The Progressive Movement of the Turn of the Century epitomized the high minded ideals of the era for a class’s society based on moral values and economic equality. However, they also held positions on race and ethnicity steeped in the Darwinian philosophy of social development that dominated the period.
Using the readings from Michael McGerr’s A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in American 1870-1920 and Shelton Stromquist’s Re-Inventing “The People”: The Progressive Movement , the Class Problem, and the Origins of Modern Liberalism, analyze the Progressive’s positions on African Americans and Jim Crow? Did they believe African Americans were entitled to the vote and other rights as citizens or did they support segregation? Did they think African Americans could, like “new immigrants” groups could be assimilated into model Americans?
You will write an essay to answer these questions. Essays should be no shorter than 500 words and preferably no longer than 750. You may use class readings as well in your essays for further evidence. Your papers will be in MLA format with 1 inch margins, double-spaced, in 12 pt Times New Roman font and include citations for when using text from the sources. We will be using Chicago Style Citation for this paper, . Also attached at the bottom is a brief essay writing guide to help you with essay writing.
