Which trio is identified as Progressive Era Presidents?

• A. Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson
• B. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson
• C. Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Andrew Johnson
• D. John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon

Answer: (B)

Progressive Era reforms aimed to fix the problems of rapid industrialization by curbing corporate power, reducing corruption, and expanding democracy. The presidents most closely associated with pushing those reforms are Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt earned fame for breaking up monopolies, creating regulatory agencies, and promoting conservation and consumer protections. Taft continued the anti-monopoly stance with more antitrust actions and supported reforms that modernized how the government regulated business. Wilson built on this momentum with stronger antitrust enforcement, broader government regulation, and constitutional amendments that expanded democratic participation. These leaders together symbolize the era’s push to reshape government and society in response to the challenges of the time.