The turn of the 20th century in the United States was a period of profound transformation, one in which social, economic, and political upheavals set the stage for the emergence of a new political movement—Progressivism. This was a time when the ideals of reform, justice, and social equity began to gain traction in response to the rapid industrialization, urbanization, and the widening gap between the wealthy elite and the struggling working class. Progressivism, though difficult to define in a singular sense, was an amalgamation of ideas aimed at addressing the inequities of the age and responding to the failures of both laissez-faire capitalism and traditional political structures.