1900 to 1910 was a pivotal time for America because social and business customs were beginning to change the way we saw the United States. Many changes and reforms were made to society to better and improve itself as a whole in a time we now call the progressive era. These events stemmed from racial injustice, women’s suffrage and rights, corporate greed, and widespread moral views. Instances of these spawned issues from the temperance movement, Niagara movement, and Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal. Figures like Roosevelt and W.E.B. Dubois played a crucial role to develop these ideas that would lead the progressive movement to new heights. Many events would test the importance of these ideas and challenge the nation to think differently in a time of moral unrest. When all was said and done a new nation was formed anew with these new progressive ideas.

            The old America had many historical events and controversies that plagued the United States government. Many of these events helped start movements that would sustain the overall progress of the progressive movement. Two major events are notable out of the mass collection of significant occurrences. One event sparked the Niagara movement, and another sparked the hunt for a fair competitive economy. The first event is the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 in Springfield, Illinois. This race riot occurred when two black prisoners were released from jail. This resulted in forty homes and business ruined to those who were, or supported African Americans. The rioters overwhelmed police and killed two black men and five white men. As a result of this W.E.B. Dubois initiated the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), which led to the foundation of the Niagra movment and provoke the equilization of racial rights. Basicaly this riot helped provoked the equalization of racial rights. Basically this riot provoked thinkers like Booker T Washington and W.E.B. Dubois to activly take part in civil rights events to help eliminate segregation towards blacks.Another event added to the progressive movment was the assasination of president Mckinley. This helped the progressive movment because it brought Teddy Roosevelt to the presidencey to mold a more equal economy. President Theardore Roosevelt initiated the Square Deal. This helped regulate trusts and keep them at a reasonable level. The middle class benifitted and it provided more competition in the bussines world. As a result companies were not gobbled up by other corperations, avoiding a monopoly. These events helped spur the overall progress of  progressive ideas.

          

         The political figures that helped these movments were a vital part of this age. The most vital were Theadore Roosevelt, W.E.B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington. Theadore Rosevelt was the main source of the Square Deal, meant to give people a fair deal on products and equal bussiness opertunaties. He helped people get equal job oppurtunitysn from various businesses and not only from dominating mega corporations. W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T Washington helped sustain the equal rights movment by governing the NAACP and taking part in various events to help promote equal rights not only for Blacks but for all races. These people helped change social standards by standing up for equal rights and for the American dream.
           

The issues that are of the most concern to this era are those that deal with various social problems. One of these issues is the temperance movment which wished to discourage and eliminate achohol. This was made out of response to the accusations of alcohol negatively affecting people  throughout America, so a movment was established to moderate it and control it, to better society. Racial equality was also a big infulence in this decade because of such advocates like W.E.B. Dubois. This movment sought to break the traceble bonds of slavery by seeking to fully intigrate blacks rights into the natural rights of all Americans. Trust restrictions were a idea to help make the bussiness world more fair and eliminate dominating monopolies. These issues overtime took a heavy toll on the policies of this decade. 

         The aftermath of these movments helped make American a progressive nation. Eventually  the womens rights movment led to  the succsess of women voting. Blacks benefited from the NAACP and the Niagra Movment because African Americans destroyed the seperate but equal status quo. Alcohol eventually was banded, by an amendment but was later revoked making it legal again. Bussines was regulated to a point but there are still flaws in it today.  These are how these issues progressed from the 1900’s to the 1910’s.

         This decade is one of self improvment and a hunt for equality. The issues that were presented have deeply affcted the decade and have overall progressed America to what it is today. The topics affected the decade by opening its eyes to equality and the moral faults of thier societies. By trying to fix these problems America has proven itself by being a progressivly thinking nation.

Theodore Roosevelt, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt, May 2009

National association of the advancment of colored people, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAACP, May 25 2009

Peggy Whitley American Cultural History 1900-1909, http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade00.html, November 2008