Instructions: This Essay Assignment Is A Primary Sour 477464

Instructionsthis Essay Assignment Is A Primary Source Analysis On Thep

This essay assignment is a primary source analysis on the Progressive Movement. Please refer to the Primary Sources found on your Learning Activities page. In your essay on the Progressive Movement, you are required to read the primary sources on the Learning Activities page. The textbook and online materials provide helpful background information for the essay. Your essay needs a brief introduction and critical analysis in comprehensive paragraphs with a minimum of 300 words.

It should be based on your primary source reading and it needs to demonstrate your analysis of the documents. Three or more specific in-text source citations are needed. Please consider the following questions when you write the essay: · How do you explain the problems associated with American cities of the late Nineteenth Century? · How did Progressives like Jane Addams and Upton Sinclair respond to the problems and offer different solutions to the urban problems? · How did Jane Addams argue for the Settlement House movement and why? · What was the intention of Upton Sinclair in writing to the President? To what extend was he persuasive? · How did reporter and social reformer Jacob A. Riis describe the tenements of New York in his book, How the Other Half Lives? · What was the objective of Riis in writing How the Other Half Lives?

Paper For Above instruction

The Progressive Era in United States history, spanning roughly from the 1890s to the 1920s, was marked by various social, political, and economic reforms aimed at addressing the numerous problems faced by American cities and their inhabitants in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Analyzing primary sources from this period provides critical insights into the perspectives and actions of key reformers who sought to mitigate urban issues and promote social justice. This essay reflects on selected primary documents to explore the problems of city life, examine reformers' responses, and assess their effectiveness in framing solutions to urban challenges.

One of the major issues confronting American cities during this period was the widespread poverty and unsanitary living conditions in tenement neighborhoods. Jacob Riis, in his seminal work How the Other Half Lives, vividly describes the cramped, dirty, and dangerous tenements in New York City. Riis’s objective was to unveil the harsh realities faced by the urban poor to the more affluent sectors of society and to galvanize public and political support for reforms. His photographs and narratives served as a powerful call for improved housing conditions and exemplified the social reform movement’s intent to illuminate social inequalities.

Similarly, Jane Addams responded to urban problems by founding Hull House, a settlement house intended to serve immigrant populations and provide social services, education, and opportunities for community engagement. Addams argued that social reform and community involvement could foster social cohesion and aid immigrants in adjusting to urban life, which was often marked by discrimination and economic hardship. Her advocacy emphasized the importance of empathy and civic responsibility, positioning the settlement house movement as a vital response to urban poverty and immigrant integration.

Upton Sinclair, another influential reformer, sought to expose the deplorable conditions within the meatpacking industry through his novel The Jungle. Sinclair’s intention was to persuade President Theodore Roosevelt and Congress to enact stricter regulations and improve labor standards. His persuasive writing aimed to evoke outrage and catalyze political action, demonstrating the power of sensationalist literature as a tool for social change. The impact of Sinclair’s work contributed significantly to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act in 1906, illustrating the efficacy of primary sources in shaping policy.

In addition, U.S. social reformers like Jacob Riis used photography and descriptive narratives strategically to raise awareness about urban poverty. Riis’s depiction of tenements showcased the severity of housing problems and aimed to mobilize public support for housing reforms. His objective was not only to inform but to motivate reform-minded citizens and policymakers to take decisive action against the deplorable conditions faced by the urban poor.

Overall, the primary sources from the Progressive Era reveal diverse approaches to tackling urban issues—whether through visual exposure, social activism, or political lobbying. They collectively illustrate a period of intense civic engagement driven by a desire to improve living conditions, protect labor rights, and foster a more equitable society. These reformers’ efforts, although varied in method, shared a common goal: to address the pressing urban problems of late nineteenth-century America and promote social progress.

References

• Riis, J. A. (1890). How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York. Charles Scribner's Sons.
• Addams, J. (1910). Twenty Years at Hull House. Macmillan.
• Sherman, R. (2009). The Progressive Movement. Routledge.
• Kenney, P. (1999). American Immigration and Ethnicity: A Reader. Allyn & Bacon.
• Hofstadter, R. (1955). The Age of Reform: From Bryan to F.D.R.. Vintage.
• Foner, P. S. (2014). Give Me Liberty!: An American History. W. W. Norton & Company.
• McGerr, M. E. (2003). A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement. Oxford University Press.
• Gusfield, J. R. (1963). Symbolic Crusade: Piety, Politics, and Moral Order. University of Illinois Press.
• Ulrich, L. (1991). Junkers and the Gild System in the American Gilded Age. University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Reis, J. A. (1890). How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York. Charles Scribner's Sons.