During the period 1901-1921, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson made critical changes that were beneficial to the development of the Progressive Era. The Progressive Era was a time when America began to develop through new innovations, organizations, and industry as a whole. However, numerous individuals still faced hardships, including working in unfavorable conditions for low wages. Women also sought the right to vote, but the administration was made up of elites who had full control over trusts, businesses and monopolies. As a result, progressive reformers worked to both expand democracy and, hopefully, improve the poor working conditions that many individuals faced in the United States. Progressives felt a need to improve their lives and looked for ways to have a more active role in the federal government, but they had difficulty overcoming the problems that constantly presented themselves to them. President Theodore Roosevelt was one of the first presidents to call for broad changes, and his presidency had a great impact on the development of the progressive movement. Roosevelt was a man who was both an environmentalist and a supporter of reform. He was a pro-war president and, as a result, worked to serve the nation in various ways. While in office, he was strongly affiliated with both environmentalist and dynamic beliefs. Woodrow Wilson on the other hand had similar desires and ideas, but instead took an alternative approach to solutions. The two made very different social and individual changes. Throughout the Progressive Movement there were motivations ranging from the movement for women's suffrage to the destruction of trusts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Theodore Roosevelt was a great environmentalist and had a love and desire to safeguard the environment and wildlife; including forest reserves and mountain ranges. In Document 2, Roosevelt spent three nights in Yosemite with John Muir in 1903. Roosevelt liked John Muir's views on wanting to protect wilderness areas. During this time, railroads played an important role in the Progressive Era, as they were widely used for transportation. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt made an effort to direct the industry. That same year, the Northern Securities case led to the Supreme Court, which in turn decided that the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 had been ignored by railroads throughout the northern United States. President Roosevelt disapproved of railroad monopolies, but felt the opposite of railroad workers. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt became more known as a destroyer of confidence due to the Northern Securities case that had been set up. Theodore Roosevelt did little to preserve black suffrage in the South, which gave blacks the right to vote over time. Then, in October 1901, he welcomed Booker T. Washington to dine with him at the White House. This led to a debate early in his presidency that remained highly controversial and significant. In Document 3, we can say that Roosevelt and Washington talked about support arrangements for the South and that many accusations were made about the South. Although he chose blacks for some support positions in the South, he was often reluctant to face the necessary political conflicts to get their agreement. This specific incident damaged his notoriety on racial issues. Like President Roosevelt, so did Woodrow.