TR, Taft and Wilson: The Progressive Era

Chapters 28-29

Objective #1

• Explain how President Roosevelt applied progressive principles to the national economy.

Objective #2

• Explain why Taft’s policies offended progressives.

Objective #3

• Analyze the presidential election of 1912.

Objective #4

• Discuss the basic principles of Wilsonian progressivism.

Objectives #5 and 6

• Describe how Wilson reformed the “triple wall of privilege.”

• Discuss Wilson’s foreign policy and explain his intervention in Latin America.

Roosevelt’s Square Deal• Three steps to getting a “square deal” for

capital, labor and the public– Control corporations– Consumer protection– Conservation of natural resources

• Laissez-faire politics was tilting the scales too much towards big business interests

• Test: TR forced coal mining company to negotiate with union or he would nationalize it– Winter coming: public interest– first time government had sided with union

The Trust Buster

• Roosevelt tried to control large corporations• 1897-1904: 4227 companies merged into 257

corporations• U.S. Steel was first billion dollar industry• Progressives wanted increased regulation

– TR was more of a trust regulator than a trust buster

– Taft was more broke up more trusts than TR

The “Trust Buster”

• TR not against all corporations--more against business practices

• 1904: U.S. Supreme Ct. ordered Northern Securities Co. dissolved.

• Gov’t prosecuted Standard Oil and American Tobacco Co.

• Sherman Anti-Trust Act enforced

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More Government Regulation

• Elkins Act (1903), Hepburn Act (1906): Railroads would be fined for unfair practices.

• Interstate Commerce Commission expanded

• Department of Commerce and Labor (1903) to help with disputes and oversee economy

Meat Regulation

• Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle”

• Expose of unsanitary conditions in meat packing industry

• Meat Inspection Act (1906)

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Conservation

• Increased pollution and exhausting of natural resources accompanied expansion, urbanization, industrialization

• US on way to destroying much of natural landmarks (ex. Grand Canyon)

• TR was the first conservationist president– Felt he must protect our national treasures from

destruction

Racism of Progressivism

• TR believed blacks and Asians were inferior• TR feared immigration from S. and E. Europe• But, TR did support civil rights for political

reasons• TR appointed blacks to minor federal posts

Brownsville, TX (1906)

• Segregated army unit in Brownsville

• One white man killed near army barracks

• TR dishonorably discharged all 167 men despite evidence

• Many of dishonorably discharged were reinstated in 1972

Racism of Progressivism Con’t

• Many programs were segregated

• Hull House was segregated despite Jane Addams’ support of NAACP

The “Roosevelt Panic”

• Recession hit in 1907– Led to runs on banks--fear there would be a

currency shortage– Big business tried to blame TR’s increased

regulating of business– Branded the panic as the “Roosevelt Panic”

• Aldrich-Vreeland Act (1908): gave national bank permission to issue emergency currency

• Led to support for Wilson’s Federal Reserve System

•TR’s hand-picked successor

•TR’s VP

•Won Presidency in 1908

•Progressive Republican

•TR’s hand-picked successor

•TR’s VP

•Won Presidency in 1908

•Progressive Republican

William Howard Taft

Taft’s Presidency

• Pushed for income tax (16th Amendment)• Worked to break up monopolies

– Standard Oil dissolved in 1911– Sued U.S. Steel

• Broke up more trusts than TR• Broke with TR over U.S. Steel, un-doing many of TR’s

conservation acts, and TR wanting to run again• 1911: Supreme Court ruled that combinations that

“unreasonably” restrained trade were unconstitutional– The “Rule of Reason”– Hurt anti-trust cases

Dollar Diplomacy

• Taft’s foreign policy

• Use American dollars in strategic areas of world (Far East, Panama Canal, etc.)

• Countries would be loyal to U.S.

• Trade would bring prosperity to U.S.

Keepthe

Whistle

Blowing

Keepthe

Whistle

Blowing

Taft was Taft was determined to determined to defeat TR and preserve the defeat TR and preserve the conservative heart of the Republican conservative heart of the Republican Party.Party.

