The Progressive Era lasted from the 1890s to the 1920s and was marked by efforts to root out governmental corruption and waste, and to protect the rights of women, children, and the working-class. Not all progressive reforms were strictly democratic, however. For instance, reformers sought efficiency in government by emphasizing the roles of experts and specialists over elected officials and common citizens. In Virginia, progressives attempted to make experts, or “virtuous” voters, out of the entire electorate by educating citizens on their civic responsibilities and then excluding whole classes of voters deemed unfit. African Americans were among those most often excluded. By definition, they were considered to be less “virtuous” than their white counterparts, and were therefore often the targets of various rules, regulations, and restrictions designed to prevent them from voting. The language of the law generally applied to all eligible male voters, but whites tended to benefit from numerous exemptions.