Important Progressive Politicians Robert LaFollette - Wisconsin Theodore Roosevelt – New York William Howard Taft - Ohio Woodrow Wilson – New Jersey

Robert LaFollette aka “Fighting” Bob Governor, Representative and Senator from Wisconsin “Wisconsin Idea” University research to help solve problems facing state Initiative Referendum Recall Direct Primary Worker Compensation RR Regulation Minimum Wage Direct Election of Senators Women’s Suffrage Graduated Income Tax

Theodore Roosevelt Becomes Pres. when McKinley is assassinated Rep, NY 1901 – 1909 Already famous “Square Deal” Everyone should be treated fairly and get a “square deal” Safety Happiness Prosperity

Actions of T.R. Good trusts & bad trusts Brought law suit against No. Securities Co. based on violation of Sherman Anti-Trust Act Trust-buster!

T. Roosevelt (cont) Horrified after reading “The Jungle”; passed laws to protect consumer Pure Food and Drug Act Meat Inspection Act Tries to balance workers needs w/businesses interests: Anthracite Coal Strike: “square deal” for both Mine owners refuse to negotiate w/union TR calls both sides to White House Arbitration: shorter hours, better pay, NO union recognition

Roosevelt’s Regulation of Business Department of Commerce and Labor Created in 1903 Regulate business and enforce economic regulations Bureau of Corporations Investigates interstate corporations

Regulation of Railroads Hepburn Act (1906) Increases Interstate Commerce Commission (created in 1887) to 7 members Determines railroad rates Suggest bookkeeping methods No free passes to individual companies RR companies can’t carry their own goods Larger business organizations can’t exploit the power

Protecting Nature Forest Reserve Act 150,000,000 acres T.R. loved nature and began to set aside land for parks and resources 150,000,000 acres Some is for conservation = to make sure we don’t use all of our natural resources Some is for preservation = preserve nature and forests (ex. Redwoods) Newlands Reclamation Act

Pres. Wm. H. Taft True trust-buster: Standard Oil Mann-Elkins Act: ICC can control telegraph & telephone industry 16th Amendment: graduated income tax Raised tariffs, fired head of forest dep’t (made Republican progressives mad)

Election 1912 Republicans (conservatives): Taft Democrats: Woodrow Wilson Progressive Party (“Bull Moose Party”): TR Socialist Party: Eugene Debs Wilson wins!

President Woodrow Wilson From “Dirty” Jersey Democrat 28th President 1913 - 1921 Institutes many Progressive reforms President during WWI (more on this later)

Reform under Pres. Wilson Banking reform: Federal Reserve System: unified nat’l banking system: 12 Federal banks, led by Federal Reserve Board New currency: Federal reserve notes Gov’t controls amount of $ in circulation Money can be shifted from one bank to another

Wilson’s reforms Amendments: Regulate business 16th Amendment (1913) –Gave Congress the power to levy graduated income tax. 17th Amendment (1913) –Provided for the direct election of Senators. 18th Amendment (1919) –Prohibited the manufacture, sale and transportation of liquor (repealed in 1933). 19th Amendment (1920) –Women get the right to vote (suffrage). Regulate business Federal Trade Commission: investigate business practices that hurt consumers Clayton Anti-Trust Act: no price fixing, can’t buy stock in competing firms Help Farmers: Federal Farm Loan Act: low cost loans to farmers

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PROGRESSIVES 10. Federal Trade Commission (1914) –Given power to investigate business practices suspected of being unfair and issue orders demanding that companies “cease and desist” from acting in illegal ways. 9. Department of Labor (1913) –Cabinet Department created to protect and promote the welfare and employment of working people. 8. Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) –outlawed interstate transportation of impure or diluted foods and the deliberate mislabeling of foods and drugs. 7. Meat Inspection Act (1906) –Required federal inspection of meat processing to insure sanitary conditions.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PROGRESSIVES 6. Hepburn Act (1906) –Required railroads to obtain permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission before raising rates. 5. Civil Service Examination (1888) –Under populists an examination is required to prove competence in a government position. 4. Secret Ballot –Voters could vote in a private booth. 3. Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890: Populists) and Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)–outlawed monopolies and practices that result in restraint of trade. 2. Shorter Working Day –Muller v. Oregon (1908): limited the work day to 10 hrs. in Oregon 1. State Child Labor Laws -A federal child labor law would not be passed until 1938 (outlawing child labor)

END OF PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT Progressive movement ends with World War I: Conservative take control of federal gov’t tired of change elect a President who has more in common with the past than the future: Warren G. Harding = “A return to normalcy!”…laissez-faire all over again!