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The Progressive movement, the New Deal, and the Civil Rights movement(s) of the
1960s are historical events which have long-lasting effects on America. Each event has left a
substantial mark on society in that it helped reform the US government to better fit the needs of
the people, and to make America a fairer place for minorities and the impoverished. The
Progressive movement, the New Deal, and the Civil Rights movement all made reforms that
The Progressive movement began its ascent at the turn of the 20th century. The
Progressives called for the government to heal the ills which had been created in society by
industrialism and urban cities. Progressives focused on economic, environmental, and social
improvement, along with fighting for rights of women, children and workers. The women of the
progressive era created the profession of social work and founded settlement houses in poor
Parenthood and popularized birth control. Progressives were responsible for the push to pass
laws like the Pure Food and Drug Act, and legislature banning child labor and regulating
working conditions. While Progressives often failed to champion full equality, they did fight for
Franklin D. Roosevelt also wanted to reform a broken system, years later in the 1930s.
He took office during the worst economic downturn America has ever had. During the first one
hundred days of his administration, he worked with Congress to have 15 major bills passed,
beginning the New Deal. The New Deal was aimed to help Americans stricken by the Depression
by providing relief, recovery and reform. Roosevelt created Social Security, one of the most
important policies of the New Deal and something still in place today, in order to guarantee
security to the elder and those who lost their jobs. Roosevelt also succeeded in reforming
agricultural markets, minimum wage, and unions, as well as the stock market.
During the 1960s, the Civil Rights movement for black Americans evolved; black people
began to challenge segregation and voter suppression, among other injustices. Their activism led
to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act. The black civil rights movement also
provided the spark for other oppressed groups to fight against the systems which hurt them.
Latinos, gays and lesbians, Native Americans, students and women all followed in their
footsteps, challenging norms and demanding reform. The second wave of feminism led to Title
IX and the Equal Pay Act; the Chicano Movement made President Johnson appoint the first
Mexican American Equal Employment Opportunity Commission commissioner; the red power
movement gave Native Americans rights to their ancestral lands and protection of their religious
The common thread running through these events is, of course, reform. Throughout
history, in these events and beyond, brave Americans have called for changes to a system that
hurts already disadvantaged citizens like the poor, immigrants, minorities and women. None of
these things went unopposed; people criticized the Progressives, they insulted Roosevelt and
there was violent backlash in response to the Civil Rights movement. We still have a long way to
go before we can say America has a system that works, but events that push progression and
Work Cited
Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia C. Cohen, Sarah Sage, and Susan M. Hartmann.
Understanding the American Promise: A Brief History. 2nd ed. Vol. II. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.