Roosevelt’s Square Deal Chapter 10, Section 4 (pp.313-319)

Roosevelt Rises to the Presidency During the Spanish-American war in 1898, Roosevelt led the Rough Riders, a famous volunteer cavalry unit. He was McKinley’s running mate in 1900 When McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt took over the presidency. Roosevelt’s reform program was called the “Square Deal.”- kept the wealthy and powerful from taking advantage of the poor.

Trustbusting and Regulation Industry Roosevelt convinced Congress to establish the Department of Commerce and Labor to monitor businesses engaged in interstate commerce and to keep capitalists from abusing their power.

Roosevelt Takes on the Railroads He got Congress to pass the Hepburn Act, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission strong enforcement powers. This law gave the government the authority to set and limit shipping costs. The act also set maximum prices for ferries, bridge tolls, and oil pipelines.

Roosevelt Enforces the Sherman Anti-Trust Act Roosevelt actually felt that big business could be a good thing, as long as they don’t take advantage of their customers or bullied smaller businesses. There was a difference between “good trusts” and “bad trusts.”

Regulating Food and Drug Industries Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act, which required federal agents to inspect any meat sold across state lines and required federal inspection of meat-processing plants. The Pure Food and Drug Act also provides inspection of food and medicine The Food and Drug Administration still exists today.

Should National Forests be Conserved or Preserved? John Muir wrote articles that led Congress to develop Yosemite National Park in 1890. Gifford Pinchot took a different view. He said that forests should be preserved for public use instead as homes for woodland creatures and such.

Roosevelt Changes Water Policy Congress passed the National Reclamation Act, which gave the federal government the power to decide where and how water would be distributed.

Taft Takes His Own Course William Taft became president after Roosevelt’s second term was finished. Under his administration, the Supreme Court successfully “busted” the trust built by the Standard Oil Company. Taft supported the rule of reason: allowed monopolies as long as they did not unreasonably squeeze out smaller businesses.

Roosevelt Strikes Back He began traveling around the country speaking about New Nationalism- a program to restore the government’s trust-busting power. The Progressive Party nominated Roosevelt as their presidential candidate in 1912. The Republicans nominated Taft.