Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt’s Rise

• Born into a wealthy New York family• Suffered From Asthma• So frail that he had to sleep propped up in

order to breathe• Drove himself to accomplish demanding

physical feats• Mastered Marksmanship and horseback

riding as a teenager

• At Harvard, he wrestled and boxed

• Served three terms on the New York State Assembly

• Became New York’s police commissioner

• Served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy

• Volunteered for the Span-Am War

• Became governor of New York

• Became vice-president in 1900.

• McKinley died six months into his term

• Teddy became president

Trustbuster

• By 1900 “trusts” controlled 4/5’s of the industries in the U.S.

• In 1890 Congress had passed the Sherman Antitrust Act

• Roosevelt did not believe all trusts were harmful

• He felt big business was essential to the American economy

• In 1902, he ordered the Justice Department to site the Northern Securities Company, which had established a monopoly over Northwestern railroads.

• In 1904, the Supreme Court broke up the Northern Securities Company

• Roosevelt also attacked the beef trusts, oil trusts, and the tobacco trusts.

• In all, he filed 44 antitrust suits.

• Overall, the government was unable to slow the merger movement in business

Railroad Regulation• The Elkins Act of 1903 - Made it illegal for

railroad officials to give, and shippers to receive rebates for using particular railroads

• The Hepburn Act of 1906 - Strictly limited the distribution of free railroad passes, a common form of bribery. Gave the ICC power to set maximum rates, subject to court approval, whenever shippers complained.

Meat Inspection Act

• After reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Roosevelt appointed a commission to invetigate the meatpacking industry.

• Meat Inspection Act of 1906 - Dictated strict cleanliness requirements for meatpackers and created the program of federal meat inspection.

Pure Food and Drug Act

• Congress passed in 1906

• Halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling

• Chemicals such as coal-tar dye and borax in sausage, and formaldehyde in canned pork and beans

• Products claimed to cure anything

• Children’s medicines often contained opium, cocaine, or alcohol.

• Colden’s Liquid Beef Tonic, recommended for “treatment of the alcohol habit,” itself contained 26.5% alcohol.

• The act did not ban harmful products, but it required truth in advertising

Conservation

• Before Roosevelt, the federal government paid very little attention to the nation’s natural resources.

• Roosevelt condemned the view that America’s resources were endless.

• In 1903, John Muir, a naturalist and writer, convinced Roosevelt to set aside 148 million acres of forest reserves

• Roosevelt established more than 50 wildlife sanctuaries and several national parks.

• In 1905, Roosevelt named Gifford Pinchot, a professional conservationist, as head of the U.S. Forest Service

Civil Rights

• Roosevelt and the two presidents who followed did little to advance the goal of racial equality

William Howard Taft

• Elected President in 1908

• Considered a disaster for the Republican party.

• More active and successful trustbuster than TR

• Mann-Elkins Act (1910) – Extended the ICC’s Jurisdiction.

• Taft set aside more land for reserve than TR

• 16th amendment – created federal income tax

Political Problems

• Split the Rep. party

• Richard Ballinger was involved in selling off reserved land in Alaska to J.P. Morgan.

• Taft sided with Gifford Pinchot, who had accused Ballinger.

• Caused the split

• The Progressive party formed under the leadership of TR.

• Taft and TR split the Republican vote

• Allowed Wilson to win the 1912 election.

Woodrow Wilson

• Wislon’s progressivism differed from TR

• TR wanted strong gov. to promote economic and social order.

• TR wanted to protect business

• Also supported social well-fare, worker compensation and the abolition of child labor

• Wilson wanted limited roll in breaking up monopolies and trusts.

• Wanted to prevent tariffs

• Felt social welfare was paternalistic

• Called his progressive plan “New Freedom”

New Freedom• Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act (1913) –

Reduced duties and tariffs

• Federal Reserve Act – Created 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks that were supervised by the Federal Reserve Board.

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Oversaw business activity and prevent illegal restrictions on competition

• Then announced no further reform was necessary

• Refused to support women’s suffrage

• Believed that segregation was necessary

• Supported government segregation in Government offices, shops, restrooms and restaurants

Expanding Reform

• TR threatened to win the 1916 election

• Wilson then began to support changes that were more in line with TR’s beliefs

• Felt he could steel TR’s votes this way

• Federal Farm Loan Act (1916) – Provided farmers with federally funded loans

• Warehouse Act (1916) – Improved short-term agricultural credit.

• Highway Act (1916) – funds to construct and improve rural roads

• Keating-Owen Act – Prohibited interstate shipment of products made with child labor

• Adamson Act – established 8 hour work day for railway workers

• Kern-McGillicuddy Act – Provided worker’s compensation for federal employees.