The Progressive Presidents

Theodore RooseveltWilliam Howard Taft

Woodrow Wilson

After McKinley’s assassination◦ “Now look, that

damned cowboy is president.”—Mark Hanna

Inaugurated at age 42, youngest president ever

Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)

NYC Police Commissioner, 1895-1897◦ Friend of Jacob Riis

Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1897-1898 Spanish-American War, 1898

◦ Roosevelt’s Rough Riders Governor of New York, 1899-1900

◦ Too progressive for many Republicans Vice President, 1901 26th President, 1901-1909

Theodore Roosevelt

Attended Harvard

Dakota Rancher (1884-1887)

NYC Police Commissioner (1895-1897

The Teddy Bear

Regarded the president as “the steward of public welfare”

He moved aggressively to set a progressive political agenda◦ Delivered a 20K word address to Congress asking

it to curb the power of big corporations◦ One month into office he invited Booker T.

Washington to dinner at the White House 1st time an African American had been invited to the

WH for a meal Outraged some white southerners

TR’s Earliest Actions

Phrase used as early as 1902; became slogan for re-election in 1904

Domestic program, 3 basic ideas:◦ 1. Conservation of natural resources◦ 2. Control of corporations ◦ 3. Consumer protection

*The Three C’s*

TR’s “Square Deal”

Under Roosevelt conservation became a concerted federal policy

He worked closely w/ the head of the Forestry Service, Gifford Pinchot

Set aside 200+ millions of acres:◦ 5 national parks◦ 18 monuments

Devil’s Tower (1906) & Grand Canyon (1908)◦ 4 game preserves,◦ 51 bird preserves ◦ 150 national forests

1. Conservation

Devil’s Tower, Wyoming

The Grand Canyon

Roosevelt w/ John Muir at Glacier Point in Yosemite Valley

President Roosevelt, John Muir, & others at the base of a giant sequoia in California

Quotes on Conservation “In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural

wonder…Keep this great wonder of nature as it is. You can not improve it. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.”—1903

“All the great natural resources which are vital to the welfare of the whole people should be kept either in the hands or under the control of the whole people.”—1912

“There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.”--1912

2. Control of Corporations TR distinguished between “good” & “bad” corporations

◦ He considered bad corporations to be run by greedy financiers interested only in profit

He shocked the corporate world by prosecuting the Northern Securities Co. under the Sherman Antitrust Act◦ NSC was created by JP Morgan◦ The holding company owned the stock & directed the affairs of

3 western RRs It had a monopoly on transportation between the Great Lakes & the

Pacific◦ By 1904 it was dissolved

One newspaper: “Wall Street is paralyzed at the thought that a President of the United States should sink to enforce the law.”

◦ Major victory of the antitrust movement

Strike paralyzed coalfields of PA & WV in 1902 (140K miners)◦ Threatened to shut down

winter fuel supply to all major cities

◦ TR invited union & management leaders to the White House & settled the dispute Workers received 10% wage

increase & 9 hour workday (down from 10)

2. Control of Corporations

Strengthened the ICC Now could examine RRs’ business records &

set reasonable rates Congress, w/ urging from TR, created the

Dept. of Commerce & Labor in 1903 Monitored corporations, ensured they had

fair business practices Later split into two depts.

2. Control of Corporations

Meat Inspection Act & Pure Food and Drug Act◦ Both were inspired

by Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

3. Consumer Protection

Prior experience/background:◦ From Cincinnati, OH◦ Graduate of Yale◦ Lawyer & Judge◦ Governor of the Philippines◦ Roosevelt’s Secretary of

War◦ Defeated WJ Bryan in

election of 1908 WJB, of Nebraska, had now lost

3X (1896, 1900, 1908)

William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

Hand-picked successor to TR◦ Seemingly would follow in his footsteps

In the end, he was more conservative than TR From his inaugural address:

◦ “The scope of a modern government has been widened far beyond the principles laid down by the old ‘laissez-fair’ school of political writers.”

Taft’s Agenda

Taft pursued anti-trust policy more aggressively than Roosevelt◦ In 1911 he persuaded the Supreme Court to

declare Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co. in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act Had to be broken up into separate marketing,

producing, & refining companies

Taft Takes on Big Business

Taft supported this Amendment It authorized Congress to enact a graduated

income tax◦ It was ratified shortly before he left office◦ It provided a new source of revenue for a

government whose powers, responsibilities, & expenditures were growing rapidly

16th Amendment

Passive personality◦ More easily pushed around by Congress

Some thought he lacked the physical & mental stamina necessary to be president◦ He weighed 350+ pounds

Payne-Aldrich Tariff:◦ Reduced tariff rates, but nearly as much as

reformers had hoped Taft called it the “best bill the Republican Party ever

passed”

Taft’s Downfall

Taft was a conservationist, however… Gifford Pinchot, head of Forestry service, &

close friend to TR attacked Sec. of Interior, Richard Ballinger◦ Ballinger had opened up federal lands in WY, MT,

& AK for private use This angered many Progressives, including Pinchot

◦ To stop the negativity, Taft fired Pinchot for insubordination This infuriated the public & also TR

Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy

Split the GOP:◦ “Old Guard” Republicans who supported Taft◦ Progressive Republicans who backed TR

Division allowed Democrats to regain control of the House of Reps in mid-term elections of 1910

Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy

Election of 1912TR goes for the GOP nomination but loses to Taft

Was hindered by a late start

TR forms the Progressive Party “Bull Moose”

Woodrow Wilson wins the Democratic nomination on the 46th ballot VP - WJB

- President of Princeton- Governor of New Jersey

Election of 1912

Voter Results

Popular Vote Electoral Vote

Wilson - 41.9% 435

Roosevelt - 27.4% 88

Taft - 23.2% 8

*Wilson was the only elected president for the Democratic Party between 1892 & 1932*

*Wilson was 2nd Democratic president since 1861*

Took advantage of split in Republican party

Promised New Freedom:◦ Lower tariffs◦ Banking reform◦ Stronger antitrust

legislation◦ Protection of right of

workers to unionize

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

Underwood Tariff Act◦ Cut rates from 40% to 27%

Lost income would be replaced by income tax (16th Amendment)

Urged Congress to pass the Federal Reserve Act◦ Created a Federal Reserve Board & 12 reserve districts

Each district had its own central bank◦ New system issued Federal Reserve Notes, now

commonly known as the U.S. dollar◦ System is still in use today

Regulates amount of $$$ in circulation Aids bank in danger of failing Influences interest rates

Business

◦ Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914: Exempted unions from antitrust laws Barred courts from issuing injunctions that curtailed

the right to strike◦ Keating-Owen Act:

Outlawed child labor in the manufacture of goods sold in interstate commerce

◦ Adamson Act:◦ Est. an 8-hour workday for railroaders◦ Created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

Investigates & prohibits “unfair” business activities like price-fixing

Business & Labor

17th—1913◦ Direct election of

U.S. Senators 18th Amendment—

1920◦ Prohibition of

alcoholic beverages Not supported by

Wilson

19th Amendment—1920◦ Women’s suffrage

Wilson did not publicly support until 1918

Amendments Ratified During Wilson’s Presidency

Woodrow Wilson Ultimately,

Wilson’s Presidency was defined by WWI