Progressive Movement

Evaluate the extent to which the Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States from 1890 to 1920.

Midterm Essay Instructions:

Create a thesis (2 points): The thesis must make a historically defensible claim that establishes a line of reasoning about how the Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States from 1890 to 1920.
Here’s an example of a bad thesis statement: “The Progressive movement was somewhat influential in causing some political changes in the United States between 1890 and 1920.”

This thesis statement lacks specificity and clarity. It uses vague language such as “somewhat influential” and “some political changes,” which does not provide a clear direction for the essay. Additionally, it does not establish a strong and defensible claim about the extent to which the Progressive movement fostered political change during the specified time period.

Here’s an example of a good thesis statement, using the same prompt but adjusting the time period to the Civil War era. “During the Civil War era, Abraham Lincoln emerged as a pivotal figure whose strategic decisions not only navigated the nation through unprecedented turmoil but also transformed the political landscape by strengthening federal authority and ultimately leading to the abolition of slavery, profoundly shaping the course of American history.”

It clearly articulates the main argument of the essay, which is that Abraham Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War era had significant political implications, particularly in terms of strengthening federal authority and abolishing slavery. And it provides specific points about Lincoln’s actions and their consequences, which helps to guide the reader’s understanding of the essay’s focus.

Establish Historical Context (2 points): To earn these points, the response must accurately describe a context relevant to how the Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States from 1890 to 1920.
Examples of context might include the following, with appropriate elaboration:

The expansion of industrialization
The growth of cities
The development of large-scale immigration from southern and eastern Europe
The consolidation of corporations into large trusts
The government’s adherence to laissez-faire economics

3. Use at least 2 examples of Historical Evidence to support your answer (4 points): Evidence used might include the following, with appropriate elaboration:

Muckrakers could be used as evidence of the spread of concern in the United States over the negative effects of industrialization and the advocacy for political action to alleviate these effects.
The Populist (People’s) Party could be used as evidence of the influence on Progressive thought of economic reform efforts based in rural areas.
The Federal Reserve Act (1913) could be used as evidence of the political change made by new federal government regulation of the national money supply.
The passage of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) could be used as evidence of political change made by Progressives to counter the reduction in economic competition caused by corporate consolidation.
North American Woman Suffrage Association could be used as evidence of a Progressive reform effort that changed United States politics by helping to expand the electorate by pressing for women’s voting rights.
Some more possible examples:

Eugene V. Debs
W. E. B. Du Bois
Robert La Follette
Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

4. Mechanics of your essay (2 points):

Your essay should be double-spaced with 1 inch margins, 12 font
Keep the length between 600-1000 words
Use MLA citations for your historical examples

Citation Instructions:

Access the Citation Maker: Go to a reliable MLA citation generator website. There are several options available online, such as EasyBibLinks to an external site., Citation MachineLinks to an external site., or BibMeLinks to an external site..

Select Source Type: Identify the type of source you need to cite, such as a book, website, journal article, etc. Most citation makers will provide a dropdown menu or options to choose from.

Enter Information: Fill in the required information about the source. This typically includes details like the author’s name, title of the source, publication date, page numbers (if applicable), URL (for web sources), etc.

Generate Citation: After entering all the necessary information, click on the “Generate Citation” or similar button. The citation maker will then generate the citation for you in the correct MLA format.

Review and Copy: Once the citation is generated, review it to ensure all the details are correct and formatted properly according to MLA guidelines. If everything looks good, copy the citation.

Paste Citation: Paste the citation into your document, paper, or bibliography. Make sure to place it in the appropriate location and format according to your professor’s instructions or the requirements of your assignment.

Repeat as Needed: If you have multiple sources to cite, repeat the process for each one.

Double-Check: Always double-check your citations to ensure accuracy and consistency throughout your work.