America Becomes a World Power

 Wm. McKinley becomes popular president  During his administration:  U.S. gains Puerto Rico  Sets up system to protect Cuba  Becomes important power in Asia  Navy sets up bases in Phillippines  China opens to American trade  European nations respected American power

 McKinley wins second term easily in 1900  Wm. Jennings Bryan tries to make imperialism an issue  McKinley chooses Teddy Roosevelt as VP  McKinely is assassinated less than one year after being re-elected  Shot at an expo in Buffalo NY by an anarchist  Secret Service charged with protecting all future presidents

 Leon Czolgosz  James Parker

 Teddy Roosevelt takes office  Youngest president at 42 years old  Believes in reforming America at home  Wants to strengthen American power abroad

 Roosevelt believes American society has problems  Low wages  Equal opportunities  Etc.  Roosevelt believes Americans should receive a “Square Deal”

 United Mine Workers of America  PA coal miners strike for higher pay  Roosevelt forces owners to settle with workers  This represents the first time that government supports the rights of unionized workers

 Progressives believed America should make laws to correct the countries problems  Reforms were generally only helpful to white workers  Roosevelt believes African-American workers should receive a “square deal” as well  Some Progressives did not support economic and social justice for African-Americans  NAACP founded by W.E.B. DuBois in 1909 to help open the “doors of opportunity” for blacks

 Primary Elections  Referendum  Initiative  Recall

 Progressive writers are called “muckrakers”  They write about political corruption and social problems in the early 1900’s  Lincoln Steffens  The Shame of the Cities  Upton Sinclair  The Jungle  Ida Tarbell  History of Standard Oil

 Immigrant Issues  Most immigrants came from Eastern and Southern Europe vs. Northern and Western Europe  Should these immigrants be made to assimilate into one “American” culture or should we focus on making their lives better rather than changing them?

 Roosevelt does not want big businesses to harm society  Sherman Anti-Trust Act  Roosevelt feels trusts should be broken into smaller businesses  Department of Commerce and Labor is created to keep an eye on businesses  Roosevelt becomes known as the “trust buster”