Republican Party Platform

Republican Party PlatformHigh import tariffs.*** (this upset High import tariffs.*** (this upset

Progressives)Progressives)

Put limitations on female and child Put limitations on female and child labor.labor.

Workman’s Compensation Laws.Workman’s Compensation Laws.

Against initiative, referendum, and Against initiative, referendum, and recall.recall.

Against “bad” trusts.Against “bad” trusts.

Creation of a Federal Trade Creation of a Federal Trade Commission.Commission.

Stay on the gold standard.Stay on the gold standard.

Conservation of natural resources Conservation of natural resources because they are finite.because they are finite.

The Progressive

Party &Former

President Theodore Roosevelt

The Progressive

Party &Former

President Theodore Roosevelt

People should risePeople should riseabove their sectarianabove their sectarianinterests to promote the general good.interests to promote the general good.

Progressive Party Platform

Progressive Party PlatformWomen’s suffrage.Women’s suffrage.

Graduated income tax.Graduated income tax.

Inheritance tax for the rich.Inheritance tax for the rich.

Lower tariffs.Lower tariffs.

Limits on campaign spending.Limits on campaign spending.

8-hr. 6 day week8-hr. 6 day week

Minimum wage laws.Minimum wage laws.

Social insurance.Social insurance.

Abolition of child labor.Abolition of child labor.

Workmen’s compensation.Workmen’s compensation.

NNeeww

NNaattiioonnaalliissmm

NNeeww

NNaattiioonnaalliissmm

The “Bull

Moose”Party:The

LatestArrivalat the

Political Zoo

The “Bull

Moose”Party:The

LatestArrivalat the

Political Zoo

We stand at We stand at Armageddon, Armageddon,

and we battle for the and we battle for the Lord!Lord!

ONWARD, CHRISTIAN ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!SOLDIERS!

TR&

Women’s

Suffrage:

The Militant Recruit

TR&

Women’s

Suffrage:

The Militant Recruit

Woman Suffrage Before 1920

Woman Suffrage Before 1920

Theodore Roosevelt atOsawatomie, KS: New Nationalism

Theodore Roosevelt atOsawatomie, KS: New Nationalism

Big business requires big Big business requires big government.government.

TheAnti-Third-Term

Principle

TheAnti-Third-Term

Principle

Other Problems for TR

• 2-party system

• Attacked big business (and big money)

• Did not endorse plank for equality for blacks

The Socialist Party

& Eugene V. Debs

The Socialist Party

& Eugene V. Debs

The issue is Socialism The issue is Socialism versus Capitalism. I am versus Capitalism. I am for Socialism because I for Socialism because I am for humanity.am for humanity.

Socialist Party PlatformSocialist Party Platform

Government ownership of Government ownership of railroads and utilities.railroads and utilities.

Guaranteed income tax.Guaranteed income tax.

No tariffs.No tariffs.

8-hour work day.8-hour work day.

Better housing.Better housing.

Government inspection of Government inspection of factories.factories.

Women’s suffrage.Women’s suffrage.

Growth of the Socialist VoteGrowth of the Socialist VoteYear

Socialist Party

Socialist Labor Party Total

1888   2,068 2,068

1890   13,704 13,704

1892   21,512 21,512

1894   30,020 30,020

1896   36,275 36,274

1898   82,204 82,204

1900 96,931 33,405 130,336

1902 223,494 53,763 277,257

1904 408,230 33,546 441,776

1906 331,043 20,265 351,308

1908 424,488 14,021 438,509

1910 607,674 34,115 641,789

1912 901,873901,873

The Democratic Party &Governor Woodrow Wilson

(NJ)

The Democratic Party &Governor Woodrow Wilson

(NJ)

Democratic Party Platform

Democratic Party PlatformGovernment control of the monopolies Government control of the monopolies

trusts in general were bad trusts in general were bad eliminate them!! eliminate them!!

Tariff reduction.Tariff reduction.

One-term President.One-term President.

