Roosevelt and Taft Chapter 15 Section 2

Theodore Roosevelt Youngest president ever – 42 years old Loved the idea of Social Darwinism but was also a progressive

Theodore Roosevelt Trusts – His goal was to make sure that trusts did not abuse their power – JP Morgan’s railroad became a monopoly in the west – Roosevelt took him to court and the court ruled that the Northern Securities railroad had violated the laws – Nicknamed Roosevelt – Trustbuster

Theodore Roosevelt The Coal Strike of 1902 – United Mine Workers launched a strike – they wanted better pay, less hours, and union recognition – Coal prices began to rise – If the strike went on too long then the country would face a shortage and the factories would shut down – Roosevelt urged for arbitration but the mine owners refused – Roosevelt threatened to allow the army to run the mines and the mine owners agreed to meet

Theodore Roosevelt 1903 – Department of Commerce and Labor

Theodore Roosevelt Consumer Protection – Samuel Hopkins Adams published a series of articles about the medicine business Many companies patented and marketed potions they claimed would cure a variety of ills No more than water, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, opium, cocaine and other stuff

Theodore Roosevelt Consumer Protection – Upton Sinclair The Jungle Observed slaughterhouses in Chicago and how filthy and disgusting they were Meat Inspection Act – 1906 – Required federal inspection of meat - USDA Pure Food and Drug Act – 1906 – Prohibited the manufacture, sale or shipment of impure of falsely labeled food and drugs

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation – Western Land Development Newlands Reclamation Act – Authorized the use of federal funds from public land sales to pay for irrigation and land developments – Gifford Pinchot Head of The United States Forest Service Him and Roosevelt added over 100 million acres to the protected national forests, 5 new national parks and 51 federal wildlife reservations

Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt’s Legacy – Americans began looking to the federal government to solve the nations economic and social problems – Executive Branch power had dramatically increased

William Howard Taft Served as a judge, governor of the Philippines, Roosevelt’s secretary of War

William Howard Taft Ballinger vs. Pinchot – Ballinger was appointed to the secretary of the interior – Ballinger wanted to make nearly a million acres of public forests and mineral reserves available for private development – Pinchot charged him with plotting to turn over valuable public lands in Alaska to a private business – Taft fired Pinchot for insubordination – disobedience to authority

William Howard Taft Taft’s Achievement – Children’s Bureau Agency that investigated and publicized the problems of child labor Still exists today – Bureau of Mines Monitored the activity of mines

William Howard Taft Interesting Fact: