Although the Republican Party was founded on pro-minority ideals and continued to enjoy minority support, its reputation quickly began to change. Wagner (2007) argues that during the early late 1800s and early 1900s, Republican support weakened among the working class. Furthermore, many Americans, including a significant number of Republicans, believed that American society had lost its moral fiber. Due to these factors, many Republicans became affiliated with the Progressive Movement, a reform movement designed to help the working class obtain better working conditions in the form of religious fundamentalism. During the Progressive Era, the Republican Party split into two groups: Republicans primarily interested in reforming America and Republicans who were still pro-business. This division allowed the Democratic Party to gain control of the presidency between 1913 and 1921. The main reason why Republicans did not maintain control of the presidency during the 1930s was the Great Depression. The American people blamed Republican presidents for causing this economic downturn and blamed the government for not responding more quickly to the needs of the people. These complaints particularly harmed minority voting and caused them to favor the Democratic Party. Therefore, the majority of racial minorities voted for Democratic presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 election, who created various government programs benefiting racial minorities. During the 1940s and 1950s, more moderate Republicans took control of the party. Although President Eisenhower pushed for equal rights for women and ethnic groups from 1953 to 1961, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy gained power and influence...... middle of paper.. ....notes. Although Democrats had a majority in the House of Representatives with 259 members to 176 Republicans, almost as many Republicans voted for the civil rights bill as Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The final vote was 290 for the bill and 130 against, 152 against. were Democrats and 138 Republicans (meaning three-quarters of those who voted against the bill were Democrats). Another example is when Lyndon Johnson opposed civil rights legislation while in Congress, but as president he sought to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He argues that neither would have been adopted without the strong support of congressional Republicans (149-161). The above evidence proves that not only is the Republican Party not aligned with its pro-minority ideals, but the Democratic Party has also influenced the negative reputation of the Republican Party..