1. Roosevelt’s Square Deal
Chapter 4.4 Notes
Roosevelt’s Square Deal

2. Focus Question
What did Roosevelt think government should do for citizen’s?

3. Roosevelt’s rise to presidency
Graduate of Harvard
Loved wildlife
Named Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President McKinley.
Formed Rough Riders in Spanish American War. (Calvary Unit)
Elected Governor of N.Y.
Progressive beliefs
Vice President under McKinley and became President when he was assassinated

4. Coal Strike of 1902
Soon after Roosevelt took office, some 150,000 Pennsylvania coal miners went on strike for higher wages, shorter hours, and recognition of their union.
As winter neared, Roosevelt feared what might happen if the strike was not resolved, since Eastern cities depended upon Pennsylvania coal for heating.
Roosevelt urged mine owners and the striking workers to accept arbitration, and though the workers accepted, the owners refused.

5. Coal Strike of 1902
Winter drew closer, and Roosevelt threatened to take over the mines if the owners didn’t agree to arbitration, marking the first time the federal government had intervened in a strike to protect the interests of the public.
After a three-month investigation, the arbitrators decided to give the workers a shorter workday and higher pay but did not require the mining companies to recognize the union.
Satisfied, Roosevelt pronounced the compromise a “square deal.”

6. Square Deal
The Square Deal became Roosevelt’s 1904 campaign slogan and the framework for his entire presidency.
He promised to “see that each is given a square deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less.”
Roosevelt’s promise revealed his belief that the needs of workers, business, and consumers should be balanced.
Roosevelt’s square deal called for limiting the power of trusts, promoting public health and safety, and improving working conditions.

7. Roosevelt and the Railroads
Railroad Reforms to boost the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Elkins Act
Anti-Rebate Act or Anti- Kick Back Act
Regulates common carriers of people and freight, UPS, Greyhound, Amtrak, etc.
Hepburn Act
Regulates rates for passengers and freight
Air travel cost controls
Air freight price controls

8. Enforces Sherman Anti-trust act
Sherman Anti-Trust Act- banned any trust that restrained interstate trade or commerce.
Broke up many trusts including Northern Securities Company (r.r. company) and beef trusts.
Supported large corporations as long as they did business fairly.

9. Regulating Food and Drug Industries
Upton Sinclair - The Jungle
Meat Inspection Act- Required federal agents to inspect meat that went across state lines and to inspect plants.
Pure Food and Drug Act- Federal agents to inspect other foods and medicines and banned interstate shipment of impure food and the mislabeling of food and drugs.
Today FDA (Food and Drug Adm.) enforces the law.

10. Regulating Food and Drug Industries
Pure Food and Drug Act, 1906
Federal inspection to all packaged foods and drugs.
Labels with medicine as well as food.
Contents of food and drug packages must be listed
All additives/chemicals must be listed on labels.
FDA today or Food and Drug Administration

11. Conservation TR’s Conservation Policy 125,000 acres in reserve
National Reclamation Act 1902
25 water projects
Founding of the National Park System

12. Conservation National Forests Conserved and preserved forests.
Gifford Pinchot- Led Division of Forestry in U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Idea that forest be preserved for public use.
John Muir-Created Yosemite National Park in 1890.
At this time they would preserve forests for logging, it later changed into public parks.

14. Roosevelt Changes Water Policy
Water was fought over in Southwest.
Private irrigation companies were taking over riverbeds so farmers couldn’t reclaim lost land.
National Reclamation Act Fed. Government decides where and how water could be distributed.
Build and managed dams.
Roosevelt and Hoover Dams on Colorado River.
Salt Valley Project in Arizona.

15. Taft Taft becomes president in 1908
Progressive but had some different ideas from Roosevelt.
Payne-Aldrich Act Lowered tariffs but not as low as Roosevelt had wanted.
Mann-Elkins Act Gave gov. control of telegraph and telephone rates.
Dropped Roosevelt’s distinctions between good trusts and bad trusts.

16. Taft
Busted twice as many trusts as Roosevelt including Standard Oil Company.
Fired Gifford Pinchot for criticizing Richard Ballinger (Sec. of Interior)
Ballinger opposed Roosevelt’s conservation policies, and sold federal land rich with coal deposits to Alaska.
Ballinger-Pinchot Affair

17. Roosevelt Strikes Back
New Nationalism-Program to restore government’s trustbusting power.
Declared himself as strong as a bull-moose.
Bull-Moose Party- Progressives who were for Roosevelt for a 3rd term. Included Jane Addams.
Republicans- Supported Taft.

18. New Nationalism v. New Freedom
New Nationalism (Bull Moose Party)
Continuation of his Square Deal which were reforms to help the common man.
Favored a more active govt role in economic and social affairs.
Good trusts vs. bad trusts
Direct election of senators
Tariff reduction
Presidential primaries
Regulation of monopolies
End child labor
Initiative and referendum
Women’s suffrage

19. New Nationalism v. New Freedom
New Freedom (Democrats)
Favored an active role in economic and social affairs.
Favored small businesses and the free functioning and unregulated and unmonopolized markets.
Tackle the “triple wall of privilege”: the tariff, the banks, and the trusts.
Similar to Roosevelt’s New Nationalism.