Link past and present: what lessons does the progressive era offer about social problems in the united states today?

Progressive activists sought to reform the United States of a Gilded Age where social, economical and political corruption were seriously damaging many layers of society. They were staunch, motivated and fierce believers in the power of knowledge and science, combined with rational morality, to radically improve both the community and the individual. The Gilded Age was a period of extremely rapid economic growth made possible thanks to the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution. However, the extreme concentration of wealth, meant that large parts of the population (both native and immigrant) were living in extreme poverty. Furthermore, Congress was in the pockets of Big Business since most of the robber barons spent enormous amounts of money to influence the scope and the direction of any laws, regulations or policies that might endanger their way of doing business. They paid as many public officials as possible to block any kind of legislation of measure that regulate their corporations, prevent trusts, monopolies, further labor rights, civil rights or voting rights for women or non-white Americans. The lessons that this period offers about the social problems in the US today are quite evident, since we are living a second Guilded Age in which the same power dynamics are at play for most issues. Progressives during the Guilded Age quickly understood that only a united, massive and active movement would be able to stand up to private interests and their government proxies and force the social changes that were required to remedy the profound injustices of the time. The same is true today as the situation is strikingly similar and only a united front of Progressives will be able to drain the swamp.

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