INQUIRY: How do challenges force or lead people to change? AIM: How did the Progressive Presidents change the way people viewed the role of

government? BRAIN DRAIN: Complete the following graphic organizer with as many blurbs as you need.

What political, social, and economic

problems needed to be fixed? Who should fix them

and why?

INQUIRY: How do challenges force or lead people to change? AIM: How did the Progressive Presidents change the way people viewed the role of

government? Directions: Complete a SOAP of your assigned President. Annotate (make notes/underline) as you read.

When you are finished reading, complete the following organizer for your President.

How did this Progressive

President change the way

people viewed the role of

government in society?

How did this Progressive

President change the way people

viewed the role of government in

business?

Teddy Roosevelt

William Howard Taft

Woodrow Wilson

INQUIRY: How do challenges force or lead people to change? AIM: How did the Progressive Presidents change the way people viewed the role of

government?

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

The Conservation Movement

Theodore Roosevelt was the nation's 26th President and is considered by many to have been our

country's "Conservationist President." While on a hunting trip, TR became increasingly alarmed by the

damage that was being done to the land and its wildlife. Conservation increasingly became one of

Roosevelt's main concerns. During his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt protected approximately

230,000,000 acres of public land. Over the course of his presidency he established 150 national forests

and 5 national parks.

The Department of Commerce and Labor

One of Teddy Roosevelt’s biggest aspects of the “Square Deal” had to do with breaking up trusts and

monopolies. TR was appalled at the way business owners used ruthless methods to crush competition

and exploit workers. But, he saw a difference between “good” trusts and “bad” trusts. Good trusts were

fair and should be left alone. Bad ones took advantage of workers and eliminated competition. In 1904,

TR convinced Congress to pass the Sherman

Anti-Trust Act outlawing “bad” trust and

monopolies.

Beginning in the 1890's, Congressmen

introduced bills (laws) to establish a new

government agency called the Department of

Commerce and Labor that would represent

both business owners and the laborers. Samuel

Gompers, labor union leader, demanded for the

labor force’s "direct representation in

government” so that workers and owners

could both have legal rights and negotiate for

the best working conditions and the best

business conditions.

When Theodore Roosevelt became President,

he created a new cabinet member to address

the needs of the Department of Commerce and

Labor. President Roosevelt signed the

Department of Commerce and Labor into a

new government agency in February 1903 thus

allowing workers to directly communicate their issues with the government, such as minimum wage or

maximum working hours.

INQUIRY: How do challenges force or lead people to change? AIM: How did the Progressive Presidents change the way people viewed the role of

government?

William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

William Howard Taft became President in 1909 and took a different approach to the presidency. Taft supported many Progressive causes and broke up even more trusts than TR. In 1910, following a decade in which the number of coal mine deaths exceeded 2,000 per year, he even persuaded Congress to establish the Bureau of Mines to conduct research and to reduce accidents in the coal mining industry.

Taft also established the Children’s

Bureau which was the first federal agency

within the U.S. Government—and in fact, the

world—to focus exclusively on improving

the lives of children and families. Since its

creation by President Taft in 1912, the

bureau has tackled some of our nation’s most

pressing social issues, including:

Infant and maternal death

Child labor

Orphanages

Abused and neglected children

Foster care

Taft was instrumental in outlawing child

labor. However, when it came to doing

anything to further conservation, help

minority groups such as African-Americans

and women, and creating more policies to

help workers he often fell short not wanting

to upset anyone. In fact, Taft removed over 1

million acres of forest and mining lands from

the reserved list and sold it to the public.

INQUIRY: How do challenges force or lead people to change? AIM: How did the Progressive Presidents change the way people viewed the role of

government?

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

Attacking the Triple Wall of Privilege

Woodrow Wilson wanted to bring about change and called this

change the NEW FREEDOM. Wilson envisioned an ideal society of

small, educated farmers and small businesspeople. Wilson tried to

achieve this vision by attacked the TRIPLE WALL OF

PRIVILEGE — the tariff, the banks, and the trusts.

1. Tariffs (taxes) protected the large businessmen at the expense of small farmers who would have to pay the high tariff prices. Wilson signed the UNDERWOOD-SIMMONS ACT into law in 1913, which reduced tariff rates.

2. The banking system also hurt small farmers and small businessmen. Loans were too expensive. Wilson created Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to watch over businesses and make it easier for people to get loans.

3. Unlike Roosevelt, Wilson did not distinguish between "good" trusts and "bad" trusts. Any “big business” and any trust were bad in Wilson's eyes. The CLAYTON ANTITRUST ACT OF 1914 added to the Sherman Antitrust Act by specifically naming certain business tactics illegal. This same act also helped labor unions and declared strikes, boycotts, and peaceful picketing perfectly legal.

Wilson was not necessarily against alcohol, but faced a lot of pressure from the temperance movement to ban the use of alcoholic beverages. People believed that alcohol was the reason for any problems in

society. Frances Willard and Carrie Nation worked tirelessly for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union to educate people about the evils of alcohol. In 1919, under President

Wilson, the 18th Amendment was ratified making alcohol illegal.

Wilson was also strongly pressured by women to grant them suffrage (the right to vote). In 1920, President Wilson passed the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote.