The Progressive Era Accomplished Many Things

Essay by EggyHigh School, 11th grade February 2004

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The Progressive Era had a great significance on the development of the American Continent. Progressivism led to an abundance of great achievements among which Native Americans, Women's conditions, and also African - Americans experienced a great improvement also. However, to many historians and critics these were not what the results of the Progressive Era were. It is believed that progressivism did not accomplish anything. If this is the case, then what led to the restoration of the relationship between Native Americans and Americans, to the improvement of women conditions, and also to the wider acceptance of African - Americans in the "White" Society?

Nineteenth Century for Native Americans, especially for the Nez Perces, was a century of bloody battles, struggles for survival, and also attempts to escape. According to Elliott West, Native Americans in the South, led by their Chief Joseph, went through a lot, being chased by the white Americans, being killed but also killing a lot of their enemies until reaching the Progressive Era (1900- 1920).

"As in all the Indian Wars, the pursuit of the Nez Perces was a campaign to confine an independent people and suppress their religion undertaken by a nation ostensibly dedicated to liberty and justice" (West 203). Progressivism brought consensus to the relationships between Native Americans and the formal white Americans. Chief Joseph suffered a lot from the consequences of this campaign that he decided "from where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever" (West 201). The improvement seen with the coming of the Progressive Era, according to West, was when white Americans, have "come to identify the same lands, animals, and peoples they once sought to conquer...They have also come to identify with the Indian themselves - who, once defeated, were transformed into symbols of a wild nobility...