Use this Discovering American History video entitled Urban America and The Progressive Era 1900 to 1917 to study the accelerated urbanization of America in the first years of the 20th century, and the social problems that resulted from rapid unplanned growth of the cities. Learn about how both political bosses and reformers tried to respond to the reality of an industrialized and urbanized America. Discover how Social Darwinism was challenged by the Progressives, who had a new though sometimes inconsistent vision of the American community and how the Progressives viewed the government as an ally in achieving realistic and pragmatic reforms. Learn about how the climate for reform was created by several new or transformed professions, including social workers, social scientists at universities and investigative journalists, and how both major political parties came to embrace Progressive views and how Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson based their programs on these new ideas.
Learn about Urban America and The Progressive Era 1900-1917.