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“American Progressivism in the Wider Atlantic World”

“American Progressivism in the Wider Atlantic World” is an article by Daniel T. Rodgers is an article that focuses on a political movement in America that paid attention to ideas, compulsions, and issues that arose from the modernization of its Society. The author begins by referencing Ray Stannard Baker, and his ignorance of the effects nations had on each other (Rodgers 156). The paper’s argument begins with the idea that forces beyond its borders affect every nation, no matter how isolated. For a nation like America that was initially an imperial project, the complicity in world-historical forces significantly influenced it.

The author acknowledges that studies in progressive and New Deal politics are complex without an apparent end. Rodgers states that the United States during the 18th and 19th Centuries was a key outpost for European trade and a lure for European resources, which means it would be difficult to understand the nation without comprehending the North Atlantic trade. Therefore, the article focuses on capital policies and activities of major European economies during the said period. He concludes that the reconstruction of America was tied to movements of politics and ideas throughout this trade and capitalism.

The article continues to discuss the show of might between European nations in terms of economic and military power with Germany and France tied in fierce economic propaganda (157). It goes on to discuss the changes that happened to the Atlantic economy that was refurbished to inspire a new Atlantic-Wide politics that included America, a nation far away from centers where policies for this system were made. Progressive politics was an English denominator that came to America after the New Atlantic economy shook popular political parties. New politicians enjoyed this novel issues and benefited from them as they were propelled to power and popularity. Such figures in America were Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson (160). Rodgers calls this new set of politicians Advanced progressives.

According to Rodgers, American Progressives relied heavily on Europe and benchmarked their experience and ideas. From the article, one realizes that advanced progressives during the 18th Century had ambitions borrowed from Europe with cities not controlled by entrepreneurs, contractors, grafters, or franchises but with people aware of their own administration and in control of their fate. The advanced progressive compared their progress against cities like Glasgow and admired how different sides of a political divide were in harness and focused on details.

Works Cited

Rodgers, D. T. (1998). Atlantic crossings. Harvard University Press.