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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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!

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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)

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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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)

16. 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!