Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt Started conservation acts, conserving national forests Made the government regulate businesses = went after monopolies to create more competition and help small businesses Roosevelt became the first president to intervene in a strike, as the as United Mine Workers Union, led by John Mitchell, went on strike for more pay. The federal government became the 3rd party (arbitrator) during the Anthracite Coal Mine Strike –He considered labor unions as a good way to keep businesses in check

TR the trustbuster Became known as the trust buster for busting up so many trust/monopolies (when companies combine to reduce competition and to control prices in a business or an industry.), outlawed by the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which outlawed monopolies and trust. The Clayton Anti- Trust Act was created as a response to the Sherman Anti-trust’s lack of power (Passed under Pres. Wilson)

–Pres. Roosevelt sued a huge railroad company because they were violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act –The company was dissolved after Northern Securities v U.S., which overturned US vs. EC Knights Co (which had limited the power of the federal government to regulate monopolies The American Tobacco Company v. US said American Tobacco was in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Meat inspection The Meat Inspection Act required meat to be inspected before being sent out, based on Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle, which told the horrors of the meat packing industry in Chicago Pure Food and Drug Act: Ended misleading labeling –all ingredients had to be shown

Conservation Strengthened the Forest Bureau & created National Forest service & set up a lot of land to be used as national parks

Railroads The Hepburn Act gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) power to regulate railroads

Roosevelt’s Legacy His trust-busting & conservation efforts

William Howard Taft Bigger trustbusters then T. Roosevelt Many times sided with political bosses and corporation giants Defended the Payne Aldrich Tariff which lowered tariffs on certain goods entering the US, this angered the Progressive party which quit supporting Taft!

Mann-Elkins Act extended the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) (which tried to insure that the public receive fair rates on railroads) to include communications Under President Taft, the 16th Amendment (established a graduated income tax) and the 17th Amendment (direct election of senators) He also had to deal with lots of labor disputes (actually a bigger trustbuster than TR)

Election of 1912 (just write somewhere in your notes) Taft had managed to divide the Republican Party --TR angered at Taft for supporting the Payne-Aldrich Tariff and slowing down TR’s Conservation efforts. --Furious Roosevelt announced in early 1910 that his “hat was in the ring”

Taft was the Republican nomination. TR founded the Progressive Party (nicknamed the “Bull Moose” Party) in early Woodrow Wilson (Democrat): former Governor of NJ, Wilson was a well-known “reformer” TR (Progressive) Taft (Republican) v Eugene V. Debs (Socialist): Head of the IWW and noted radical election of 1912 was notable for Two things: (a) the division of the Republican Party and the best showing ever for a Third Party Candidate; (b) the first time since the Civil War that a Democrat had won the electoral college convincingly

Woodrow Wilson Wilson helped to restore competition by helping small businesses instead of large businesses Clayton Antitrust Act: Declared certain business illegal (ex. Trusts); Unions & the Grange not subject to antitrust laws (made unions legal); Strikes, boycotts, etc were legal Federal Reserve Act was passed to help navigate the economy Wanted to limit power of the federal government Helped pass child labor laws and 8 hour work days…many states passed these laws first

Other government officials Robert Lafollette: Wisconsin governor who fought political machines and reformed his state government…many other governors would follow