To set the stage of the Progressive Era you must first understand what the Progressive Era was. In the beginning of the twentieth century, muckraking or yellow journalists were calling attention to the exploitation of child labor, corruption in city governments and the horror of lynching. During this period even the leaders of the country where racist. The Civil Rights Act was passed to stop segregation of people because of their color in public places like theaters, hospitals and means of transportation but many places still segregated. Even police and government officials profiled racially and the President himself was considered racist.
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The Limits of Progressivism: Race 