Taft and Wilson

Progressivism under Taft Supported 16 th amendment (income tax) Signed Payne-Aldrich Tariff, which kept tariffs high -Progressives were not happy with this tariff Taft’s Sec. of Interior was accused of impeding investigation of gov’t fraud of public coal land deals in AK Election of 1912: Republican (Taft), new progressive (Bull- Moose party – Roosevelt), & Woodrow Wilson (Democr.) Wilson wins easily

Wilson’s New Freedom Reputation as a reformer as gov. of New Jersey New Freedom- reform plan calling for tariff reductions, banking reform, & stronger anti-trust laws 1913 – Underwood Tariff – lowest tariffs in 50 yrs – passage of income tax law (16 th Amend.), a graduated income tax Banks had history of failing when people panicked -Federal Reserve Act (1913)- created a central fund from which banks could borrow to prevent collapse

Stronger Anti-Trust Laws Clayton Anti-Trust Act: clarified & expanded the Sherman Anti-Trust Act -prohibited companies from buying stock of competing companies in order to form a monopoly -made worker strikes, boycotts, pickets legal for 1 st time Federal Trade Commission (1915) -enforced anti-trust laws -investigated businesses -cracked down on companies using deceptive ads

Women Vote Carrie Chapman Catt – NAWSA leader -worked with states to get women’s right to vote Alice Paul – formed National Women’s Party radical: picketed White House, chained themselves to railings -hunger strikes in prison NAWSA & women’s support of US effort in WWI helped weaken opposition to women’s suffrage 19 th Amendment (1920) – women can vote

Progressivism & rights of A.A. Progressivism had limits regarding A.A. rights T.R. invited Booker T. Washington to White House 1906 – 12 members of AA 25 th infantry accused of going on shooting spree in Brownsville, TX -told all would be dishonorably discharged if none came forward -none came forward; TR signed papers discharging all 167 soldiers canceling their back pay & pensions -years later it came out that they were falsely accused

Wilson & African Americans Was against a federal anti-lynching law Also allowed his cabinet members to segregate their offices, which had already been desegregated Congress passed a law making it illegal for blacks to marry whites in Washington, DC Beginning of WWI in 1914 in Europe ended the Progressive Era Wilson’s second term as president would be devoted almost entirely to the war