Progressive Movement The Progressive Movement was started to solve many of the United States' problems with nineteenth-century industrial growth. The ultimate goal of Progressivism was to eliminate corruption in all phases of the economy and government. Both President Theodore Roosevelt and President Woodrow Wilson wanted to give workers a better chance at success (ushistory.org, 2008). By the time of World War I, progressivism had influenced multiple issues facing the United States. The concerns of workers and consumers have been addressed with new policies. Efforts to protect our nation's natural resources were in place. Institutions were developed to help the lower class raise their status. Finally, women's suffrage gained traction in the progressive movement (ushistory.org, 2008). As previously mentioned, the progress made by the United States during the Progressive movement could not have been accomplished without the help of both President Theodore Roosevelt and President Woodrow Wilson. Although President Roosevelt was a Republican and President Wilson a Democrat, both wanted to see positive change in the United States of America in multiple fields (ushistory.org, 2008). President Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 after the assassination of President McKinley. It was during this period that progressivism took hold (Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), 1995). President Roosevelt wasted little time in beginning to “undermine confidence.” Trust busting was the effort focused on breaking up monopolies that dominated a specific market or industry and eliminated any possibility of healthy economic competition. One of the most notable cases of trust busting took place in 1904. The trust was the Nort..... . middle of paper ... with the help of Congress, they passed the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916. It specifically prohibited the sale in interstate commerce of goods produced by fourteen-year-old child laborers, who employed sixteen years in the mines. and any organization that employed 16-year-olds who worked more than eight hours a day or overnight (Creative Commons Attribution, 2014). Ultimately, both President Wilson and Roosevelt believed strongly in the Progressive movement. They knew that if the government continued to look the other way regarding unethical business practices, citizens would never be able to advance in life. By working to pass laws such as the Hepburn Act, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act, and the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916, they were able to successfully combat businesses that were harming the development of our nation's economy (Creative Commons Attribution, 2014).