Modernizing America

Commonly known as the Progressive Era, the years between 1889 and 1920 were a time of great modernization in the US. Technological advancements, economic growth, and changing social norms, paired with shifting global and national politics, pushed the US into the modern age. Cities grew. Immigration expanded. Industries boomed. Women representing diverse racial, economic, and social backgrounds felt the dramatic changes of modern America deeply. Almost every aspect of their lives became politicized as the US grew increasingly diversified, urbanized, and polarized.

This was the era of immigrants, suffragists, and activists. In 1889 a young college-educated woman named Jane Addams opened a settlement house in Chicago’s 19th Ward with her confidant and partner, Ellen Gates Star. Their work served as a model for aspiring reformers across the nation. By 1920 the world had lived through the Great War, and the Nineteenth Amendment promised that the right to vote could not be denied based on gender.

But was it truly a progressive era? While some women enjoyed newfound freedom and opportunity, most faced restrictions. National and local policies limited the nature of paid work available to women, the types of women who could enter the country, and the extent to which women could control their own bodies. Beyond public policy, popular culture and personal belief prevented most women from enjoying the benefits of modern life. Racism and nativism prevailed, making daily life for Black women, immigrants, and all other minority groups a struggle. While some fortunate and ambitious women rose above these challenges, many found life in modern America to be a daily toil of work, family, and basic survival.

This unit is broken into four sections: Immigration and the Great Migration, Suffrage and Its Precursors, Activism and the Progressive Era, and Modern Womanhood. Each section includes primary source materials and life stories that bring that aspect of the era to life. The sections are not mutually exclusive and intentionally overlap. America at the turn of the century was chaotic. Social reformers debated suffrage. College-educated women promoted racist, nativist policies. Young immigrants juggled long work hours with voluntary political activism. Artists asserted themselves within the economy while also creating works with activist intent. Housewives fought for influence outside the home while vehemently defending their role as the nation’s caretakers. Modernizing America truly comes to life when materials from multiple sections are examined together.