APUSH

Raymond Wong

After Reconstruction, there came a time when America entered what was called "The Gilded Age." Everything looked good from the outside, but looking into it, conditions were horrible. Many Americans were poor, women lacked rights, and factory conditions were miserable. The Progressives sought to clean up. Although the Progressives were no doubt a success, there was a limit to it. After 1909 and the election of Taft, everything went downhill. Taft lacked political structure, although he wanted reform. Wilson although wanting to improve conditions, wasnt for social rights. During Theodore Roosevelts administration, Roosevelt has begun to act and accomplish things that the previous presidents didnt do. Roosevelt began to break trusts that he believes and view will harm the society and the economy. He attacks and destroys the bad trusts and restrains the good trusts. (Doc A) The good trusts werent a fundamental threat to the society. The reformers can tell the difference between the good and bad trusts by telling the fairness of the prices of a product. Roosevelt wanted the role of the federal government is to police cooperation. To secure the public goods, the government should have more power or must be more powerful than the private cooperation owned by the rich. The government also should govern the industries and their conditions. That was a mistake that the government partakes in and believes that the owner of the company would take care of it. Examples such as reported documented about the horrible conditions in meat-packing. (Doc B) Workers in industries were sick and got diseases such as tuberculosis. With the factories condition, it shows that the workers were ignorance of relationship between disease and cleanliness. The government wasnt attentive to the building design of the factories, causing it to have less safely exit, working conditions were poor and less regulations and inspection in the meat-packing industries. Thousands of children work in factories at a young age. The educators believe that the work that the children do will not harm them. (Doc C). It shows that there was a lack in child labor laws and the children spent a little time in school. Education should be something that is a need not something that should be ignore and just let the children work in factories and know nothing else than just working. Monopoly in company arise a big issue to Theodore Roosevelt. He believes that monopoly is bad trusts and should be ended. When there is no competition, the company can set any prices that they want it to be (Doc E) Monopoly in business should be illegal and should not be allowed. But some monopoly was allowed due to their fairness in their prices. Roosevelt believes thats a good trust that the company isnt taking advantage of the people and abusing their power. Before this, labor was subject to antitrust laws. Labor organization that had formed gained influences and that the Sherman Antitrust Law was strengthened. The Clayton Act was now part of Woodrow Wilsons New Freedom. President Woodrow Wilson had claims too much for what he has done. (Doc F) But they are inadequate and not as well compared to the reforms needed. It discontent with Wilsons New Freedom and that Wilson isnt really following on what

he has promised and say he would do and accomplished. It should be a need for a greater change in his view and decisions to do whats good for the economy and society. When the women were fighting for rights in voting, America was gaining strength, with women, Jane Addams, a women's rights activist, entering the progressive fight. Women dont have the right to vote and they want it. (Doc H). President Woodrow Wilson sympathized the Germans who dont enjoy self-governed but not sympathized with women in America that dont have the right to vote. Wilson is like the German Kaiser. He does what he believes and agree and reject and ignore on what he disagrees. There were also a declined in percentage of eligible voters in 1900-1920. (Doc J) Also a big decline in presidential voting during 1916-1920. The 19th Amendment might had a less significant it was supposed to be. Women now have the right to vote but they can still choose not to vote and dont bother with it.