Unit VIII: "Waves of Reform" ca 1880s to 1921

Question/Problem 1: What were the political, economic, and social reforms that shaped America?

Directions: Read the following excerpt to get an idea of the problem addressed by the reform movement.

In 1906, John Spargo wrote The Bitter Cry of the Children, a shocking investigation of one form of corruption, child labor:

One evening, not long ago, I stood outside of a large flax mill in Paterson, N.J., while it disgorged its crowd of men, women,and children employees....

Of all the crowd of tired, pallid, and languidħlooking children I could only get speech with one, a little girl who claimed thirteen years, though she was smaller than many a child of ten.... If my little Paterson friend was thirteen, perhaps the nature of her employment will explain her puny, stunted body. She works in the 'steaming room' of the flax mill. All day long, in a room filled with clouds of steam, she has to stand barefooted in pools of water twisting coils of wet hemp. When I saw her she was dripping wet, though she said that she had worn a rubber apron all day. In the coldest evenings of winter little Marie, and hundreds of other little girls, must go out from the superheated rooms into the bitter cold in just that condition. No wonder that such children are stunted and underdeveloped!

From Richard B. Morris and James Woodress, eds., Voice from America's Past, vol. 2, pp. 211-212.

Part I: In your own words, describe the problem being addressed by this excerpt.

Part II: Research the following terms and individuals to learn more about the specific people and actions involved with this reform.

	Muckrakers	Ida Tarbell
	Upton Sinclair	Jacob Riis