Matthew Mazzotta Essay

In John Milton Cooper Jrs why Wisconsin? The Badger State in the Progressive Era he duologue about why Wisconsin was the leading raise in the progressive impetus and if it was just by a freak accident or not. Wisconsin became cognise as the laboratory of democracy around this time period by leading the clear movements that became known as progressivism. Many people akin to accredit this to its peoples naturally bright, creative, forward looking attitudes. provided there was no good flat coat why Wisconsin should have been the demesne to take the lead with this movement.Urban reforms are what first made an furbish up in the change in Wisconsins laws. in that location were umteen municipal reforms in many of the larger cities and towns but n adept of them ever grew into fledged movements that made it to other cities and extracts.Wisconsin took the lead in this movement in 1900 when Robert M. La Follette won the governorship at the head of an insurgent republican party tha t cute to reform railroad taxation, railroad regulation, and the direct primary. From that moment on Wisconsin would lie at the head of the movement. The timing of this was one of the big factors that contributed to Wisconsins success. There were state wide reform movements appearing all over the mid-west, Ohio or Michigan whitethorn have pay offen Wisconsin to the punch if it wasnt for La Follettes election at that time.Historians like to say that a soulfulness does not a movement make. But without La Follette Wisconsin probably would never had advanced as far as it did. Another fact that helped Wisconsin move into the reform as early as it did was its relative weakness of the hidebound business allied elements that held power in the Republican Party, there was no political machine that ran the state. So clearly Wisconsins leading map in the progressive movement was not all due to one man, but that doesnt make La Follettes impact in the state any less real.Wisconsin became th e lead in this movement by being the first to enact laws on a state level, which would never have happened so fast if it wasnt for La Follette. Between his elections he made sure to keep his name out there in the peoples minds by tirelessly speaking about reform issues, he also contacted likeminded leaders in counties and towns across the state and unbroken their names in an elaborate filing system, talking with them through tell on letters and meetings. La Follettes followers called themselves progressives one of the first multiplication the word that would become the signature for this era was used.Thanks to Muck-raking journalists who were pointing to La Follette and his state as shining examples on how to make things better, Wisconsin become renowned as the flagship state for reform. The progressives in the state would have times where the Stalwarts took control of the state but after a few of those times the progressives help on to control for over 20 years.So in conclusion, there were many reasons why Wisconsin was the leading state in the reform policies of the progressive era. near of the reasons are directly related to people and their actions, and some are thank to good luck and awful timing. La Follette was the main reason that Wisconsin was able-bodied to do so well for itself, his amazing charisma unrelenting grounds for changed is what pushed Wisconsin to crack all the reform laws thats it did so early in the era. Yet if La Follette didnt get elected when he did Wisconsin may have been lost in the confusion because other states would have beat them to the punch. Another reason why they did so well was because of their lack of a strong political machine that ran the state making it easy to pass laws and change things that have been the same in the state for so in truth long. So all in all La Follette was the main reason that Wisconsin was the flagship of the progressive movement, but he had plenty of help from luck, good timing, and amazing circumstances.