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Difficulty: HardProgressive Era Reforms and Influences

Source: Walter Rauschenbusch, *Christianity and the Social Crisis*, 1907

"The competitive system of industry, which places the self-interest of the individual as the controlling force of economic life, is in direct conflict with the Christian law of love. ... If our communities are to become Christian, we must demand that the cooperative principle shall be introduced into our business life. The church must either condemn the present economic order and seek to change it, or tolerate it and be corrupted by it."

Which of the following developments in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries most directly contributed to the advocacy shown in the excerpt?

  1. The growth of corporate power and urban poverty, which inspired efforts to reform society along moral lines.Answer
  2. B
    The organizing of rural, agrarian alliances seeking federal regulation of railroad rates and monetary reform.
  3. C
    The initial enforcement of federal antitrust legislation that successfully decentralized major industrial corporations.
  4. D
    The expansion of localized home-based manufacturing that integrated regional markets without factory production.

Answer

The growth of corporate power and urban poverty, which inspired efforts to reform society along moral lines.
The passage reflects the Social Gospel movement, which arose in response to the social problems of rapid industrialization and urban growth, arguing that Christian ethics should be applied to solve societal problems such as poverty and exploitation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source content and context.
The excerpt is from Walter Rauschenbusch in 1907, expressing concern over the conflict between the competitive industrial system (capitalism) and Christian ethics, advocating for cooperation and reform.
This establishes that the source reflects the Social Gospel movement, which sought to apply Christian ethics to social problems.
2
Evaluate the historical developments that led to this movement.
The late nineteenth century saw rapid industrialization, the rise of powerful monopolies, and the growth of crowded cities plagued by poverty, slums, and poor working conditions.
This links the moral arguments of the Social Gospel directly to the concrete realities of industrialization and urbanization.
3
Differentiate the correct historical context from the incorrect distractors.
Agrarian Populism represents a different rural base, antitrust legislation was not yet highly successful at decentralizing corporate power, and home-based manufacturing had declined.
This confirms that the primary driver for Rauschenbusch's urban-focused religious reform was the rise of corporate power and industrial urban poverty.

Key Concept

The role of the Social Gospel movement in the Progressive Era
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Topics

Progressive Era Reforms and Influences

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