Ethics and Civics of the Reformers and the Key Reform Movements of the Progressive Era

ETHICS AND CIVICS OF THE REFORMERS (PROGRESSIVE ERA)
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Ethics and Civics of the Reformers (Progressive Era)
The United States has undergone significant transformation over the years because of the various progressive movements. These movements were spearheaded by various individuals who drew their motivation from various societal incidents or experiences they had. Three of the vital reforms include the civil rights movements, women’s suffrage, and socialism. Each of these movements lead to a specific change in the American society and shaped people’s behavior to date. These progressive reformers, who existed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought political, economic, and societal changes that still define the nation to date.
The civil rights movement in the progressive era resulted from the segregation of African Americans. It was a political movement and campaign that occurred from 1954 to 1968 and was spearheaded by some of the leaders who have remained prominent to date and who include Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. the movement was motivated by Jack Johnson and Booker T. Washington. Washington influenced the movement by touring the state and influencing the black people to fight for their rights. Despite his death prior to achieving his goal of freedom, the black community made significant progress towards achieving this goal in a peaceful manner. Martin Luther King also had a significant impact on the movement, using it to achieve his goal of establishing racial equality.
The leaders used peaceful means to lead the movement based on the ethical principle of autonomy and non-maleficence. The principle of autonomy posits that everyone has a right to act as a free agent. The basis of this principle was that African Americans were barred from participating in some of the important activities, such as voting, whereas their white counterparts were allowed. Besides, the African Americans could not visit certain places as they were perceived as a threat. The leaders felt that even the African Americans had the right to choose how to live their lives as long as their decisions did not affect others. Based on the principle of non-maleficence, the leaders opted for a peaceful means of solving the issues through the understanding that one’s actions should not harm others. Through the peaceful means and persistence of the African American community, these leaders were able to achieve their goals.[“Common Ethical Issues.” Syracuse University School of Education, October 23, 2018. https://soe.syr.edu/departments/academic/counseling-human-services/modules/ethical/#:~:text=Ethical%20Principles%201%20Respecting%20autonomy%3A%20the%20individual%20has,health%20and%20well-being%20of%20others.%20More%20items...%20.]
The women’s suffrage movement the women’s suffrage movement was an establishment of Elizabeth Cady Standton and Lucretia Mott, who organized the first convention on women’s rights in 1848...