Who Were the Progressives (ME) Jade Kramer

Progressivism was a reaction against laissez-faire. For those who don’t know what that means “laissez-faire” is French for let the people do what they want. Progressives believed that industrialization and urbanization had created social problems. After seeing problems with poverty of the working class reformers started doubting the free market’s ability to solve those problems. Progressives belonged to major political parties; most of them were urban educated, middle class Americans. The leaders were journalists, social workers, educators, politicians and members of a clergy. They agreed that the governments should take charge and be more active role in solving the problems that the society faced. They also doubted that government being the way it was would be able to fix the problems. They came to the conclusion that the government needed to be fixed in order to fix the problems we faced as a nation.