Direct election of Senators.Direct election of Senators.

Create a Department of Labor.Create a Department of Labor.

Strengthen the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.Strengthen the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

Did NOT support women’s suffrage.Did NOT support women’s suffrage.

Opposed to a central bank.Opposed to a central bank.

NNeeww

FFrreeeeddoomm

NNeeww

FFrreeeeddoomm

The Reform

Governorof NJ:

It TakesTime

to Remove

the Grime

The Reform

Governorof NJ:

It TakesTime

to Remove

the Grime

Election ResultsElection Results

By 1912, 100,000 fewer people had voted By 1912, 100,000 fewer people had voted for Wilson than had voted for Bryan in for Wilson than had voted for Bryan in 1908.1908.

The 1912 election marked the apogee of The 1912 election marked the apogee of the Socialist movement in America.the Socialist movement in America.

GOP Divided by Bull Moose

Equals Democratic Victory!

GOP Divided by Bull Moose

Equals Democratic Victory!

Economic Legislation

• Go after “triple wall of privilege”: tariffs, banks and trusts

• Underwood Tariff: substantially reduced tariff• Graduated income tax

– The income tax had made constitutional by the 16th Amendment

• Income tax now earned more money than tariff

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

• Created to ease control of national economy out of hands of banks and corporations– Banks did not respond effectively to the Roosevelt

Panic of 1907– Taking power away from corporations was a

Progressive idea

• Spread banking and economic control across country and out of New York

• Federal Reserve Board appointed by President

Federal Reserve Notes

• Currency that was backed by business• Fiat currency: Currency only backed by the

demand of goods and services of the economy

• Fiat currency has value because it is accepted by businesses for goods and services (not backed by gold by 1933)

• The Fed decides how much to put into circulation which allows flexibility

Wilson Upsets Women and Minorities

• Did not support suffrage

• Did not protect black federal office holders

• Segregated several federal departments

• Did not support child labor bills

Wilson and Big Business

• Federal Trade Commission Act (1914): created commission that would investigate unfair trade practices

• Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914): made interlocking directorates and price discrimination illegal– Labor and agricultural organizations were exempt from

Sherman Anti-Trust Act– Corporations could not buy stock in other corps. For

purpose of consolidation

• Conservative courts often invalidated many actions

Wilson and Foreign Affairs

• Wilson was anti-imperialist but would get involved in the affairs of other countries.– Haiti (1916)– Dominican Republic (1916)

• Bought Virgin Islands from Denmark (1917)

Mexico

• U.S. investors had billions invested into Mexico– Rich and government officials usually kept

the money– Poor Mexicans were very impoverished

• 1913: Mexicans revolt and a popular new president was put in place

Victoriano Huerta

• New president assassinated

• General Huerta assumes leadership and becomes harsh dictator

• Massive migration of Mexicans to U.S. (over 1 million 1900-1930)

• Wilson would not recognize Huerta as leader

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Wilson Helps

• Wilson sends U.S. munitions to Huerta’s main rivals Venustiano Carranza and Francisco “Pancho” Villa

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U.S. Invades Mexico

• April, 1914: Mexican government arrested U.S. sailors but released them

• Wilson ordered U.S. Navy to seize Vera Cruz

• Drove Carranza to side with Huerta against U.S. meddling

• July, 1914: Huerta’s leadership collapsed and Carranza succeeds him.

Villa’s Rampage

• Wilson reluctantly backed Carranza• Pancho Villa hoped to cause tension

between Carranza and U.S.• Jan. 1916: Villa and his followers

(Villistas) murder 16 Americans travelling through Mexico

• Feb. 1916: Villa and men kill 19 more in New Mexico

The “Punitive Expedition”

• Wilson sends General John J. Pershing to capture Villa and his followers

• U.S. and Mexican military kill and capture a number of Villistas

• Villa escapes

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Outcome of Punitive Expedition

• U.S. withdraws in 1917 due to growing threat of World War I

• Villa becomes folk hero to some Mexicans, murderer to others

• Assassinated in 1923 by political rival