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

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

Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal

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

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

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

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

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)

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

William Howard Taft

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Wilson’s New Freedom

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

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

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

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

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

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