Final answer:
Progressives supported reforms due to concerns about unsafe working conditions, child labor, overcrowded housing, and alcohol abuse. These reforms were aimed at improving living conditions and public health, advocating for workers' and women's rights, and addressing discrimination. Legislation at various government levels sought to address these issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Progressive Era, social problems such as unsafe working conditions, child labor, overcrowded housing, and alcohol abuse led Progressives to support reform measures. Initiatives like abolishing child labor, ensuring safe housing, and combating alcohol abuse, through temperance or prohibition, sought to address the adverse effects of rapid industrialization and urban sprawl. Additionally, the demand for social welfare programs and free public education contributed to these reform efforts, which were primarily led by middle-class Americans concerned with the well-being of troubled communities.