Who were the progressives and what did they believe in or wish to accomplish?

They were social activists, primarily from the middle class, who advocated mass political reform in the United States. From late 19th century to early 20th century (1890s-1920s). The four themes exhibiting the Progressives were: Prohibition, women’s Suffrage, literal recognition of democracy through improved citizen participation in politics by exposing "political machines.", and technological innovation/scientific inquiry

This was controversial because they believed in reforming capitalism so the extremely wealthy and politically influent constituency in America didn’t have as much power over the American public. This put them at extreme odds with corporate heads and political powers.