To fully grasp the cause of the Populist and Progressive movem

ents one must first gain an understanding of the changing social, economic, and political arenas in America. In the years following the Civil War, the U.S. began to rapidly industrialize, in turn creating wealth, growth of big businesses, technological advances, population shifts from rural to urban centers, and large scale immigration of different ethnic groups. Within this business-oriented society money began to replace morality in national politics. The transformation of landscape and cityscape projected people into new material surroundings causing a metamorphosis of personal values, political ideas, and group identities (Fink xv). Massive production and the new factory system altered the character of the originally agriculturally oriented society into a consumer culture. Americans began to have time off from work, spending it enjoying sports, shopping, dancing, and music (Fink 325). Historians exalted, “a collapsing older social divisions based on region, ethnicity, class, and sex. The new leisure and commercial empires exercised a powerful nationalizing force within the culture (Fink 325).” This nationalist sentiment allowed for spread of political movements among a diverse population. Furthermore, this nationalism accompanied the rise of American imperialism. Domestic markets proving to be too small too compensate for production and policymakers that wished to enter global stage, prompted U.S. interference in Cuba, the Philippines, and South America (Maier 661-662). Also, many immigration laws are put in place to stop flood of non- Western Europeans. The Roosevelt Corollary (1904) warned Europe that the U.S. would intervene with police action involving the Western Hemisphere, signaling shift in American global stance (Maier 679). At home, the massive construction of railroads invited westward migration within the country.

The Progressive Era (1895-1920) was brought on as a response to the rapid industrialization, urbanization, and immigration introduced into American society upon the turn of the century. The U.S. Industrial Revolution resulted in the rapid development of manufacturing technology, the growth of industrial capital investment, and the expansive growth of the industrialism work force. This rise in industry, big business, and work force resulted in formation of labor unions consisting of working class citizens attempting to protect their own interests; resulting in rise of conflict between labor and management. A rise in immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe and Asia diversified the Amer

Some topics in this essay:
John Hicks, Civil War, Socialist Debs, Roosevelt America, Lawrence Goodwyn, , South Holmes, Farmers Alliance, Western Hemisphere, People’s Party, farmers alliance, crop lien system, lien system, crop lien, 20th century, populist movement, people’s party, brought forth, 19th century, natural resources, free coinage, free coinage silver,