Three Progressive Presidents

• Teddy Roosevelt and the Big Stick

• William Howard Taft and Dollar Diplomacy

• Woodrow Wilson and the New Freedoms

Teddy Roosevelt

Progressive Presidents: Teddy Roosevelt

• 1901-1909

• Personality: • Impulsive, physically active.

• Background: • Served in New York State’s Assembly• Was McKinley’s Vice President

• Reform Programs• “A Square Deal” for all Americans

Definition of a Trust

• Any large industrial or commercial corporation or combination having a monopolistic or semi-monopolistic control over the production of some commodity or service.

Roosevelt & Addressing the Effects

of Industrialization• Used the Sherman Antitrust Act to regulate and

break up monopolies

• Protected consumers by passing the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act.

• Helped coal miners by pressuring strikers and owners to use arbitration to end the 1902 strike.

• Backed the creation of the U.S. Forest Service and set aside nearly 150 million acres of national forests

Roosevelt & Reforming National Government

• Roosevelt supported women’s suffrage when he ran for president in 1912.• *He was not elected

The “Roughriders”

The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

• Monroe Doctrine (1823): European Powers should stay out of the Western Hemisphere and the U.S. would stay out of European affairs.

• Roosevelt Corollary: In order to prevent such intervention, the United States was justified in acting first.• Known as Big Stick Diplomacy• “Walk softly and carry a big stick, you will go far.”

William Howard Taft

The Progressive Presidents: William Taft

• 1909-1913

• Personality:• Quiet and cautious

• Background:• Member of Roosevelt’s cabinet• Former judge

• Reform Programs:• Continued some of Roosevelt’s progressive

reforms

Taft & Addressing the Effects of

Industrialization• Taft brought more than 90 lawsuits against

trusts. He prosecuted trusts with limited trade.

• He established the Children’s Bureau in the Department of Labor.

• Implemented 8-hr workday for govt employees

• Added 2.7 million acres to the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Taft & Reforming the National Government

• Called for reform of the banking system, though Americans were divided on proper solution

• Congress proposed the 16th Amendment, establishing a federal income tax during Taft’s presidency

• Congress passed the 17th Amendment, which called for the direct election of senators in 1912

Dollar Diplomacy

• To use the military strength of the United States to protect private American investments abroad.

Woodrow Wilson

The Progressive Presidents: Woodrow

Wilson• 1913-1921

• Personality:• Idealist• Scholar

• Background:• Governor of New Jersey

• Reform Programs:• New Freedom• Gave more economic freedom to small businesses

and average citizens

Addressing the Effects of Industrialization:

Wilson• Helped pass the Clayton Antitrust Act,

which made it harder for trusts to form and exempted Unions from antitrust laws

• Signed the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act and secured 8 hour workdays for railroad workers

• Supported the creation of the National Park Service to manage national parks for preservation and public use.

Reforming the National Government

• Supported the creation of Federal Reserve System to stabilize the banking system.

• 16th & 17th Amendments were ratified under his presidency

• 18th Amendment, which prohibited alcohol, was ratified during his presidency

• Wilson supported women’s suffrage, and the 19th Amdt. was ratified when he was in office.

Trends of Progressive Presidents

• Limiting the power of big businesses / corporations

• Defending the rights of the “common man”• Limiting work hour• Allowing people to vote directly for senators

• Preserving land through national forests.