he 1890s to the 1920s, generally referred to by historians as the “Progressive Era,” was a time of great change in the United States. In response to the evolving economic structure of nineteenth-century society, “consumer culture” was taking hold.

In 1800, most people produced their own goods at home or bought them from neighbors in tightly-knit rural communities. Leisure time was scarce for all but the wealthy. Thriftiness and restraint governed people's actions, and community leaders maintained moral control with relative ease.

Ironically, these checks on social behavior fostered a degree of relaxed informality in certain social situations. For example, audiences at plays tended to be loud and boisterous.

But the nation was changing. By the second half of the nineteenth century, people increasingly purchased their daily wares from salespeople, not craftsmen. People started to work in factories and department stores. Large, impersonal corporations led by wealthy businessmen became more common. More and more, citizens lived in cities among strangers.

The average person had a bit more leisure time to spend on amusements. Entrepreneurs noted this and provided entertainment that would draw the largest crowd of people regardless of class, ethnicity, and gender. By 1900 amusement parks were common in cities across the nation.

The culture of the consumer economy was more morally relaxed than before. For example, during the Progressive Era it was increasingly common for unmarried men and women to spend time in public together without chaperones. Thriftiness fell out of style as people became more comfortable showing-off what they could buy.

The values of a society are typically slower to change than a society’s economic structure, however. While members of the working class and the youth of the rising middle class were quick to embrace consumer culture, some in the upper classes were uneasy about what they saw as an erosion in morality, and more distressing, their control over it.

Some members of the affluent classes wished to regain control by prescribing strict standards for social conduct. They expected emotional self-control in public. For example, by the last quarter of the nineteenth century, symphony conductors expected audiences to listen politely and not to interact with the performers or each other.

The evolving standards of social conduct at the turn of the century led to many conflicts. Progressive-era Americans did not agree on the proper way to dance or dress. They argued whether large corporations were more interested in serving the public or making money. They could not agree on whether alcoholic beverages should be prohibited. Some expressed distress at members of different ethnic groups socializing together. Many had conflicting opinions about the types of recreation that should be available on Sundays.

All of these conflicts can be seen at The Oaks in the Progressive Era.

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