A Time of Reform

The early 1900s were a time of reform in the United States. There were many great things about the country, but there were some problems, as well. A group of people who wanted to make changes during this time were called progressives. Many of the city and state governments were corrupt and dishonest. The progressives wanted to change their leaders.

Theodore Roosevelt, who was vice president at the time, was one of the leaders of this reform. He worked with others to change the type of people that were elected to office. They were successful. Led by new leaders, many cities were able to pass new laws that made life better. These cities built schools, parks, and playgrounds. They also built better housing for families.

State governments also worked for change. They passed laws that made large companies pay their fair share of taxes. They put limits on the amount of money they could charge customers for things. With these new changes, the quality of life continued to improve for people.

Theodore Roosevelt eventually became president of the United States upon the assassination of President William McKinley. He continued to work for changes and improvements.