America 250 · 1900–1920
Progressive Era
Reformers try to fix what the Gilded Age built — sometimes successfully.
From McKinley's assassination through Wilson's stroke — the trust-busting, the muckraking, the income tax, women's suffrage, Prohibition. The era when Americans first tried to use government to discipline corporate power.
Presidents who served
Histories
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
Doris Kearns Goodwin · 2013
Triple biography — TR, Taft, and the muckrakers who made them possible. Goodwin on the era as a whole.
A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920
Michael McGerr · 2003
The Progressive movement on its own terms — what its adherents wanted, what they got, why it ended.
Lives
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
Edmund Morris · 1979
Volume one of the trilogy. Pulitzer winner. The making of the era's defining figure.
Wilson
A. Scott Berg · 2013
The most comprehensive one-volume Wilson — honest about the resegregation of the federal government.
Fiction
The Jungle
Upton Sinclair · 1906
The Chicago meatpacking novel that produced the Pure Food and Drug Act. Sinclair aimed for the heart and hit the stomach.
On screen
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History
Ken Burns · 2014
PBS seven-part documentary — TR's presidency anchors the first half; FDR's the second.
Common questions
What is the best book to start learning about the Progressive Era?
A Fierce Discontent by Michael McGerr is an excellent starting point for understanding the rise and fall of the movement between 1870 and 1920. It provides a comprehensive overview of how reformers sought to address the systemic issues left behind by the Gilded Age.
Why does the Progressive Era matter in American history?
The Progressive Era is significant because it marked the first time Americans used the power of the federal government to discipline corporate influence. This period introduced major reforms, including the income tax, women's suffrage, prohibition, and active trust-busting to regulate the economy.
What is the best documentary to watch about the Progressive Era?
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History is the recommended screen treatment for this era. It provides an in-depth look at the political landscape, including the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt, who played a central role in the era's reform efforts and the rise of investigative journalism.
What was the relationship between journalism and the Progressive Era?
Journalism was essential to the Progressive Era, as muckrakers exposed corruption and corporate greed. The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin details how the relationship between Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and the press helped shape public opinion and drive the reform agenda forward during this time.
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