1. Teddy Roosevelt

2. Accidental President
William McKinley is assassinated in September of 1901 by Leon Czolgosz-
Mark Hanna- “I told William McKinley that it was a mistake to nominate that wild man at Philadelphia. Now look, that damned cowboy is President of the United States!”
Teddy Roosevelt becomes youngest president ever- 42 years old

3. Roosevelt’s New Vision of the Presidency
Teddy believed it was the president’s job to set the legislative agenda for Congress
Teddy jump started the Progressive agenda- actually getting things done!
Teddy changes the powers of the presidency

4. The 3 C’s of The Square Deal
Control of Corporations
Consumer Protection
Conservation

5. “Square Deal” for Labor
Past Presidents always sided with business (Hayes in Great Railroad Strike, Cleveland in Pullman Strike)
Teddy stepped in during 1902 United Coal Mine Workers Strike
Called union leaders and coal mine owners to White House to mediate
Threatened to seize mines from coal mine owners if they didn’t negotiate
Result: owners agreed to 10% wage increase and 9 hour work day, but didn’t have to recognize union
Voters approved of this “Square Deal”

6. “Trust-Buster”
Teddy actually enforces the Sherman Anti-Trust Act against the Northern Securities Company (JP Morgan- “send your man to my man..”)
Also used anti-trust legislation against Standard Oil and 40 other corporations (Supreme Court backs Teddy)
Government should attack bad trusts and regulate good trusts

7. Consumer Protection Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)
Meat Inspection Act (1906)- federal inspectors visited meatpacking plants
Resulted from Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (big public reaction)

8. Railroad Regulation
Elkins Act (1903)- allowed the government to stop rebates
Hepburn Act (1906)- the ICC had more power to set “just and reasonable” rates for railroads

9. Teddy Hepburn Cartoon

10. Conservation Teddy loved outdoor life, the wilderness, and nature
Used Forest Reserve Act of set aside 150 million acres of federal land as a national reserve
Newlands Reclamation Act (1902)- took money from land sales for irrigation projects in the West
1908- had a White House Conference of Governors to coordinate planning between state and Federal governments (Gifford Pinchot- National Conservation Commission)

11. Mr. Betts is Teddy Roosevelt