1. The Progressive Presidents

2. Theodore Roosevelt
Despite being a conservative, Teddy used the power of the presidency to deal directly with social and economic problems
Presidency had any power not specifically denied in the Constitution

3. Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal
Consumer Protection
Upon reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, TR orders investigations
TR supports legislation to ensure purity of food & drugs
Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)
Meat Inspection Act (1906)

4. Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal
Regulating Business
The “Trustbuster”
TR was not against trusts; he believed there were good ones and bad ones
Uses Justice Department to prosecute
Railroad, meatpacking, and oil trusts
Encouraged companies that wanted to merge to work with the government

5. Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal
Labor Conditions
Investigated coal mines in Pennsylvania when company refused to go to arbitration with striking workers
Threatened to re-open mines using federal troops
This forced management to go to arbitration
TR wants a square deal  fair for everyone: management, labor, consumers

6. Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal
Conservation
“We are prone to think of the resources of this country as inexhaustible; this is not so.”
Protected nations environment and wilderness
Purchased parkland, forests, monuments and wildlife refuges
Triples the amount of public land

7. William Howard Taft
Hand picked successor of TR (Teddy kept GW’s precedent of two-terms)

8. William Howard Taft: Reforms
Contrary to popular belief, busts more trusts than TR
Supported eight-hour workday and mine safety legislation
Sixteenth Amendment  federal income tax
Seventeenth Amendment  direct election of senators

9. William Howard Taft: Problems
Not a great politician like TR
Wanted to lower tariffs, while Congress raised them
Progressives felt he backed down on this by not vetoing a tariff raising bill
Republican Party spilt over protecting American business, while combating trusts

10. Election of 1912 Election of 1912
TR upset that Taft allows business men to buy public land in Alaska
Decides to run against Taft as a member of “Bull Moose Party”

11. Woodrow Wilson
Republicans split vote and democrat Woodrow Wilson wins presidency

12. Woodrow Wilson: New Freedom
Concentrated economic power threatened individual liberty
Monopolies had to be broken up so the marketplace could truly be open
“Without …interference of the government…there can be no fair play between individuals and such powerful institutions as the trust.”

13. Woodrow Wilson: Financial Reforms
Underwood Tariff Act
lowers tariffs for the first times since the Civil War
provides for graduated income tax/progressive tax
Creates Federal Trade Commission to investigate businesses
Federal Reserve System
National Banking System (12 banks)
Provided for fair interest rates
Money no longer would depend on gold supply
Income level
Tax rate
up to $20,000 1%
$20,000 - $50,000 2%
$50,000 - $75,000 3%
$75,000 - $100,000 4%
$100,000 - $250,000 5%
$250,000 - $500,000 6%
over $500,000 7%

14. Woodrow Wilson

15. Bye-Bye Progressives End of the Progressive Era
World War I causes US to focus on war effort and not social change