Wilson’s New Freedom-Progressivism at the

National Level

The Election of 1912

The Republican Party

&President

William H. Taft

The Republican Party

&President

William H. Taft

Keepthe

WhistleBlowing

Keepthe

WhistleBlowing

Taft was Taft was determined to determined to defeat TR and preserve the defeat TR and preserve the conservative heart of the Republican conservative heart of the Republican Party.Party.

Republican Party Platform

Republican Party PlatformHigh import tariffs.High import tariffs.

Put limitations on female and child Put limitations on female and child labor.labor.

Workman’s Compensation Laws.Workman’s Compensation Laws.

Against initiative, referendum, and Against initiative, referendum, and recall.recall.

Against “bad” trusts.Against “bad” trusts.

Creation of a Federal Trade Creation of a Federal Trade Commission.Commission.

Stay on the gold standard.Stay on the gold standard.

Conservation of natural resources Conservation of natural resources because they are finite.because they are finite.

The Progressive

Party &Former

President Theodore Roosevelt

The Progressive

Party &Former

President Theodore Roosevelt

People should risePeople should riseabove their sectarianabove their sectarianinterests to promote the general good.interests to promote the general good.

Theodore Roosevelt atOsawatomie, KS: New

Nationalism

Theodore Roosevelt atOsawatomie, KS: New

Nationalism

Big business requires big Big business requires big government.government.

TheAnti-Third-Term

Principle

TheAnti-Third-Term

Principle

The “Bull

Moose”Party:The

LatestArrivalat the

Political Zoo

The “Bull

Moose”Party:The

LatestArrivalat the

Political Zoo

We stand at We stand at Armageddon, Armageddon,

and we battle for the and we battle for the Lord!Lord!

ONWARD, CHRISTIAN ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!SOLDIERS!

Progressive Party Platform

Progressive Party PlatformWomen’s suffrage.Women’s suffrage.

Graduated income tax.Graduated income tax.

Inheritance tax for the rich.Inheritance tax for the rich.

Lower tariffs.Lower tariffs.

Limits on campaign Limits on campaign spending.spending.

Currency reform.Currency reform.

Minimum wage laws.Minimum wage laws.

Social insurance.Social insurance.

Abolition of child labor.Abolition of child labor.

Workmen’s compensation.Workmen’s compensation.

NNeeww

NNaattiioonnaalliissmm

NNeeww

NNaattiioonnaalliissmm

Democratic Party Platform

Democratic Party PlatformGovernment control of the Government control of the

monopolies monopolies trusts in general were bad trusts in general were bad eliminate them!! eliminate them!!

Tariff reduction.Tariff reduction.

One-term President.One-term President.

Direct election of Senators.Direct election of Senators.

Create a Department of Labor.Create a Department of Labor.

Strengthen the Sherman Anti-Strengthen the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.Trust Act.

Did NOT support women’s Did NOT support women’s suffrage.suffrage.

Opposed to a central bank.Opposed to a central bank.

NNeeww

FFrreeeeddoomm

NNeeww

FFrreeeeddoomm

In 1912, the Republican Party was split between Progressives who backed Theodore Roosevelt and those loyal to incumbent William Howard Taft.

The split allowed Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat, to win easily in the Electoral College, though he did not receive a majority of the popular votes.

The Election of 1912

“Without the watchful . . . resolute interference of

the government, there can be no fair play between

individuals and such powerful institutions as

the trusts. Freedom today is something more than

being let alone”—Woodrow Wilson

Election ResultsElection Results

By 1912, 100,000 fewer people had voted By 1912, 100,000 fewer people had voted for Wilson than had voted for Bryan in for Wilson than had voted for Bryan in 1908.1908.

The 1912 election marked the apogee of The 1912 election marked the apogee of the Socialist movement in America.the Socialist movement in America.

• Served as a college professor and President of Princeton University

• Served as Governor of New Jersey with a Progressive agenda

• He was the first southerner elected President in almost sixty years

Woodrow Wilson

Wilson’s New Freedom: The 3 T’s

•Wilson promised to bring down the “triple wall of privilege:”

•Tariffs

•T-banks

•Trusts

In 1913, the Underwood Tariff Act cut tariffs leading to lower consumer prices.

Wilson and Tariff Reform

16th Amendment• The Congress shall have power to lay

and collect taxes on incomes. . .

The Underwood Act also provided for the creation of a graduated income tax, first permitted in 1913, under the newly ratified Sixteenth Amendment.

Progressives like Wilson felt it was only fair that the wealthy should pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than the poor.

Revenue from the income tax more than offset the loss of funds from the lowered tariff.

Wilson and Tariff Reform

Wilson passed the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. It established a system of regional banks to hold reserve funds for the nation’s commercial banks.

Still in place today, the Federal Reserve protects against any one person, bank, or region from controlling interest rates.

Previously, a few wealthy bankers could manipulate interest rates for their own profit.

Wilson and Bank Reform

Wilson strengthened antitrust laws. Like Roosevelt, he focused on trusts that used unfair practices.

Still in effect today, the FTC also prosecutes dishonest stock traders and regulates internet sales.

The Federal Trade Commission was created in 1914 to monitor businesses to prevent monopolies, false advertising, and dishonest labeling.

Wilson the Trustbuster

In 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act defined specific activities in which businesses could not engage.

• Like Roosevelt, Wilson only opposed trusts that engaged in unfair practices.

• The Clayton Act also protected unions from being defined as trusts, allowing them more freedom to organize.

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act

17th Amendment• The Senate of the United States shall be

composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years

Wilson passed several Progressive laws that supported workers.

• In 1916, the Workingman’s Compensation Act provided wages for temporarily disabled civil service employees.

• In 1916, the Adamson Act provided an eight-hour day for railway workers.

Federal laws today protect workers who are hurt on the job and limit hours in many industries.

Other Progressive Reforms

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

18th Amendment-1919

Woman Suffrage Before 1920

Woman Suffrage Before 1920

Women Win Suffrage• Carrie Chapman Catt,

head of NAWSA, stresses organization, lobbying

• National Woman’s Party aggressively pressures for suffrage amendment

• Work of patriotic women in war effort influences politicians

19th Amendment-1920• The right of citizens of the United

States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

The Progressive Era had a lasting effect on government, the economy, and society.

Legacy of Progressivism

Progressives succeeded in establishing the idea that government can take action for the welfare of the people.

Progressive Era Legislation and Amendments

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

Outlawed monopolies and practices that restrained trade

National Reclamation Act (1902)

Provided for federal irrigation projects in arid Western states

Elkins Act (1903)

Imposed fines on railroads that gave special rates to favored shippers

Hepburn Act (1906)

Allowed the government to regulate and sets maximum rates for railroads

Meat Inspection Act (1906) Provided federal inspection of packing plants and meat sold across state lines

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) Provided federal inspection of foods, medicines for purity

Sixteenth Amendment (1913) Gave Congress the power to collect an income tax

Progressive Era Legislation and Amendments (continued)

Seventeenth Amendment (1913)

Provided for the direct election of Senators by the voters of each state

Underwood Tariff Act(1913)

Lowered tariffs on imported goods, established a graduated income tax

Federal Reserve Act(1913)

Created the Federal Reserve Board to oversee banks and reserve funds

Federal Trade Commission Act (1914)

Established the Federal Trade Commission to monitor business

Clayton Antitrust Act(1914)

Spelled out specific activities that businesses can not engage in

Eighteenth Amendment (1919)

Banned the making, selling, or transporting of alcoholic beverages

Nineteenth Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote in all elections

Wilson and Civil Rights

• As candidate, favors civil rights

• As president, opposes anti-lynching legislation

• Appoints fellow Southerners to cabinet who extend segregation

• NAACP rightly feels betrayed

The Limits of Progressivism

Songs of the Sunny South

Songs of the Sunny South

African-Americans in the Progressive Era

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)- goal is full equality among races- founded 1909 by W. E. B. Du Bois and black, white reformers

The Twilight of Progressivism

•Outbreak of World War I distracts Americans; reform efforts stall

•By the end of the Progressive era, Americans looked to the government to play an active role in regulating the economy and solving social problems.