ABSTRACT
During the first decade of the twentieth century, Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and growing social organization contributed to an expansion of progressive reform. The economic prosperity of the decade expanded the middle class, and middle-class people took an active role in demanding change. The concept of democracy itself was changing through policies like the initiative and the recall, to allow the people a direct voice in political decision-making. The very nature of who formed “the people” was up for debate, as women continued to demand a voice in the public sphere, while African Americans struggled against the strength of white supremacy and voter suppression.
Progressivism found its strength in the middle ground between conservative forces and more radical fringes like the Socialist Party. Working incrementally, while not dismantling either the political or economic system, progressives sought improvements in the quality of life on issues like child labor, business corruption, environmental protections, and consumer issues. The American public grew more and more welcoming of the notion of government regulation.
