1. Important Progressive Politicians
Robert LaFollette - Wisconsin
Theodore Roosevelt – New York
William Howard Taft - Ohio
Woodrow Wilson – New Jersey

2. Robert LaFollette aka “Fighting” Bob
Governor, Representative and Senator from Wisconsin
“Wisconsin Idea”
University research to help solve problems facing state
Initiative
Referendum
Recall
Direct Primary
Worker Compensation
RR Regulation
Minimum Wage
Direct Election of Senators
Women’s Suffrage
Graduated Income Tax

3. Reforms Reforms are started by Gov. Robert LaFollette of Wisconsin
“Wisconsin Idea”
Initiative = voters propose laws
15% of voters signatures
Popular vote or legislature vote
Referendum = voters can circulate a petition asking to eliminate a law
10-15% of signature
Submitted to popular vote
Recall = voters can remove a public official from office
10-30% of signatures required
New popular vote - If not reelected, official is removed

4. Reform of State Govts
Increased citizens’ ability to participate in gov’t
Secret ballots
Initiative, Referendum, Recall
Direct primary – citizens chose the party’s candidates
17th Amendment (1913)
Senators had been chosen by the state legislature, now they are directly elected by the people of a state
19th Amendment (1919)
Women can vote
Civil service tests
Written test to qualify for a state job
Improve factory conditions
Results of Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Child labor laws - Must be 14 years of age

5. Theodore Roosevelt Becomes Pres. when McKinley is assassinated
Rep, NY 1901 – 1909
Already famous
“Square Deal”
Everyone should be treated fairly and get a “square deal”
Safety
Happiness
Prosperity
Good trusts & bad trusts
Brought law suit against No. Securities Co. based on violation of Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Trust-buster!

6. Important SC Cases During Progressive Era
Northern Securities v. U.S. (1902)
Issue: U.S. gov’t believes No. Securities RR company in Northwest which was a monopoly
Ruling: Northern Securities is in violation of Sherman Antitrust Act and must sell off some of their business
Impact: First time gov’t enforces Sherman Antitrust Act
Lochner v. NY (1905)
Issue: NY Passes a law regulating bakeries, ensuring conditions and limiting to workers to 60hrs per week. Joseph Lochner forces a worker to work more than 60hrs and is to be fined by NYS, he sues NYS
Ruling: Supreme Court rules a NY law limiting working hours was unconstitutional
Impact: Infringes on the contract rights of the employer and employees – Can not limit a worker’s ability to make money

7. T. Roosevelt (cont)
Horrified after reading “The Jungle”; passed laws to protect consumer
Pure Food and Drug Act
Meat Inspection Act
Tries to balance workers needs w/businesses interests:
Anthracite Coal Strike: “square deal” for both
Mine owners refuse to negotiate w/union
TR calls both sides to White House
Arbitration: shorter hours, better pay, NO union recognition

8. Roosevelt’s Regulation of Business
Department of Commerce and Labor
Created in 1903 (split into 2 departments in 1913)
Regulate business and enforce economic regulations
Bureau of Corporations
Investigates interstate corporations

9. Interstate Commerce Act – 1887
Creates the Interstate Commerce Commission which:
Determines railroad rates
Suggest bookkeeping methods
No free passes to individual companies
RR companies can’t carry their own goods
Larger business organizations can’t exploit the power
Hepburn Act (1906)
Increases the power of the ICC and increases it to 7 members

10. Protecting Nature Forest Reserve Act
T.R. loved nature and began to set aside land for parks and resources
150,000,000 acres
Some is for conservation = to make sure we don’t use all of our natural resources
Some is for preservation = preserve nature and forests (ex. Redwoods)
Newlands Reclamation Act

11. Pres. Wm. H. Taft True trust-buster: Standard Oil
Mann-Elkins Act: ICC can control telegraph & telephone industry
16th Amendment: graduated income tax
Raised tariffs, fired head of forest dep’t (made Republican progressives mad)

12. Election 1912 Republicans (conservatives): Taft
Democrats: Woodrow Wilson
Progressive Party (“Bull Moose Party”): TR
Socialist Party: Eugene Debs
Wilson wins!

13. President Woodrow Wilson
From “Dirty” Jersey
Democrat
28th President
Institutes many Progressive reforms
President during WWI (more on this later)

14. Reform under Pres. Wilson
Banking reform: Federal Reserve System: unified nat’l banking system: 12 Federal banks, led by Federal Reserve Board
New currency: Federal reserve notes
Gov’t controls amount of $ in circulation
Money can be shifted from one bank to another

15. Wilson’s reforms Amendments: Regulate business
16th Amendment (1913) –Gave Congress the power to levy graduated income tax.
17th Amendment (1913) –Provided for the direct election of Senators.
18th Amendment (1919) –Prohibited the manufacture, sale and transportation of liquor (repealed in 1933).
19th Amendment (1920) –Women get the right to vote (suffrage).
Regulate business
Federal Trade Commission: investigate business practices that hurt consumers
Clayton Anti-Trust Act: no price fixing, can’t buy stock in competing firms, defines illegal business organizations
Help Farmers: Federal Farm Loan Act: low cost loans to farmers

16. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PROGRESSIVES
10. Federal Trade Commission (1914) –Given power to investigate business practices suspected of being unfair and issue orders demanding that companies “cease and desist” from acting in illegal ways.
9. Department of Labor (1913) –Cabinet Department created to protect and promote the welfare and employment of working people.
8. Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) –outlawed interstate transportation of impure or diluted foods and the deliberate mislabeling of foods and drugs.
7. Meat Inspection Act (1906) –Required federal inspection of meat processing to insure sanitary conditions.

17. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE PROGRESSIVES
6. Hepburn Act (1906) –Required railroads to obtain permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission before raising rates.
5. Civil Service Examination (1888) –Under populists an examination is required to prove competence in a government position.
4. Secret Ballot –Voters could vote in a private booth.
3. Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890: Populists) and Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)–outlawed monopolies and practices that result in restraint of trade.
2. Shorter Working Day –Muller v. Oregon (1908): limited the work day to 10 hrs. in Oregon
1. State Child Labor Laws -A federal child labor law would not be passed until 1938 (outlawing child labor)

18. END OF PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
Progressive movement ends with World War I:
Conservative take control of federal gov’t
tired of change
elect a President who has more in common with the past than the future:
Warren G. Harding = “A return to normalcy!”…laissez-faire all over again!
Will eventually influence and impact FDR’s New Deal