PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENTS

THEODORE ROOSEVELT Became President at age 43 1901.

Born well to do family in New York William McKinley was assassinated Brought youth and energy

Avid Hunter Expeditions to Africa Big Game in the States

Rancher Ranched in Dakota Territory Lost his Ranch

Rough Rider Colonel in Spanish American War War hero

MORE TEDDY A worldly man

Felt a need to put America on the World stage Expand reach of US

Became Governor of New York in 1898 Felt that he needed to be a steward to the

people To take action for the good of the public (As

President) Thought Government was an arbitor between

big business and labor That government would step in and solve problems

Bust the Trust “speak softly and carry a big stick”

TRUST BUSTER

SQUARE DEAL Protect small business

Keep big business from taking advantage of small business and poor

Did not mean an equal distribution of wealth It meant regulation of what that business could

do Coal strike 1902

Miners wanted higher pay and shorter hours Teddy asked owners to give in a bit Threatened to send in federal troops to seize the mines Mine owners gave small raise and 9 hour days

Coal strike was the first time Government stepped in on the side of workers.

TRUST BUSTING Carry a big stick Reinforce Sherman Anti-trust Act

Northern Railroad company Was found to be in violation anti-trust act Supreme court forced company to break into smaller

ones Railroad was used as a warning for other trusts

Teddy had “good” and “bad” trusts Big business was bad if it hurt smaller ones and

consumers Supported big business as long as it was fair to

the consumer

HEPBURN ACT Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

Made ICC more Powerful 1906 Had the ability to set shipping rates for all

railroad companies Could set and limit shipping costs and rates Also set maximum prices for ferries, bridge tolls, and

oil pipelines

PACKING PLANTS

MEAT INSPECTION ACT Inspect any meat sold across state lines Required federal inspection of process plants

Upton Sinclair The Jungle “All day long the blazing midsummer sun beat down upon

that square mile of abominations: upon tens of thousands of cattle crowded into pens whose wooden floors stank and steamed contagion; upon bare, blistering, cinder-strewn railroad tracks, and huge blocks of dingy meat factories, whose labyrinthine passages defied a breath of fresh air to penetrate them; and there were not merely rivers of hot blood, and carloads of moist flesh, and rendering vats and soap caldrons, glue factories and fertilizer tanks, that smelt like the craters of hell—there were also tons of garbage festering in the sun, and the greasy laundry of the workers hung out to dry, and dining rooms littered with food and black with flies, and toilet rooms that were open sewers.”

PURE FOOD AND DRUG ACT Prohibit the manufacture, sale, or shipment

of impure or falsely labeled food and drugs.

Passed the same day as the Meat Inspection Act

NATIONAL LAND CONSERVATION

John Muir A naturalist from CA Created Yosemite National Park

Gifford Pinchot United States Forest Service Land was to be used for the

benefit of many Roosevelt added over 100

million acres and protected forests created 51 wildlife preserves

NATIONAL RECLAMATION ACT Authorized the use of federal funds from land

sales to pay for irrigation and land development Made water available to farms where water was

not previously

TAFT Secretary of War for Roosevelt

Felt he was best for the job The Payne-Aldrich Tariff

Wanted to lower tariff Failed to lower tariff and raised some Split progressive party – wanted to lower tariffs

Children’s Bureau Agency that investigates and publicizes

problems with child labor Conservation

Preserved as much or more natural land as Roosevelt

SPLIT WITH ROOSEVELT Taft has no distinction between good and bad

trust Brought twice as many anti-trust lawsuits as

Roosevelt Broke up US Steel for buying a Coal Company

Final straw for Roosevelt – would run for office again Fired Gifford Pinchot for criticizing Richard

Ballinger Ballinger was secretary of interior Angered many progressives

Roosevelt as angered that Taft was destroying his system for cooperation and regulation with Trusts

ELECTION OF 1912 Bull-Moose Party – 3rd party

Progressives nominated Teddy Taft – Republican Nominee Woodrow Wilson – Democratic Became an election between

Wilson VS Roosevelt Teddy ran on “New Nationalism

Protect women and children in labor Workman’s compensation

Wilson ran on “New Freedom” Destroying monopolies more competition in

business Less government economic control

WILSON WINS Wilson won 41% of popular vote 435

electoral votes Roosevelt 27%, 88 votes Taft 23%, 8 votes

Roosevelt and Taft split Republican party Wilson wins easily

NEW FREEDOM Strict control over government corporations More opportunities for more small business

ECONOMY 16th Amendment

Gave power to government to collect on a person’s income

Underwood Tariff Bill Lowered tariffs on imported goods Proposed the graduated income tax

Wealthy pay higher percentage of taxes than the poor

FEDERAL RESERVE ACT Created 12 regional banks

Hold money in reserve from commercial banks National supervision of the banking system Could set interest rates the reserve banks

could charge other banks Indirectly controlling the interest rates of the

entire nation Controlled the amount of money in circulation

ANTI-TRUST REGULATION Federal Trade Commission

Monitor business practices that might lead to a monopoly

Watch for false advertising and false labeling

Clayton Anti-trust Act Extension of Sherman Anti-trust act Spelled out practices that business could and

could not do Restricted competition

PROTECTING WORKERS RIGHTS Workman’s Compensation Act

Gives wages to temproarily disabled civil servant employees

Adamson Act Limited Railroad workers to 8 hours

PROGRESSIVES LASTING EFFECT Government had changed both legal and

public opinion on protecting worker and regulating big business

Policy that Wilson and Roosevelt put into place protect the consumer

They protected natural resources and wildlife conservation acts