New York in the Progressive Era: Social Reforms and Cultural Upheaval 1890-1920

The Progressive Era ushered in one of the most transformational periods in New York’s history. The excesses of the Gilded Age led to the rise of numerous social and political reform movements. These justice-seeking endeavors reached all corners of the state, including women’s suffrage meetings in Seneca Falls, civil rights efforts in Niagara Falls, early environmental conservationism in the Adirondacks and the rooting out of corruption in Albany. In New York City, photographer Jacob Riis documented tenement life in the Lower East Side, bringing awareness of how the other half lives. Lillian Wald founded the Henry Street Settlement house, providing healthcare and pioneering quality-of-life initiatives for the state’s impoverished citizens. Reformers sometimes fell short, as prohibition backfired among the public and too often civil rights for African Americans took a back seat within progressive goals. Author Paul M. Kaplan charts the turbulent times of the Progressive Era throughout New York State.