Progressives in the 1890s were reformers who aimed to address issues caused by industrialization, urbanization, and corruption in government. Important figures included Jane Addams, who founded Hull House to support immigrants and advocate for social reform, Theodore Roosevelt, who pushed for regulatory reforms as President, and Ida B. Wells, an activist who campaigned against lynching and for women's rights. Their collective efforts laid the foundation for significant societal changes that characterized the Progressive Era in the early 20th century.