The Progressive Era in the United States was a period known for industrial and political changes that took place from the 1890s until the 1920s. This era marked a rise in suffrage and improvement in women’s rights, leading to the Nineteenth Amendment, which was passed in 1919 and gave women the right to vote. The creation of various improvements for the public was yet another positive event.
The coexistence of the negative and positive events can be explained by the fact that both the government and the society still had biases against black people and women. While industrialization did provide many job opportunities and a very high standard of life, numerous safety regulations were violated (Foote, 2018). This implies that there was a neglectful attitude towards the working class from the higher-ups as well.
In my opinion, the Triangle Fire has been caused by a careless attitude towards workplace safety, which is why a lot of factories were very hazardous. The lynching postcards were an extension of the severe anti-black racism that has been happening since the times of slavery (Seguin and Nardin, 2020). Moreover, the creation of multiple improvements was used to help many unemployed workers get jobs.
The Progressive era was a positive movement that sparked a lot of changes. However, there is no denying that the required amends took longer than expected and demanded a lot of effort from activists (Seguin and Nardin, 2020). Lynching was outlawed by the end of that time, and women of color were allowed to vote many years after white women were given the right to finally do so.
Industrialization and suffrage were mostly promoted because it benefitted the government. Meanwhile, the fight against anti-black lynching was almost ignored by the society (Seguin and Nardin, 2020), in spite of it experiencing a rise from 1877 to the early 1880s. It managed to receive attention due to activists having to mention the anti-Italian lynching, for otherwise, the issue of anti-black hate crimes would not have gotten as much coverage. In conclusion, this era triggered positive changes in society, while having some setbacks as well.
References
Foote, E. K. (2018). Italian American Review
Seguin, C. and Nardin, S. (2020) The Lynching of Italians and the Rise of Anti Lynching Politics in the United States. Cambridge University Press.