1. Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft Woodrow Wilson
Progressive Era Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson

2. Goals For Today
Understand how Teddy Roosevelt used his power as president to support progressive movement goals.
improvement of conditions for workers and consumers (social welfare)
providing a more responsive and responsible government (economic/political reform)
women gaining the right to vote and the outlawing of alcohol in the United States (moral welfare)
Fostering efficiency

3. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal

4. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
1902 Coal Strike:
Miners in PA
20% pay raise
9 hr. day
union
T.R. called both sides to White House to negotiate
Threatened to take over mines
Legislation: none

5. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
Trusts:
“Good” v. “Bad” trusts
Filed suits under Sherman Antitrust Act
Railroad, beef, oil, tobacco and others
Ordered Justice Dept. to sue Northern Securities Company
NSC est. monopoly over Northwestern Railroads
Legislation: Sherman Antitrust Act
Trustbuster

6. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
Unregulated Big Business:
Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Act
Fought for passage of :
Elkins Act
Hepburn Act
Legislation: Interstate Commerce Act, Elkins Act, and Hepburn Act

7. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
Dangerous Foods and Medicine:
Appointed a commission to study the meatpacking industry.
Legislation:
Meat Inspection Act
Pure Food and Drug Act

8. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
Shrinking Wilderness and Natural Resources:
Promoted conservation of natural resources
Set aside thousands of acres of forest reserves
Water-power sites
Wilderness sanctuaries
National parks
Pinchot to head U.S. Forest Services
Irrigation projects
Legislation: National Reclamation Act (Newlands Act)

9. Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
Racial Discrimination:
Appointed an African American as head of Charleston, SC
Customhouse
Refused to dismiss an African American postmistress in Miss.
Invited Booker T. Washington to dinner
Legislation: None

10. William Howard Taft

11. Progressivism Under Taft
Support:
Conservatives
Opposed progressivism
Opposed Roosevelt
Opposed low tariffs
Favored business

12. Progressivism Under Taft
Opposed:
Progressives opposed Taft b/c he:
Signed and defended Payne-Aldrich Tariff
Seemed to oppose conservation
Supported conservative boss Joseph Cannon

13. Progressivism Under Taft
Progressives:
Progressive or Bull Moose Party
Conservatives:
Republican Party

14. Progressivism Under Taft
Progressive- Theodore Roosevelt
Republican- William Howard Taft
Democratic- Woodrow Wilson
Socialist- Eugene Debs

15. Progressivism Under Taft
Progressive: Supported govt. action to supervise big business, but did not oppose all big business monopolies.
Republican: Favored business, but fought to break up trusts.
Democratic: Supported small business and free market competition; thought that all big business monopolies were evil.
Socialist: Felt that big business was evil and that the solution involved doing away with capitalism and distributing wealth more equally among the people.

16. Progressivism Under Taft
Payne-Aldrich Tariff:
Set of tax regulations (1909)
Goal: Lower tariffs
Failed to significantly reduce tariffs on manufactured goods

17. Wilson’s New Freedom

18. Wilson’s New Freedom Federal Trade Act:
Set up Federal Trade Commission w/ power to investigate both possible legal violations by corporations & unfair business practices
Had power to issue orders to “cease and desist” unfair practices

19. Wilson’s New Freedom Clayton Antitrust Act:
Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act by declaring certain business practices illegal
Freed labor unions and farm organizations from antitrust laws
Prohibited most injunctions against strikers

20. Wilson’s New Freedom Underwood Tariff: Sixteenth Amendment:
Substantially reduced tariff rates for the first time since the Civil War
Sixteenth Amendment:
Legalized a federal income tax

21. Wilson’s New Freedom Federal Reserve Act:
Established the Federal Reserve System
A decentralized private banking system under federal control

22. Wilson’s New Freedom Wilson Retreats on Civil Rights:
Opposed federal anti-lynching legislation
Appointed segregationists to his cabinet
Failed to oppose the resegregation of federal offices

23. Wilson’s New Freedom
New developments that brought success of female suffrage movement:
Increased activism of local and grass roots groups
Use of bold new strategies to build enthusiasm for the movement
Regeneration of the national movement under Carrie Chapman Catt