AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Limitations of Progressivism (Day 216/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the Limitations of Progressivism as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

“The Open Road,” Library of Congress

While the Progressive Era in the United States brought about significant social and political reforms, it was not without its limitations and shortcomings. 

TR as a chef mixing all sorts of policies in 1912, Wikimedia Commons

Firstly, progressivism was predominantly a movement of the white, urban, middle class, often neglecting the concerns of marginalized groups such as minorities and the working class. Moreover, some reformers endorsed policies that perpetuated discrimination.

The Amenia Conference, Library of Congress

Due to this failure, African American leaders including W. E. B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909 to address Black civil rights.

Americanization in Public School 108, Library of Congress

Additionally, the Progressive movement's emphasis on assimilation and Americanization efforts marginalized cultural diversity and the rights of immigrants and indigenous peoples. 

Progressivism had limitations in addressing systemic issues like racial discrimination that were evident in its inability to fully rectify social injustices and its focus on gradual, incremental change rather than radical transformation.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Imperialism in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!