7.4 - Historians on the Progressive Movement

"Most [Progressive Era reformers] lived and worked in the midst of modern society and accepting its major thrust drew both their inspiration and their programs from its specific traits. ... They prized their organizations ... as sources of everyday strength, and generally they also accepted the organizations that were multiplying about them. ... The heart of progressivism was the ambition of the new middle class to fulfill its destiny through bureaucratic means."

"Women's collective action in the Progressive era certainly expressed a maternalist ideology [a set of ideas that women's roles as mothers gave them a responsibility to care for society as well]. ... But it was also sparked by a moral vision of a more equitable distribution of the benefits of industrialization. ... Within the political culture of middle-class women, gender consciousness combined with an awareness of class-based injustices, and talented leaders combined with grass-roots activism to produce an impressive force for social, political, and economic change."