Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressives The Bull Moose Party

Roosevelt’s Path to the Presidency In 1900, President McKinley ran for re-election with Theodore Roosevelt as his running mate. The Democrats selected William Jennings Bryan Bryan ran mostly on the issue of currency, stating that the American currency should be based on silver. As governor of New York, Roosevelt worked to reform corrupt government and regulate big business This angered many of Roosevelt’s Republican allies. Mark Hanna, a conservative from Ohio, stated there is “only one life between this madman and the presidency!” McKinley is re-elected. Leon Czolgosv assassinated McKinley on September 6, 1901, making Roosevelt president.

The Square Deal Throughout his term in office, and again when he was up for reelection, Roosevelt pushed his proposal called The Square Deal. Roosevelt promised to “see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.” Roosevelt believed in balancing the interest of business, consumers and laborers, not putting one above the other. The Square Deal called for limiting the powers of trusts, promoting public health and safety, and improving working conditions for laborers.

Roosevelt and Business Regulations Trustbusting Northern Securities Company, controlled by JP Morgan, controlled and monopolized the railroad from Chicago to the Northwest. Roosevelt directed the U.S. Attorney General to sue the trust 1904, the Supreme Court ruled that NSC violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and was forced to be dissolved. Encouraged by this victory, Roosevelt issued suits against 44 other trusts. The purpose was to eliminate those that were not beneficial to the public interest. This included trusts that forced companies to give them discounts or rebates, sold inferior products, competed unfairly, or corrupted public officials. “We draw the line against misconduct, not wealth.”

William Howard Taft, Roosevelt and the Progressive Party Describe the events that led to the formation of the Bull Moose or Progressive Party Include: Payne-Aldrich Tariff Ballinger-Pinchot Dispute The two events that persuaded Roosevelt to run for a third term. How did Taft get the Republican nomination? Progressive Party