The Progressive Era, The New Deal, And World War II

Submitted By KeithMcKenna
Words: 688
Pages: 3

Starting in twentieth century the United States government would be greatly impacting the lives of ordinary citizens. The Progressive Era, the New Deal, and World War Two were three scenarios that greatly portrayed this government impact. Each dealt with programs created by the government to lead the United States through any turmoil as well as give citizens a more positive way of life. When President Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 he took office with many ideas of reformation. One of his most popular progressive reforms was his full support of the Pure Food and Drug Act. This was a proposed legislation after the public was informed of the extremely unsafe and unsanitary conditions their food and drugs were originated from. Much of the distasteful public opinion came from the publishing of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Upton Sinclair was a muckraker whose job was to expose scandal and corruption in big businesses. With the help of President Roosevelt, the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1906. This Act impacted citizens because companies were now required to accompany their products with sufficient ingredient labels, as well as making it illegal for companies to sell contaminated foods or drugs. By 1913 the United States had a new progressive reformer take office. President Woodrow Wilson successfully pushed a reformation campaign that few presidents have equaled. Not until the New Deal do we see such strong a strong legislative agenda. One example of President Wilson’s movement was the Clayton Antitrust Act that he pushed through congress. This Act changed the lives of everyday citizens because it made certain business practices illegal. It took away any business practices that would lessen competition. This allowed small business owners to thrive without being devoured by the massive business monopolies that hurt the economy. The Clayton Antitrust Act was greater than that of any previous anti-trust laws because the federal government held leaders of corporations personally responsible for a law violation. Along with the Progressive Era, the New Deal proved to be an important scenario where the federal government got involved in ordinary people’s lives. President Franklin Roosevelt was at the forefront of the New Deal, giving his orders and passing laws that were associated with this New Deal. The New Deal was a series of economic affairs established by the government in response to the great depression. It was set up with four phases to help the U.S. citizens and the economy. The phases were reform, recovery, relief and “demand side” economics. A major program of the relief effort was the Public Works Administration. This organized huge projects like dams, airports, and bridges, as well as smaller ones like