Questions
Flo20thebest
ProgressiveEraPresidents-2.pptGoals For Today
- Understand how Teddy Roosevelt used his power as president to support progressive movement goals.
- improvement of conditions for workers and consumers (social welfare)
- providing a more responsive and responsible government (economic/political reform)
- women gaining the right to vote and the outlawing of alcohol in the United States (moral welfare)
- Fostering efficiency
Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
- 1902 Coal Strike:
- Miners in PA
- 20% pay raise
- 9 hr. day
- union
- T.R. called both sides to White House to negotiate
- Threatened to take over mines
- Legislation: none
Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
- Trusts:
- “Good” v. “Bad” trusts
- Filed suits under Sherman Antitrust Act
- Railroad, beef, oil, tobacco and others
- Ordered Justice Dept. to sue Northern Securities Company
- NSC est. monopoly over Northwestern Railroads
- Legislation: Sherman Antitrust Act
- Trustbuster
Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
- Unregulated Big Business:
- Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Act
- Fought for passage of :
- Elkins Act
- Hepburn Act
- Legislation: Interstate Commerce Act, Elkins Act, and Hepburn Act
Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
- Dangerous Foods and Medicine:
- Appointed a commission to study the meatpacking industry.
- Legislation:
- Meat Inspection Act
- Pure Food and Drug Act
Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
- Shrinking Wilderness and Natural Resources:
- Promoted conservation of natural resources
- Set aside thousands of acres of forest reserves
- Water-power sites
- Wilderness sanctuaries
- National parks
- Pinchot to head U.S. Forest Services
- Irrigation projects
- Legislation: National Reclamation Act (Newlands Act)
Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal
- Racial Discrimination:
- Appointed an African American as head of Charleston, SC
- Customhouse
- Refused to dismiss an African American postmistress in Miss.
- Invited Booker T. Washington to dinner
- Legislation: None
William Howard Taft
Progressivism Under Taft
- Support:
- Conservatives
- Opposed progressivism
- Opposed Roosevelt
- Opposed low tariffs
- Favored business
Progressivism Under Taft
- Opposed:
- Progressives opposed Taft b/c he:
- Signed and defended Payne-Aldrich Tariff
- Seemed to oppose conservation
- Supported conservative boss Joseph Cannon
Progressivism Under Taft
- Progressives:
- Progressive or Bull Moose Party
- Conservatives:
- Republican Party
Progressivism Under Taft
- Progressive- Theodore Roosevelt
- Republican- William Howard Taft
- Democratic- Woodrow Wilson
- Socialist- Eugene Debs
Progressivism Under Taft
- Progressive: Supported govt. action to supervise big business, but did not oppose all big business monopolies.
- Republican: Favored business, but fought to break up trusts.
- Democratic: Supported small business and free market competition; thought that all big business monopolies were evil.
- Socialist: Felt that big business was evil and that the solution involved doing away with capitalism and distributing wealth more equally among the people.
Progressivism Under Taft
- Payne-Aldrich Tariff:
- Set of tax regulations (1909)
- Goal: Lower tariffs
- Failed to significantly reduce tariffs on manufactured goods
Wilson’s New Freedom
Wilson’s New Freedom
- Federal Trade Act:
- Set up Federal Trade Commission w/ power to investigate both possible legal violations by corporations & unfair business practices
- Had power to issue orders to “cease and desist” unfair practices
Wilson’s New Freedom
- Clayton Antitrust Act:
- Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act by declaring certain business practices illegal
- Freed labor unions and farm organizations from antitrust laws
- Prohibited most injunctions against strikers
Wilson’s New Freedom
- Underwood Tariff:
- Substantially reduced tariff rates for the first time since the Civil War
- Sixteenth Amendment:
- Legalized a federal income tax
Wilson’s New Freedom
- Federal Reserve Act:
- Established the Federal Reserve System
- A decentralized private banking system under federal control
Wilson’s New Freedom
- Wilson Retreats on Civil Rights:
- Opposed federal anti-lynching legislation
- Appointed segregationists to his cabinet
- Failed to oppose the resegregation of federal offices
Wilson’s New Freedom
- New developments that brought success of female suffrage movement:
- Increased activism of local and grass roots groups
- Use of bold new strategies to build enthusiasm for the movement
- Regeneration of the national movement under Carrie Chapman Catt
