Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt

Progressive Roots Middle class --- addressed problems causing social upheavals ◦Social Gospel = Christian teachings Journalists and writers exposed unsafe working conditions Progressive Movement ◦Restore economic opportunities ◦Correct injustices

Muckrakers Muckrakers = 1906 ◦Journalists who wrote about the corrupt side of business ◦Mass circulated magazines ◦McClure’s, Cosmopolitan, Collier’s & Everybody’s ◦“The Shame of the Cities” ◦Corrupt alliance between big business and municipal government ◦Ida Tarbell = Standard Oil ◦David G. Phillips = Senate

Political Progressivism Modernize American institutions = 2 goals 1.Use the state to curb monopoly power 2.Improve the common persons conditions Reforming Elections ◦Secret ballot ◦Initiative --- Bill originated by the people ◦Referendum --- Vote on the initiative ◦Recall --- Removal of public official from elected positions by forcing them to face another election before the end of their term

Election of Senators Primary System ◦Allowed voters instead of political machines to choose candidates for public office ◦Special popular election 17 th Amendment ◦Each States Legislature had chosen its own senators ◦Gave power to the party bosses and wealthy corporations ◦Progressives pushed for popular election of senators ◦Ratified in 1913

Progressivism in the Cities/ States Texas = 1901 ◦Expert staff commissions to manage urban affairs ◦City Manager System ◦Took politics out of municipal administration ◦Attack slum lords Clean up water, light streets, trolleys, sanitation ◦Regulating public utilities Wisconsin / California ◦Regulate R.R. / Utilities ◦Southern Pacific RR

Women Settlement House Movement Suffrage “Moral and Maternal Issues” ◦Child labor, sweatshops, TB = tenements, food, alcohol, & factory reform Activist Groups emerged ◦National Consumers League = 1899 ◦Women’s Trade Union League = 1903 ◦Women / Children’s Bureau = 1912

Women Cont. Florence Kelley ◦Factory inspector = Illinois ◦National Consumers League ◦Child labor Muller v. Oregon = 1908 ◦Laws protecting women workers ◦Effects on women’s bodies Lochner v. New York ◦10 hr. = Bakers

Women Cont. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire = 1911 ◦146 women – immigrant New York ◦Laws passed regulating hours and conditions of sweatshops

Women Cont ◦30 states enacted workers compensation laws ◦Insurance to workers injured on the job Anti Liquor Campaigns ◦Women’s Christian Temperance Union ◦“Dry Laws” ◦“Wet Laws” = cities / immigrants

TR’s Square Deal Square Deal ◦Demanding a fair deal for capital, labor, and the public ◦3 C’s 1.Control of Corporations 2.Consumer Protection 3.Conservation

Coal Strike Pennsylvania ◦140,000 coal miners went on strike ◦20% raise, 9 hr workday ◦5 months into strike --- reserves running low ◦Roosevelt called both sides to White House ◦Settled strike --- arbitration ◦10%, 9 hr workday Set new grounds ◦When strike threatened public welfare --- federal government will intervene ◦Department of Commerce / Labor = 1903

TR Corrals Corporations Goal was Federal Regulation ◦ICC had little power --- Interstate Commerce Commission Elkins Act = 1903 ◦Illegal for railroad officials to give and shippers to receive rebates for using particular railroads ◦Could not change set rates without notifying the public Hepburn Act = 1906 ◦Limited distribution or free railroad passes ◦Gave ICC power to set maximum railroad rates

Cont. Trust-busting 1902 ◦Went after railroads --- Northern Securities Company ◦J.P. Morgan / James J. Hill ◦Monopoly over N.W. Railroads 1904 ◦Roosevelt administration filed 44 antitrust suits ◦Winning a number of them “Regulating not Fragmenting”

Caring for the consumer Regulating Foods And Drugs The Jungle --- Upton Sinclair Appointed a commission of experts to investigate the meatpacking industry Meat Inspection Act ◦Dictated strict cleanliness requirements ◦Federal meat inspection

Pure Food and Drug Act Manufacturers claimed products accomplished everything Children's medicines / opium, cocaine, or alcohol Harmful preservatives in food 1906 ◦Pure Food and Drug Act ◦Halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines ◦Called for the truth in labeling

Earth Control Wasteful Americans ◦Ranchers, Timbermen = destructive Desert land Act = 1877 ◦Sold land cheaply ◦Irrigate thirsty soil = 3 yrs Forest Reserve Act = 1891 ◦Set aside public forests as national parks / reserves Carey Act = 1894 ◦Gave federal land to states = irrigated and settled Newlands Act = 1902 ◦Western states – sale of land ◦Funds used to develop irrigation projects ◦Roosevelt Dam = Arizona's Salt River

Conservation John Muir – Naturalist ◦1903 ◦Set aside 125 million acres of forest reserves ◦Yosemite National Park 1.5 millions acres of water power sites 80 million acres - Survey for mineral and water resources 50 wildlife sanctuaries - National Parks

Conservation Cont. Conservation ◦Some areas would be preserved = others developed ◦Multiple-use resource management Hetch Hetchy Valley ◦San Francisco = Dam for municipal water Preservationists = Sierra Club

Roosevelt Panic Short Panic on Wall street “Theodore the Meddler” ◦Unsettled industry Paved the way for overdue fiscal reform ◦Currency shortage ◦Aldrich-Vreeland Act = 1908 ◦Issue emergency currency backed by various kinds of collateral ◦Leading to the Federal Reserve Act

Taft Election 1908 ◦Republican = William Howard Taft ◦Secretary of War ◦Democrat = William Jennings Bryan ◦Taft easily won ◦ Pursued a cautiously progressive agenda ◦Did not expand – consolidated Roosevelt’s Reforms

Taft Cont. Trustbuster ◦90 trusts in 4 years ◦1911 ◦Standard Oil ◦U.S. Steel Corporations Platform = Lowering Tariffs ◦Payne Bill ◦Lowered rates on imported manufactured goods ◦Senate proposed alternative bill ◦Aldrich Bill ◦Made fewer cuts and increased many rates ◦Taft signed = Payne-Aldrich Tariff

Conservation Appoints a wealthy lawyer to be his Secretary of the Interior ◦Richard Ballinger ◦Disapproved of conservation controls on western land ◦Removed 1 million acres of forest / mining lands ◦Returned it to the public ◦Taft angers progressives

Party splits 1912 ◦Roosevelt decided to run for 3 rd term ◦Republicans wanted Roosevelt Primary Election ◦Taft supporters maneuvered to replace Roosevelt delegates with Taft delegates Republican progressives refused to vote ◦Formed a new third party ◦Progressive Party --- nominated Roosevelt ◦Bull Moose Party