Progressive Era Presidents

 A person advocating or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas. Progressive Era

A. Origins of Progressivism  As America entered the 20 th Century, middle class reformers at the municipal, state, and national levels addressed the problems of the Gilded Age, including:  Economic inequities  Environmental issues  Social welfare  Working conditions  Rights for women and children  Urban poor

B. Four Goals of Reformers 1.Protect social welfare 2.Promote moral development 3.Secure economic reform 4.Foster efficiency

 Crusading journalists who investigated social problems and brought them to public attention. Muckrakers Child Labor Women's Suffrage Poor Sanitation Urban Poverty

Theodore Roosevelt

1 st Block …Roosevelt ( )  Gained fame as Secretary of the Navy and as leader of the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War.  Roosevelt was made William McKinley's Vice President; a powerless position that big business felt would limit his abilities.  McKinley was assassinated in 1901 and Roosevelt became President  He created a reform program called the “Square Deal.”

Trust Buster  Trust Buster: He filed suit against J.P. Morgan's Northern Securities R.R. company saying it was a monopoly and violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.  Gentleman's agreement meet with big business without public court hearings.  Created ICC Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate R.R. rates.  He filled 44 suits under the Sherman Anti trust Law.

G. “The Jungle” Leads to Food Regulation  After reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Roosevelt pushed for passage of the Meat Inspection Act of  The act mandated cleaner conditions for meatpacking plants.

 Changed Presidency and used the Federal government to fight for individual economic and social problems.  Bureau of Corporations investigated business and broke up trusts.  Pure food and Drug Act 1906  Promoted Imperialism (Panama Canal) 2 nd Block…Roosevelt's Legacy

H. Pure Food and Drug Act  In response to unsubstantiated claims and unwholesome products, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in The Act halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling.

J. Roosevelt’s Environmental Accomplishments  Roosevelt set aside 148 million acres of forest reserves, 1.5 million acres of water-power sites, 50 wildlife sanctuaries, and several national parks.  Gifford Pinchot  Headed US Forest Service  Added over 100 million acres to national forests  5 new national parks  51 Federal wildlife reserves

William H. Taft

Taft's Reforms  Supported by Roosevelt to run in 1908 as Progressive against William Jennings Bryan.  Cut Tariffs which divided the Progressives in the Republican Party  Progressives withdrew their support of Taft.  Americans felt Taft ended the Square Deal

 Created 1912 Children's Bureau investigated child labor  Expanded National forests  Anti –Trust lawsuit against U.S. Steel  Disagreed with Roosevelt: Taft felt you must destroy trusts, Roosevelt felt you must negotiate with them  Started 80 trust suits  Eventually Roosevelt publically criticized him Taft

 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York city on March 25, 1911, was one of the deadliest disasters in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history.  The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and 23 men – who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent Jewish and Italian immigrant women aged sixteen to twenty-three; of the victims whose ages are known, the oldest victim was 43, and the youngest were 14- year-olds  Because the owners had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits – a common practice at the time to prevent pilferage and unauthorized breaks – many of the workers who could not escape the burning building jumped from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors to the streets below. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards Work Place Safety

M. Protecting Working Children  As the number of child workers rose, reformers worked to end child labor.  Children were more prone to accidents caused by fatigue.  Nearly every state limited or banned child labor by 1918

1912 Election  Republicans split in 1912 between Taft and Roosevelt (who returned after a safari to Africa).  Convention delegates nominated Taft and discontented Republicans formed a third party, the Progressive Party (nicknamed the Bull Moose Party), and nominated Roosevelt.  The Democrats put forward a reform-minded New Jersey governor, Woodrow Wilson.

Woodrow Wilson

 His Plan was called New Freedom  He was a Harvard educated professor  Reduced tariffs  Underwood Tariff Act: created income tax lead to the 16 th Amendment  Created the Federal Reserve Act… Banks had to place % of funds in reserve  Created Federal Trade Commission to go after companies involved in unfair trade  Clayton Anti – Trust act, companies had to have fair competition  17th Amendment which lead to the direct election of senators Woodrow Wilson

Suffrage  Seneca Falls, NY 1848 led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Loretta Mott and Susan B. Anthony had the 1 st women’s rights convention  Rallied for Constitutional right to vote  1890 National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) formed  Lobbied lawmakers, organized marches, and delivered speeches on street corners  Passed the 19 th Amendment on August 26, 1920 giving women the right to vote