Progressive Era Presidents

1900-1920

A person advocating or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas.

Progressive Era

A. Origins of Progressivism

As America entered the 20th Century, middle class reformers at the municipal, state, and national levels addressed the problems of the Gilded Age, including: Economic inequities Environmental issues Social welfare Working conditions Rights for women and children Urban poor

B. Four Goals of Reformers1. Protect social welfare2. Promote moral

development3. Secure economic

reform4. Foster efficiency

Crusading journalists who investigated social problems and brought them to public attention.

Muckrakers

Child Labor

Women's Suffrage

Poor Sanitation

Urban Poverty

Theodore Roosevelt

1st Block …Roosevelt (1901-1909)

Gained fame as Secretary of the Navy and as leader of the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War.

Roosevelt was made William McKinley's Vice President; a powerless position that big business felt would limit his abilities.

McKinley was assassinated in 1901 and Roosevelt became President

He created a reform program called the “Square Deal.”

Trust Buster

Trust Buster: He filed suit against J.P. Morgan's Northern Securities R.R. company saying it was a monopoly and violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

Gentleman's agreement meet with big business without public court hearings.

Created ICC Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate R.R. rates.

He filled 44 suits under the Sherman Anti trust Law.

G. “The Jungle” Leads to Food Regulation

After reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Roosevelt pushed for passage of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906.

The act mandated cleaner conditions for meatpacking plants.

Changed Presidency and used the Federal government to fight for individual economic and social problems.

Bureau of Corporations investigated business and broke up trusts.

Pure food and Drug Act 1906 Promoted Imperialism (Panama Canal)

2nd Block…Roosevelt's Legacy

H. Pure Food and Drug Act

In response to unsubstantiated claims and unwholesome products, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The Act halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling.

J. Roosevelt’s Environmental Accomplishments

Roosevelt set aside 148 million acres of forest reserves, 1.5 million acres of water-power sites, 50 wildlife sanctuaries, and several national parks.

Gifford Pinchot Headed US Forest

Service Added over 100

million acres to national forests

5 new national parks 51 Federal wildlife

reserves

William H. Taft

Taft's Reforms

Supported by Roosevelt to run in 1908 as Progressive against William Jennings Bryan.

Cut Tariffs which divided the Progressives in the Republican Party

Progressives withdrew their support of Taft.

Americans felt Taft ended the Square Deal

Created 1912 Children's Bureau investigated child labor

Expanded National forests Anti –Trust lawsuit against U.S. Steel Disagreed with Roosevelt: Taft felt you must

destroy trusts, Roosevelt felt you must negotiate with them

Started 80 trust suits Eventually Roosevelt publically criticized him

Taft

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York city on March 25, 1911, was one of the deadliest disasters in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history.

The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and 23 men – who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent Jewish and Italian immigrant women aged sixteen to twenty-three; of the victims whose ages are known, the oldest victim was 43, and the youngest were 14-year-olds

Because the owners had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits – a common practice at the time to prevent pilferage and unauthorized breaks – many of the workers who could not escape the burning building jumped from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors to the streets below. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards

Work Place Safety

M. Protecting Working Children

As the number of child workers rose, reformers worked to end child labor.

Children were more prone to accidents caused by fatigue.

Nearly every state limited or banned child labor by 1918

1912 Election Republicans split in 1912

between Taft and Roosevelt (who returned after a safari to Africa).

Convention delegates nominated Taft and discontented Republicans formed a third party, the Progressive Party (nicknamed the Bull Moose Party), and nominated Roosevelt.

The Democrats put forward a reform-minded New Jersey governor, Woodrow Wilson.

Woodrow Wilson

His Plan was called New Freedom He was a Harvard educated professor Reduced tariffs Underwood Tariff Act: created income tax lead

to the 16th Amendment Created the Federal Reserve Act… Banks had to

place % of funds in reserve Created Federal Trade Commission to go after

companies involved in unfair trade Clayton Anti – Trust act, companies had to have

fair competition 17th Amendment which lead to the direct

election of senators

Woodrow Wilson

Suffrage Seneca Falls, NY 1848 led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Loretta Mott and Susan B. Anthony had the 1st women’s rights convention

Rallied for Constitutional right to vote

1890 National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) formed

Lobbied lawmakers, organized marches, and delivered speeches on street corners

Passed the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920 giving women the right to vote