Wilson’s New Freedom Chapter 9-5

Wilson Wins Financial Reforms Like TR Wilson claimed to be a Progressive but with a different approach to the role of government He believed in attacking large concentrations of power in order to gain greater freedom for the average citizen When it came to civil rights his southern background prevented him from pursuing & protecting the rights of the African American

Wilson’s Background Wilson would spend his youth in the South during the Civil War & Reconstruction He would later serve as a lawyer, history professor, President of Princeton University, & as Governor of New Jersey As Governor he supported Progressive legislation such as the direct primary, worker’s compensation, & the regulation of RR’s/public utilities As president he enacted his program, called “New freedom”, in which he would attack the triple wall of privilege: trusts, tariffs, & high finance

Two Anti-Trust Measures In an attempt to control big business Wilson would help enact two key anti-trust measures Clayton Anti-Trust Act Federal Trade Commission (FTC) The Clayton Act would prohibit companies from buying stock of competitors which would eliminate competition & create a monopoly The act also gave farm organizations & labor unions the right to organize, strike, picket, & boycott The FTC became the “watchdog” of the federal government as it had the power to investigate & end unfair business practices

A New Tax System When it came to taxes Wilson worked to lower them He bullied congress into passing a new lower tariff, against the will of business When it came to the individual congress would pass the Sixteenth Amendment which would tax the income of Americans for the first time This would become & still is the main source of income for the U.S. Government Next Wilson turned his attention to the banking system creating the Federal Reserve which would have the power to issue currency, make loans to member banks, & protect customers savings This is the basis of todays banking system

Women’s Fight For Suffrage By 1910 women had become increasingly impatient about being denied the right to vote as only 5 Western states allowed them to do so 3 new developments would however give the ladies hope Increased activism by local groups Bold new strategies that provided great momentum Rebirth of a national movement under the guidance Carrie Chapman Catt “There are whole precincts of voters in this country whose united intelligence does not equal that of one representative American woman.”

Local Suffrage Battles The movement received an infusion of support when a growing number of college educated women joined the fight Door to door campaigns, trolley tours, & heckling government officials all helped get the message to women of all classes U.S. women suffragists demonstrating for the right to vote, February 1913

Catt & The National Movement Carrie Chapman Catt would replace Susan B. Anthony as head of NAWSA & would concentrate on 5 tracks to win the vote Organization Close ties between local & national organizations Establishing a wide base of support Cautious lobbying Gracious, ladylike behavior Not all supported the slow cautious tactics of Catt as some opted for more radical tactics Lucy Burns & Alice Paul would form the National Woman’s Party & form an around the clock picket of the White House, would be jailed, & attempted a hunger strike It would be the patriotic efforts in WWI that would push the cause to the forefront & result in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919

The Limits of Progressivism Although Wilson experienced success in political & economic reforms he would disappoint Progressives when it came to social reform especially in the area of civil rights Wilson would enter the Presidency on a promise of treating blacks equally As President he did anything but, as he opposed anti-lynching legislation & appointed Southern segregationists to key government positions who extended segregation

The Twilight of Progressivism With the outbreak of WWI in 1914 America & its leaders turned its attention to the war effort thus stalling or ending progressive reforms In retrospective the movement made great strides in the areas of labor, women's rights, government reform, & certain areas of social reform but would fall short in the area of civil rights