ROOSEVELT’S SQUARE DEAL CHAPTER 8 - SECTION 4 ROOSEVELT’S SQUARE DEAL

IN THE LATE 1800S THE U.S. HAD SEVERAL WEAK PRESIDENTS – THEODORE ROOSEVELT CHANGED ALL THAT

ROOSEVELT PASSED PROGRESSIVE REFORMS AND EXPANDED THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENCY – HE ALSO CHANGED THE WAY AMERICANS VIEWED THE ROLES OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE GOVERNMENT

ROOSEVELT WAS THE YOUNGEST MAN TO BE PRESIDENT – ONLY 43 YEARS OLD

RISE TO THE PRESIDENCY ROOSEVELT GRADUATED FROM HARVARD THEN WENT TO COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL – HE WAS ELECTED TO THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY AND SERVED THERE FOR THREE YEARS

AFTER THE DEATHS OF HIS MOTHER AND HIS WIFE ALICE, ROOSEVELT RETIRED TO A RANCH OUT WEST – THIS IS WHERE HE GOT HIS LOVE OF THE WILDERNESS

1889 ROOSEVELT RETURNED TO POLITICS AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK CITY’S BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS – WHERE HE GAINED FAME BY FIGHTING CORRUPTION

PRESIDENT MCKINLEY NAMED THEODORE ROOSEVELT AS ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

WHEN THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR BROKE OUT ROOSEVELT RESIGNED HIS POSITION AND FORMED THE ROUGH RIDERS – A VOLUNTARY CALVARY UNIT THAT BECAME FAMOUS DURING THE WAR

AFTER THE WAR ROOSEVELT WAS ELECTED GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK AND PUSHED FOR PROGRESSIVE REFORMS – THESE REFORMS ANNOYED REPUBLICAN LEADERS WHO URGED MCKINLEY TO TAKE HIM AS HIS RUNNING MATE IN THE 1900 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

MCKINLEY WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT BUT ASSASSINATED A FEW MONTHS LATER MAKING ROOSEVELT PRESIDENT

ROOSEVELT’S LEADERSHIP STYLE ENABLED HIM TO REDEFINE THE PRESIDENCY – HE USED HIS PRESIDENTIAL POWERS TO: 1. BUST ILLEGAL MONOPOLIES 2. REDUCE ABUSIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES 3. MAKE A SYMBOLIC STATEMENT AGAINST SEGREGATION (PAGE 235)

ROOSEVELT CALLED HIS PROGRAM THE SQUARE DEAL – ITS GOALS WERE TO KEEP THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE POOR

TRUSTBUSTING AND REGULATING INDUSTRY 1902 PENNSYLVANIA COAL MINERS WENT ON STRIKE FOR HIGHER WAGES AND A SHORTER WORKDAY – ROOSEVELT SYMPATHIZED BUT WANTED TO END THE STRIKE BECAUSE COAL WAS NEEDED FOR FACTORIES AND HOMES

ROOSEVELT TRIED TO CONVINCE THE MINE OWNERS TO LISTEN TO THE WORKERS CONCERNS BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL – HE THREATENED THE OWNERS WITH FEDERAL TROOPS TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE MINE – WORKED – -- THE OWNERS DID GIVE A PAY RAISE AND SHORTER WORK DAY

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STEPPED IN TO HELP WORKERS IN A LABOR DISPUTE

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

RAILROADS COULD CHARGE WHATEVER THEY WANTED FOR TRANSPORTING GOODS RAILROAD COMPANIES COULD CHARGE WHATEVER THEY WANTED FOR TRANSPORTING GOODS – PROBLEM FOR WESTERN FARMERS TO GET THEIR GOODS SHIPPED EAST

THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE ALL SHIPPERS WERE CHARGED THE SAME AMOUNTS – THE SUPREME COURT STRIPPED AWAY MUCH OF THEIR POWER BY 1900

ROOSEVELT CONVINCED CONGRESS TO PASS TWO LAWS CONCERNING RAILROADS: 1. ELKINS ACT – IMPOSED FINES ON RIALROADS THAT GAVE SPECIAL RATES TO FAVORED SHIPPERS 2.HEPBURN ACT – GAVE THE ICC STRONG ENFORMCEMENT POWERS – GAVE THE GOVERNMENT THE AUTHORITY TO SET AND LIMIT SHIPPING COSTS – ALSO SET MAXIMUM PRICES FOR FERRIES, BRIDGE TOLLS AND OIL PIPELINES

ROOSEVELT AND HIS ADMINISTRATION GAINED A REPUTATION AS TRUSTBUSTERS HE DID NOT WANT TO BRING DOWN ALL LARGE COMPANIES – BELIEVED THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN “GOOD TRUSTS” AND “BAD TRUSTS” HE BELIEVED BIG BUSINESSES WERE BAD ONLY IF IT BULLIED SMALLER ONES OR CHEATED CONSUMERS HE SUPPORTED BIG BUSINESS AS LONG AS THEY DID BUSINESS FAIRLY

