Regents Prep U.S. History & Government: Progressive Reform Thematic Essay

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THEMATIC ESSAY QUESTION

Directions: Write a well-

organized essay that includes an introduction, several

paragraphs addressing the task below, and a conclusion.

Theme: Reform

Task:

You may use any example from your study of U.S. History and Government.

Some suggestions that you may wish to consider include: Frank Norris, Ida Tarbell,

Upton Sinclair, Jacob Riis, Thomas Nast, or Lincoln Steffens.

You are not limited to these suggestions.

Adapted from materials provided by the New York State Department of Education

Permission to use this resource is granted only for educational, non-profit use.

The press has often been attributed with starting the Progressive

movement in the United States. At the turn of the Twentieth century,

several people known as muckrakers began publishing work that

created a demand for reform.

Choose two muckrakers from the Progressive Era, and for each one:

Describe a specific social, economic, or political change that the

individual attempted to bring about in the United States.

Identify a specific example of that individual’s work.

Discuss an impact of that individual’s efforts on the United States.

NOTE

: The rubric (scoring criteria) for this essay appears on the next page.