Progressive Era 1901-1917 Wolf

A. What was the progressive movement?  The progressive movement was a response to the problems created by the transformation from a rural society to an urban and industrial society. In general, the progressive movement was characterized by people who wanted to use the government to solve society’s problems. In the early 1900s the progressive movement focused its attention on gaining government regulation of big business to protect the interests of the American people.

B. How effective was government regulation of business before 1901? Government regulation started at the state level with several farm states regulating railroad monopolies. After the Supreme Court ended effective state regulation with the Wabash v. Illinois decision, the movement to regulate business turned toward federal regulation. The first attempt at federal regulation came with the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The federal government also tried to limit monopolies with the Sherman Antitrust Act. The ICC and the Sherman Antitrust Act, however, were generally ineffective because they were not enforced and they were limited by the Supreme Court. The Sherman Antitrust Act, for example, was used primarily to break up labor unions rather than business monopolies.

C. When did effective regulation of business begin at the federal level? The progressive movement began at the federal level in 1901 after Theodore Roosevelt became president. Roosevelt became president after the assassination of William McKinley who had selected Roosevelt, the governor of New York, to run as vice president. Ironically, Roosevelt was selected in part because New York political bosses wanted to get him out of New York and render him harmless. Instead, Roosevelt as president was able to bring about progressive reform and begin federal regulation of business, trust busting, and conservation of natural resources.

D. Did the public support the progressive reforms passed under Roosevelt? After muckraking journalists had graphically exposed a variety of social, political, and economic problems, the public was beginning to demand government action and generally supported progressive reforms. In addition, the Social Gospel movement had many Americans wanting the government to take action and apply the teachings of Jesus to social and industrial problems created by the rapid-growth of big business.

E. Who became president after Theodore Roosevelt? Roosevelt’s popularity allowed him to hand pick a successor, and William Howard Taft was chosen to succeed Roosevelt as president. Taft generally continued the progressive reforms of Roosevelt’s Square Deal by continuing the policies of regulating business, breaking up trusts, and conserving natural resources.

F. What happened in the election of 1912? In the election of 1912 Roosevelt challenged Taft for the Republican nomination. Because Taft controlled the party machinery he beat Roosevelt for the nomination, prompting Roosevelt to run as a third party candidate. Roosevelt’s third party was called the Progressive or “Bull Moose” Party. The split in the Republican party helped Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic nominee, win the election.

G. What ideas for reform legislation were proposed by Roosevelt and Wilson in the 1912 election? Roosevelt proposed a New Nationalism in which big government would regulate big business. In short, Roosevelt believed monopolies were not harmful as long as they operated under federal regulation. Wilson proposed a New Freedom in which monopolies would be broken up, an action that Wilson thought would reestablish business competition and allow government to remain relatively small.

H. How did the reforms of the progressive era change the United States? After numerous pieces of reform legislation were passed under Woodrow Wilson the policy of laissez- faire had been replaced by the idea of regulated capitalism. Reforms of the Progressive Era did not, however, provide direct government relief to the poor and needy. These reforms would not be instituted until Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s.