Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal Ch 9-3

Teddy Roosevelt Rough-Riding President Theodore Roosevelt New York political bosses wanted him out of state office (governor), and convinced him to run for vice president. He became vice president under President McKinley. McKinley was assassinated and Theodore Roosevelt became president.

The Birth of the Teddy Bear

The Modern Presidency “Teddy” Roosevelt’s leadership and publicity campaigns created the modern presidency. He enjoyed sports, would box (he became blind in one eye), and do many other outdoor activities. He believed that the government should assume control if states were incapable of dealing with problems. Square Deal- A set of Progressive reforms for all people especially those that were victimized by big corporations.

Trustbusting By 1900, trusts control about 4/5 of U.S. industries. Roosevelt wants to curb some trusts that hurt public interests and breaks up some under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

1902 Coal Strike 140,000 coal miners went on strike and demanded a 9 hour work day and a 20% pay increase. Mine owners refused and 5 months into the strike coal reserves were running low. Roosevelt brought both sides into the White House.

They had to submit their differences to an arbitration commission ( a neutral party that worked with both sides) to settle the dispute. Miners won a nine hour workday, a 10% pay raise, workers had to belong to a union and could not strike for 3 years. Roosevelt’s actions set the principle of federal intervention when a strike threatens the public.

Railroad Regulation The ICC (Interstate Commerce Act) had little power. Roosevelt passes the Elkins Act, which stops rebates for certain shippers or sudden rate changes without public notification. Hepburn Act- limits free railroad passes (a form of bribery), and gave the ICC the power to set maximum railroad rates.

Upton Sinclair The Jungle “There would be meat that had tumbled out on the floor, in the dirt and sawdust, where workers had tramped and spit uncounted billions of consumption (tuberculosis) germs. There would be meat stored in great piles in rooms:… and thousands of rats would race about on it…A man could run his hand over these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats. These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put poisoned bread out for them; they would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together.”

Health and Environment Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle- demonstrates the unsanitary conditions in meatpacking. Roosevelt pushes for the passage of the Meat Inspection Act, which dictated strict cleanliness requirements for meatpackers. This Federal program was replaced in the 1990’s.

Pure Food and Drug Act Advertising for food and drugs would claim that they can cure cancer, grow hair and sometimes children’s medicine contained opium, cocaine and alcohol. The Pure Food and Drug Act- halts the sale of food and medicine that is contaminated and required turth in labeling.

Conservation and Natural Resources Private interests (farmers, coal companies, lumber) exploit the natural environment. Roosevelt set aside forest reserves, sanctuaries and national parks.

Roosevelt and Civil Rights Roosevelt does not support civil rights for African Americans. He does support individual African Americans such as Booker T. Washington. W.E.B. Du Bois opposed Roosevelt because the president blamed black poverty on blacks, he accepted discrimination, and accommodated segregationists.