in tanks full of chemical and their form of transportation were trucks that took the meat to a cooking room to be treated in a way similar to garbage.After people found out the truth, there was the Meat Inspection Act, which ended 