The Progressive Presidents By Steven Reed, Chris Downing, and Liam Corcoran

Section 1 Questions How did President Roosevelt try to balance the needs of both business and labor? What did Roosevelt do to regulate businesses and railroads? Why did Roosevelt and others contribute to the conservation movement? What was Roosevelt’s Square Deal?

Labor and Business In 1902 one hundred fifty thousand coal miners went on strike because they wanted better pay, shorter hours, and acceptance of the United Mine Workers union. The strike lasted several months. It caused coal shortages and rising coal prices. Roosevelt brought the strikers and managers together for arbitration. –Arbitration is a formal meeting to talk about and settle disagreements. Roosevelt threatened to have the federal government take over the mines if the two groups did not cooperate. The government’s support enabled the union to gain a wage increase, ending the strike.

Square Deal Roosevelt believed that the interests of business, labor, and consumers should be balanced to protect the public good. In his opinion, if any one group gained too much power, it might treat the others unfairly. In 1903 Roosevelt described the Square Deal, his plan for government to treat everyone fairly. The Square Deal became a key part of Roosevelt’s political program. Roosevelt believed that there were good and bad trusts. According to him a good trust provided consumers with needed products and services at reasonable prices. He thought a bad trust was one that restricted trade unfairly, using its influence to charge high prices. Roosevelt’s goal was to break up those he considered to be bad trusts while letting good trusts stay in business. The first trust Roosevelt tried to break up was the Northern Securities Company. They controlled the major railroad lines in the Northwest.

The 1904 Election Roosevelt was worried about the 1904 election. Democrats chose former New York judge Alton Parker to run against Roosevelt. Parker accused Roosevelt of being a radical. Roosevelt charmed the public and became a widely known figure. Parker was neither well known nor a talented speaker. The result was a huge win in November 1904 for Roosevelt and his Square Deal platform of equal opportunity and reform.

Alton Parker and Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt and the Muckrakers Muckrakers –Journalists that investigated corruption Business Political corruption –Name of muckrakers Upton Sinclair Muckrakers expose food issues –Meat packing industry Terrible conditions –Maggots in packaged meat –Fingers –Mold –Flies –Roosevelt promises public he will fix this problem Food and Drug Administration Food and Drug Administration

Conservation Roosevelt was the first president to strongly favor conservation –Conservation Protection of nature and its resources –Preservationists Believed that nature should be preserved because of its beauty –Conservationists People who wanted to save the natural resources of the United States. –Gifford Pinchot Chief Forester –Valued forests because they produced the materials needed to build “prosperous homes.” –Roosevelt Put 150 million of acres of public land under the control of the Forest Service Doubled the number of national parks

Section 2 Questions How was William Howard Taft’s administration similar to and different from Roosevelt’s administration? Why did progressives turn against President Taft in the 1912 election? What events took place during the election of 1912? What was Roosevelt’s Progressive Party platform?

Taft’s Policies Roosevelt’s cabinet member –Got replaced by corporate lawyers Progressives thought these new members would be to pro-business to support reform Taft’s administration –Started 90 antitrust lawsuits –Won a major antitrust case that Roosevelt had started against the Standard Oil Company William Jennings Bryan and Robert M. La Follette –Wanted laws that would get rid of trusts entirely Payne-Aldrich Tariff –Passed in 1909 –Lowered many tariffs but raised others Richard Ballinger –Secretary of the Interior Accused by Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot of siding with the interests of big business and thus hurting conservation efforts

Robert La Follette, Richard Ballinger, and William Jennings Bryan

Roosevelt and the Progressive Party New Nationalism –Roosevelt’s plan for government –This program called for a strong executive, more active business regulation, and additional social welfare measures. Taft’s Reaction –He felt Roosevelt was insulting his antitrust efforts and began working to reduce Roosevelt’s power in the Republican Party Roosevelt’s third term –He was sent a letter by Republican governors to run again –He accepted and ran against Taft Bull Moose Party –Roosevelt and his followers formed the Progressive Party Nicknamed the Bull Moose Party after Roosevelt told a crowd that he was “as strong as a bull moose.” –Built its platform around Roosevelt’s New Nationalism

The Election of 1912 Candidates –Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Eugene V. Debs Progressive Party –Faced challenge of getting on the ballot in every state in time –Also had to compete with the powerful Democratic and Republican parties New Freedom –This program called for government action against monopolies to protect free competition –Wilson planned his presidential campaign on it Woodrow Wilson won presidency –The split between Roosevelt and Taft hurt the Republican Party

Eugene V. Debs

Section 3 Questions What were some characteristics of President Wilson’s administration? What economic reforms did Wilson pursue? How did Wilson try to regulate corporations? What two key reforms were passed during Wilson’s first year in office?

Economic Reforms Economic Reform Plan –Woodrow Wilson made tariff reduction the first priority of his economic reform plan. Underwood Tariff Act –Passed in 1913 –It led to the lowest tariff rates in many years –It allowed for a tax on personal earnings, a version of the modern-day income tax 16 th Amendment –Passed in February 1913 –It allowed the federal government to pass a tax on people’s incomes

Reforming the Banking Industry Banking Reforms – Wilson knew they would be much harder to make then tariff reforms –Democrats in Congress did not agree on banking reforms Some wanted a central banking system controlled by the government, while others favored a system run by private bankers Federal Reserve Act –Passed in December 1913 –This act created a national banking system called the Federal Reserve

Regulating Big Business Monopolies –Wilson pushed for more laws to limit monopolies –He thought that the power and influence of monopolies were bad for free enterprise and democracy –Wilson wanted a stronger version of the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up powerful trusts. Clayton Antitrust Act –Passed in October 1914 –This act made federal laws against monopolies stronger –Specifically stated that labor unions had the right to bargain collectively and to go on strike Federal Trade Commission –Congress established this to regulate corporations in 1914 –A five person commission that could review company records and look into business practices