Final answer:
The statement is False; Progressives and the Founding Fathers both upheld the doctrine of natural rights, but they had different views on how the government should act to protect these rights. While the Founders established a system of checks and balances, Progressives sought more direct democratic control and increased government intervention.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Progressives agreed with the Founders' doctrine of natural rights, and only disagreed with how the Constitution attempted to achieve those ends is False. Progressives did indeed adhere to the fundamental principles of natural rights as outlined by Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, who posited that people were entitled to life, liberty, and property. This influenced the Declaration of Independence in its reference to 'the pursuit of happiness.' However, where Progressives diverged significantly was in their view of how those rights should be protected and guaranteed by the government. Over time, as state constitutions were formulated post-independence, various interpretations and implementations of these rights and the role of the government in protecting these rights evolved. The Progressives, influenced by the changing socioeconomic conditions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sought reforms aiming for more direct democracy, regulation of big business, and expanded government responsibility in social welfare. This drive for reform sometimes stood in contrast to the more conservative framework established by the Constitution, which was designed with checks and balances and limited direct democratic control. Therefore, while both the Founders and the Progressives upheld the doctrine of natural rights, they had divergent views on the means of actualizing and safeguarding these rights within the framework of the United States' political system.