The Progressive Era began the movement in reforming the nation's problems resulting from industry. The progress made was to improve the lives of American workers. The primary goal was to correct abuses caused by industry. The Progressive movement was spearheaded by the middleclass. It evolved from the local level to the state and finally to the national level. The Progressive movement challenged the status quo in every facet of American life. The era of progressive reform was successful in bringing about effective changes economically and politically because of regulation of big business and growth of democracy; however, the government had limitations socially because the status of African Americans and children was not altered.

Regulation of big business played a major role in the Progressive Era. Teddy Roosevelt believed that it was the president's job to intervene in the nation's business industry. Often big businesses overpowered smaller businesses and...