Final answer:
Before the Progressive Era, children as young as seven were considered capable of planning an act of harm in advance. Progressive reforms changed this view and protected children's rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prior to the Progressive Era, children as young as seven were seen as being able to rationally plan an act of harm in advance. Laws limiting child labor began to change societal views, indicating a shift in how the capabilities and rights of children were understood. Progressive reform during the early 1900s played a key role in protecting children from exploitation and ensuring their right to education, also reflecting changes in the political landscape that promoted government intervention for social welfare.