"Progressives in the White House" Cathryn Delisle  DeMecca Prude

Thesis Statement The Presidents who were in office from 1901 to 1921 made more political advancements than any president had since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Overview Was never supposed to be president. Labeled as a reckless cowboy by Republicans. Rough Rider War Hero in Cuba. Elected as Governor of New York. Nominated for Vice President to help McKinley's reelection and to limit his power.  Theodore Roosevelt 

The Bully Pulpit Roosevelt sided with American laborers. The White House became a bully pulpit that protected the people's interest against big businesses. Roosevelt allied with the Progressive Movement Hand-Picked his sucessor- William Howard Taft Taft continued Roosevelt's legacy by busting America's trusts He couldn't control the conservative wing The Bully Pulpit

Preserving the Wilderness As the Nation grew larger and larger, America's natural resources were slowly being destroyed. As more people learned of these things, the interest of preserving the "old lands" for the younger generation began to inspire many people. Many formed clubs to stop the sale of public lands to private developers. The largest club being The Sierra Club formed in 1892. When Theodore Roosevelt became President, John Muir, the president of the Sierra Club, finally had an advocate for his cause. Roosevelt and Muir believed that making use of public lands was not enough, some lands should just not be developed at all. Under an 1891 law that gave the President the power to declare national forests and to restrict the development of public lands, Roosevelt deemed 150,000,000 acres of land national forests over the course of his Presidency. In 1907 Congress passed a law that restricted the protection of lands in six Western states. Roosevelt signed the bill into law, but not before protecting an extra 16,000,000 acres in those states. Roosevelt is said to be the greatest Presidential advocate for the environment since Thomas Jefferson.

Roosevelt and Muir at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park in 1903. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States as well as a environmental advocate. 

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Louisa Maria Torrey and Alphonso Taft. Taft attended Yale where he was a member of the famous secret society The Skull and Bones, which his father co-founded in 1832. After college, he returned to Cincinnati to study and practice law. Taft married Nellie Herron and had three children: Robert, Charles, and Helen. He became a federal circuit judge at 34 and in 1900, President McKinley sent him to the Philippines as Chief Civil Administrator. In 1904, President Roosevelt made him Secretary of War By 1907, Roosevelt decided that Taft would be his successor.  Taft did not initially want to become President, but to be on the Supreme Court, but was convinced by his wife, Nellie Herron, and Roosevelt to run for the Presidency. Taft did not get elected for a 2nd term, losing to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Taft, weighing around 350 pounds at the time, was known for allegedly getting stuck in his bathtub while serving as President. Taft was the only President to ever return and be on the Supreme Court. William Howard Taft died on March 8, 1930 due to cardiovascular disease.

Taft while studying at Yale. William Howard Taft as a young boy. Taft and his wife Helen "Nellie" Herron, whom he met at a sledding party. Taft while studying at Yale. William Howard Taft as a young boy. William Howard Taft and his wife Nellie while serving in the Philippines as Ambassador. Taft with his wife Nellie and their children, Charles, Helen, and Robert.

Passing the Torch In 1908, the country was recovering from a financial crisis that rocked Wall Street. Roosevelt was often and unjustly blamed for this crisis by many industrialists. As Roosevelt's time in the White House was coming to a close, he decided that the perfect successor would be William Howard Taft. Taft lacked the political skill to keep both wing of his party, the Progressives and the Conservatives, happy.  Taft hit his first roadblock when he signed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act. The Progressives were furious and the Conservatives were overjoyed. The next issue he had to face was the Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy. Taft supported many of the progressive goals, despite receiving numerous criticisms from them. Taft broke twice as many trusts in his one term than Roosevelt did in his two terms. Taft limited the workday of federal employees to 8 hours and supported the 16th Amendment and he created a Children's Bureau and supported the 17th Amendment. When Roosevelt returned to America, the Progressives urged him to challenge Taft for the party leadership.

Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in 1907. William Howard Taft is said to have gotten stuck in his bathtub while being President. Although, most historical accounts show that it is most likely false. This political cartoon depicts Taft softening Roosevelt's reform policies by padding them with Conservative methods. Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft in 1907.

Modern Historians

Primary & Secondary Documents "The public discussion of my relations with Roosevelt has always been a painful one for me. I have felt deeply that Mr. Roosevelt’s friends, whether with his consent or not, have been exceedingly unjust to me in their representations and inferences, and these letters I think repel practically all that they have said; but I think it better not to revive the discussion, and to leave to my children the discretion to publish what I may say to them, together with this correspondence, when the subject becomes ripe for the political history of the time. I now cherish no ill will at all toward Theodore Roosevelt. There were times when I could perhaps not have said so, especially when his action seemed to require me to leave the White House to go out onto the stump to rebut his charges. But all that has gone into the past, and in his silence and inability to answer, I do not wish to appear to be reviving the discussion, and that is what would have been the result had the letters been published, because the public would have assumed, what you assumed, that the letters were given to Mr. Kohlsaat, with permission to publish them."

Review Questions Teddy Roosevelt was the voice of which environmental advocate?  Woodrow Wilson John Muir William Howard Taft 2. About How many acres of land was saved by Roosevelt and Muir during Roosevelt's term?  100,000 5,000,000 150,000,000

3. William Howard Taft was sent to the Philippines by what President to do what job? McKinley; Chief Civil Administrator.  Roosevelt; Ambassador.  Wilson; Chief Civil Administrator.  4. Roosevelt became President in what year? 1900 1904 1908 5. Taft did not originally want to run for President. Who convinced him? Roosevelt and Taft's wife.  Roosevelt and Taft's best friend.  Taft's children. 

6. Roosevelt was a Rough Rider and war hero in which foreign country? Cuba Argentina The Philippines 7. Roosevelt was nominated Vice President for which of the following reasons? To help with McKinley's reelection  To limit his power All of the above 8. Taft lacked the political skills to do what successfully.  A. Keep both sides of his party happy  B. Keep the public happy C. Keep Congress happy

9. About How many trusts did Taft break.  Less than Roosevelt.  Twice as many as Roosevelt  None 10. Roosevelt is said to be the greatest presidential advocate for the environment since who? Abraham Lincoln Thomas Jefferson  George Washington

                                 Bibliography  "William Howard Taft." The White House. The United States Government, 30 Dec. 2014. Web. 06 Dec. 2016. "Preserving the Wilderness." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016. "Passing the Torch." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016. "Theodore Roosevelt - Biographical." Theodore Roosevelt - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016. "William Howard Taft." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 08 Aug. 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016. "American Experience: TV's Most-watched History Series." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.