Reform movements of the nineteenth century? 1880-1920 Socialism?

Question

If you could pick one of these movements from 1880-1920 and give me some information about their cause that would be great.

Temperance Movement (Prohibition)

Women's Rights

Populist Party (Farmer's Rights"

Socialist Party

Muckrakers (People with views that are fascinated about the ugliest parts of life)

Labor Unions

Answer 1

At least in the US there was another "Great Awakening" - a time of increased religiosity. That combined with the abolition movement created an atmosphere where people, especially women, felt politically powerful. Through the abolition movement many women felt compelled to stand up for rights that they too were being denied. (Also the experience with the abolition movement gave many women the needed organizational skills and confidence to strike out for women's issues).

The temperance movement, along with other issues that addressed charity, inner city life, and child labor was from this mix of morality and newly acquired political activism.

The Socialist Party and Farmer's rights, muckrakers and labor unions were a bit later but definitely related. These movements in general were not so socialist as they were populist. This is an important distinction.

Also muckrakers are not people "with views that are fascinated about the ugliest parts of life". Muckrakers were people who exposed unsanitary or dangerous working conditions, hazards to public health. Read Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and you will see why these people were important. Much of the idea of regulating the work place was developed during this time, especially after the tragedy of the Triangle Factory Fire in 1911. Workmen's Compensation was also developed I believe in 1914.

You may call these reforms socialist, and indeed the socialist party was active at this time (prominent member Helen Keller was a spokesperson). However I would encourage you to take a hard look at the conditions that people were working and living in, I think you will find that the calls for reform and regulation were not unfounded or objectionable, and were quite necessary.

Answer 2

The first women's rights movement convention in America was held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York.  It was not until passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 that women gained the right to vote. .