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Progressive Era Reforms: A New Primary Source Set for Educators
April 14, 2026, Posted by: Michael Apfeldorf
The Progressive Era in the United States – roughly the period of time from the 1890s to the 1920s – was characterized by a number of social, economic, and political reforms. On the heels of the American Industrial Revolution and the Gilded Age, Progressive Era reformers sought to establish government programs to address a variety of issues, many brought on by what they saw as rapid industrialization, urbanization, political corruption, and the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few.
A new primary source set from the Library of Congress offers students the opportunity to examine various aspects of these reforms. The set includes 18 primary sources – photographs, cartoons, newspapers, manuscripts, and maps – that highlight many of the issues reformers hoped to address during this period, as well as the work of these reformers as they strove for change and the results of their efforts. Featured topics include:
- Anti-trust reforms
- Consumer protections
- Worker protections – including the rise of labor unions and fight against child labor
- Urban reform – including tenement reform
- Election reforms – including women’s suffrage
- Prohibition, and Environmental conservation and the expansion of national parks and monuments
The Progressive Era Primary Source Set also includes a background essay with historical context, a list of teaching suggestions, and links to additional resources. We hope that you and your students will find it to be a useful resource!
Categories
- Government and Law
- Industrial United States, World Wars and the Great Depression (1914-1945)
- News and Events
- Primary Source Highlights
- Teaching Tools
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