Analyzing Reforms: Progressive Era and The Great Depression Comparison

This essay provides a comparative analysis of the Progressive Era and the Great Depression in the United States, focusing on the reform movements that characterized each period. The essay highlights the reformers' intentions and the problems they aimed to address, including industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and political corruption in the Progressive Era, and the economic crisis of the Great Depression. It examines key reforms such as the New Deal and initiatives by labor organizations. The essay contrasts the causes, contexts, and impacts of these reform movements, emphasizing their roles in shaping American society and economy. The author points out the connections between the eras, particularly the continuation of reform efforts and the lasting impact of the reforms, such as the revival of the stock markets and removal of corruption from the political offices. The essay concludes by summarizing the key comparisons and contrasts, offering insights into the evolution of reform movements and their significance in American history.

Running head: COMPARISON BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE ERA AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
Comparison Between Progressive Era and The Great Depression
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Author Note

1COMPARISON BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE ERA AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
The Progressive Era refers to the period of a large number of social activism and
political reform in the United States that continued from the year 1890’s to the 1920’s. The
main objectives of this Progressive Era were influenced by the motivations to remove the
problems related to industrialization, urbanization, immigration as well as the problem of
political corruption. Similarly, the Great Depression refers to the worldwide economic
depression which took place in the 1930’s starting in the United States of America. Both
these periods were characterised by the reform movements which were started with solving
the problems in both the eras.
The purpose of this essay is to compare as well as contrast the intentions of the
reformers and the reform movements which took place in America during the
Progressive Era as well as in the Great Depression Era.
There were numerous reform movements which took place in the Progressive Era
itself. These reforms included the reform to rid the country of the problems of
industrialization, urbanization, immigration as well as the problem of the political corruption,
which was the most important issue that the country was facing back in the day. The
reformers wanted to bring the corrupt representatives of the political party into the light so
that the democracy could be established in the country itself (Green: 199). Apart from this,
the reformers wanted to reduce the powers of the political bosses in the saloons and other
political organizations in the country. The other reform that the reformers wanted to bring
about in the country is to allow the women to vote equally in the country as the men. All
these reforms were a part of the Progressive era.
The Great Depression refers to a period of economic crisis that took place in the The
United States in the year October 1929. The main causes of this depression is the problems in
the stocks being overvalued in spite of rising unemployment and the problem of declining

2COMPARISON BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE ERA AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
production in the country. Various reform movements were made during The Great
Depression to help the country overcome the problems caused by the Great Depression in the
country. These reform movements included the federal Government of FDR starting the New
Deal which was aimed to start the economy of the country from ground zero. Apart from that,
other reforms in the country included the reform movements like initiating various forms of
reforms by the American Federation of Labour as well as the Congress of Industrial
Organization. All these reform movements were aimed at building the economy of the
country that suffered a great deal during the Great Depression times (Buenkar: 2018).
When comparing and contrasting the reform movements in the countries during the
Progressive era as well as the Great Depression in the country, it can be said that the
reformers in both the situations intended to the solving the various problems that the country
was suffering from the particular problems in each time. In case of the Progressive era, the
problems that the country was suffering included the industrialization as well as the problems
of the corruption that was the main causes of the country during the times (Caroles: 2013).
Also, it should be noted that the Progressive era continued through the Progressive era. Also,
the President of both the Progressive era as well as the Great Depression was the same as
FDR and it was the policies that were launched by his government that had tackled the
problems that were raised by the eras in the country. Thus, it can be said that the problems
were linked with each other and the solutions that the problems presented were also linked
with that of the Progressive era and that of the Great Depression in the country.
From the discussions made in the reforms in both the eras, it is clear that the reform
movements made in both the cases, had great impacts in the country in terms of the
improving the country. These included solving the economic crises of the country so that the
stock markets would be back to normal (Buenkar: 2018). Other reforms included the removal

3COMPARISON BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE ERA AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
of corruption from the political offices and the other fields of the country so that the country
can be pollution free.
Thus, the discussions made in the above points out the main comparison and the
contrast that the reform movements and the intentions of the reformers had in the country
during the Great Depression as well as the Progressive Era. These comparisons and the
contrasts that the movements had informed the readers about the movements which took
place during that time.

4COMPARISON BETWEEN PROGRESSIVE ERA AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
Reference List
Buenker, John D. The Income Tax and the Progressive Era. Routledge, 2018.
Green, David A. "Penal optimism and second chances: The legacies of American
Protestantism and the prospects for penal reform." Punishment & Society 15.2 (2013):
123-146.
Nichols, Carole. Votes and More for Women: Suffrage and After in Connecticut. Routledge,
2013.