Roots or antecedents to the Progressive movement?

The Progressive movement was unique in that it got the government involved in the welfare of ordinary citizens. The Progressive movement is responsible for passing the Food and Drug Act, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and creating the National Park Service. It is also responsible for women's suffrage. The roots of child labor laws are found in this movement as well.
Government was not involved in these affairs before; all assistance provided for those less fortunate were provided by charities, and it was generally assumed that the free market would keep dangerous food and drugs out of people's hands as they looked to buy safe options.
John Quincy Adams did set aside some land to be used as a national forest, but he did it with the intention of using the timber for naval warships later. The women's suffrage movement dates back to 1848 with the Seneca Falls Convention where women stated that they needed the ballot. As more women entered the workforce after the Civil War, they noted the squalor in which so many immigrant families lived. They started to advocate for better working conditions for women and children. Newspapers were quite cheap back in the Progressive Era, and the press picked up stories, such as Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, that reported on horrible conditions in a meatpacking plant. This work not only helped to sell newspapers but it led to the Food and Drug Act. Without the active participation of more people in American society who spoke out against injustices, and a news service that was willing to report on bad conditions, it is hard to imagine the Progressive Era occurring.