FOOD AND DRUG INDUSTRIES 1906 – UPTON SINCLAIR PUBLISHED THE JUNGLE – ABOUT THE FILTHY AND UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS IN MEATPACKING PLANTS

AS A RESULT OF THIS BOOK ROOSEVELT URGED CONGRESS TO PASS THE MEAT INSPECTION ACT WHICH LED TO FEDERAL AGENTS TO INSPECT ANY MEAT SOLD ACROSS STATE LINES AND REQUIRED FEDERAL INSPECTION OF MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS

CONGRESS ALSO PASSED THE PURE FOOD AND DRUG ACT – PLACED THE SAME CONTROLS ON OTHER FOODS AND MEDICINES – ALSO BANNED THE INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF IMPURE FOOD AND THE MISLABELING OF FOOD AND DRUGS

ENVIRONMENT ROOSEVELT’S LOVE OF NATURE SHAPED HIS POLICIES ON THE HE ADMIRED JOHN MUIR WHOSE EFFORTS HAD LED CONGRESS TO CREATE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION ROOSEVELT BOTH AGREED AND DISAGREED WITH MUIR: 1. FOLLOWING MUIR’S ADVICE ROOSEVELT CLOSED OFF MORE THAN 100 MILLION ACRES OF FORESTLAND 2. HE DID NOT AGREE WITH MUIR ABOUT LEAVING WILD AREAS PRESERVED – OR UNTOUCHED

CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION BELIEVED LANDS HAD VALUABLE RESOURCES THAT SHOULD BE USED – HE CALLED ON EXPERTS TO DRAW UP PLANS FOR BOTH CONSERVING AND USING THE FORESTS

ROOSEVELT AGREED WITH GIFFORD PINCHOT - LEADER OF THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - “RATIONAL USE” IDEA-THAT FORESTS BE PRESERVED FOR PUBLIC USE - MEANING THAT FORESTS SHOULD BE PROTECTED SO THAT TREES WOULD HAVE TIME TO MATURE INTO GOOD LUMBER – THEN PROTECTED AREAS SHOULD BE LOGGED FOR WOOD TO BUILD HOUSES AND NEW AREAS PLACED UNDER PROTECTION PINCHOT’S VIEWS CAME TO DOMINATE AMERICAN POLICIES TOWARD NATURAL RESOURCES

WATER IN 1902: 1. GAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE POWER TO NATIONAL RECLAMATION ACT – PASSED BY CONGRESS IN 1902: 1. GAVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE POWER TO DECIDE WHERE AND HOW WATER WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED 2. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD BUILD AND MANAGE DAMS THAT WOULD CREATE RESERVOIRS, GENERATE POWER AND DIRECT WATER FLOW

WOULD MAKE WATER FROM ONE STATE’S RIVERS AND STREAMS AVAILABLE TO FARMERS IN OTHER STATES WATER MANAGEMENT PROJECTS CREATED HUGE RESERVOIRS AND LAKES WHERE THERE HAD BEEN DRY CANYONS – EXAMPLE: ROOSEVELT AND HOOVER DAMS ON THE COLORADO RIVER

ROOSEVELT AND TAFT ROOSEVELT LEFT THE PRESIDENCY AFTER TWO TERMS IN OFFICE – SUPPORTED WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT IN THE ELECTION OF 1908 ROOSEVELT EXPECTED TAFT TO CONTINUE HIS PROGRAMS OF MANAGING BUSINESS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

TAFT HAD HIS OWN AGENDA APPROVED THE PAYNE-ALDRICH ACT WHICH DID NOT LOWER TARIFFS AS MUCH AS ROOSEVELT WANTED PUSHED CONGRESS TO PASS THE MANN-ELKINGS ACT - WHICH GAVE THE GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH RATES ENCOURAGED CONGRESS TO PROPOSE AN INCOME TAX DROPPED ROOSEVELT’S DISTINCTION BETWEEN GOOD TRUSTS AND BAD TRUSTS

UNDER TAFT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BROUGHT LAWSUITS AGAINST TWICE AS MANY CORPORATIONS AS ROOSEVELT HAD DONE

TAFT ALSO FIRED GIFFORD PINCHOT FOR CRITICIZING SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR RICHARD BALLINGER FOR WORKING WITH BUSINESS INTERESTS TO SELL FEDERAL LAND RICH IN COAL DEPOSITS IN ALASKA

ROOSEVELT BEGAN TRAVELING THE COUNTRY SPEAKING ABOUT NEW NATIONALISM – A PROGRAM TO RESTORE THE GOVERNMENT’S TRUSTBUSTING POWER

HE DECLARED HIMSELF AS FIT AS A BULL MOOSE AND RAN FOR ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL TERM – HIS THIRD – THIS SPLIT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY – PROGRESSIVES IN THE PARTY SUPPORTED ROOSEVELT AND SET UP THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY OR BULL MOOSE PARTY

JANE ADDAMS NOMINATED ROOSEVELT AS THE PROGRESSSIVE PARTY’S CANDIDATE FOR THE 1912 ELECTION REPUBLICANS NOMINIATED TAFT DEMOCRATES NOMINATED WOODROW WILSON