From 1890 to World War I, it is called the "reform era" in American history. During this period, the United States is in a transitional period from an agricultural society to an industrial society, with the rise of urban society and large companies. At the same time, due to the liberation of the Southern War and the efforts of a large number of immigrants to enter industrial production, the social economy has developed rapidly.
However, American society is also facing many problems, such as monopoly companies threatening the normal order of social and economic life, widening gap between the rich and the poor, serious polarization between the two classes, disintegration of agricultural society, urban culture corrupting rural culture, chaotic economic order, constant political scandals, declining moral standards, deteriorating living environment and serious food safety problems.
During this period, liberalism and social Darwinism became the ideological trend of the United States, and also became the umbrella of American social, economic and political corruption. These problems pose a direct threat to the stability of American social order. It is against this background that a trend of social reform has emerged in American society, including the movement for social justice, municipal reform and the movement for women's rights. , involving many aspects of American social life. Progressive ideas and reforms mainly come from the upper class in the United States, mainly the middle class and intellectuals. Because the popular social belief at that time was that human beings can promote social progress and Americans must have a bright future, this social reform movement was called "progressive movement" in American history. ? The weapon of the progressive movement comes from "critical realism"