Three Progressive Presidents - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Three Progressive PresidentsRoosevelt, Taft, and Wilson

2. The ProgressivesBelieved that an efficient government could protect public interest & restore order to society Middle class reformers addressed many social problems, includingWorking conditions Rights for women & children Economic reforms Environmental issues Social welfare

3. Theodore Roosevelt1st president to use the government to directly help the public interest Saw the presidency as a "bully pulpit" to preach his ideas Often bypassed congressional opposition (like Jackson)Offered Americans a Square DealWas enormously popular with many Americans

4. Regulation of CorporationsAnthracite Coal Strike (1902) United Mine Workers union in Pennsylvania went on strikeThe president of the company demanded that Roosevelt prosecute the union leader for violation of the Sherman Antitrust ActRoosevelt threatened to seize the mines & operate them with federal troops if the owners refused compromise The owners consented to arbitration

5. Regulation of CorporationsElkins Act (1903) Allowed heavy fines for railroads & shippers that abused rebates Hepburn Act (1906) Restricted the railroad’s use of free passes Allowed the government to stipulate maximum rates Concluded that there were “good trusts” & “bad trusts”

6. Consumer ProtectionEuropean markets threatened to ban American meat since some was found to be tainted The public was sickened by Upton Sinclair’s description of unsanitary food products He had detailed accounts of filth, disease, & putrefaction in Chicago’s damp and ill-ventilated slaughterhouses Roosevelt appointed a special investigating commission whose report almost out-did Sinclair’s novel

7. Consumer ProtectionMeat Inspection Act (1906)Made meat shipped across state lines subject to federal inspection throughout the meat-making processPure Food & Drug Act (1906)Prevented the mislabeling of food & drugs

8. ConservationNewlands Reclamation Act (1902)Authorized the government to collect money from the sale of public lands in western states & use the funds for the development of irrigation projectsSettlers repaid the cost of reclamation by building successful farmsMoney was put into a revolving account in order to finance additional projectsAllowed for the construction of dams on virtually every major western river

9. William Howard TaftWon the election of 1908Lacked Roosevelt’s fire & gutsContent to keep the status quo rather than rock the boatAdopted a passive attitude towards Congress

10. TrustbustingBrought 90 suits against trusts during his 4 years in office – twice as many as RooseveltUnited States v. American Tobacco Company (1911)The Supreme Court ordered the company to reorganize based on the “rule of reason” which allowed only “reasonable” restraints on tradeWorked to impair the government’s anti-trust activitiesAlso in 1911, the Court ordered the dissolution of the Standard Oil CompanyDetermined that it violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890

11. Progressive LegislationTaft’s contributions to conservation rivaled those of RooseveltEstablished the Bureau of Mines to control mineral resourcesProtected water-power sites from private developmentPostal Savings Bank System (1910)Authorized the Post Office Department to receive savings deposits from individuals & pay interest of 2% per yearMann Elkins Act (1911)Put telegraph, telephone, & cable corporations under federal jurisdiction

12. Split in the Republican PartyPayne-Aldrich Tariff (1909)Taft had made a campaign promise to address the tariffThe House passed a moderately reductive bill, but the Senate made revisions that raised the tariff to 37%Taft signed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, thus betraying his campaign promisesThe Progressive wing of the party was outraged

13. Taft-Roosevelt SplitNational Progressive Republican League (1911)Robert La Follette of Wisconsin emerged as the party’s leading candidate only to be pushed aside by RooseveltRepublican Convention (1912)Although Roosevelt clearly had a majority of Republican votes, Taft was given the nominationPrompted the Progressives to leave the party & create their own – Roosevelt “Bull Moose” PartyGave the Republican Old Guard control of the GOP

14. The Bull Moose Party

15. Election of 1912Republican – William Howard TaftSupported by “Old Guard” RepublicansDid little campaigningProgressive – Theodore RooseveltSupported by cultured, middle-class peopleCalled for a “New Nationalism”Believed that only a powerful federal government could regulate the economy & guarantee social justiceThought that concentration in industry was a natural part of the economy that should be paralleled by the growth of powerful regulatory agenciesWanted a broad program of social welfare

16. Election of 1912Democrat – Woodrow WilsonSupported by young Southern progressivesCalled for a “New Freedom”Attacked the Triple Wall of Privilege: The tariff, the banks, & the trustsFavored small businesses & a return to a free competitive economy without monopoliesBelieved that all trusts were badRejected a stronger role for the government in human affairs

17. Election of 1912Socialist – Eugene V. DebsFound support in industrial cities & ethnic communitiesDivided into conservative & radical wingsConservatives called for government ownership of the railroads & utilities, factory inspections, & the abolition of the Senate & the presidential vetoRadicals – supported by the International Workers of the World (IWW) – advocated strikes & sabotage over politics

18. Election of 1912

19. Woodrow WilsonBorn in VirginiaFormer president of Princeton UniversityGovernor of New JerseyBelieved the president should play a dynamic role in governmentLacked Roosevelt’s common touchMoral righteousness often made him uncompromising

20. Underwood Tariff (1913)Wilson called for a special session of Congress to address the tariff issueThe Underwood Tariff Bill was passed by the HouseReduced the tariff to 25%Enacted a graduated income tax under authority granted by the 16th Amendment1% on incomes over $40007% on incomes over $500,000The Senate then allowed numerous increases in rates to be addedWilson appealed to the people to demand that their Senators pass the bill

21. Federal Reserve Act (1913)Created the Federal Reserve System & granted it the authority to issue paper moneyEstablished a Federal Reserve Board – appointed by the president – to oversee a nationwide system of privately owned regional banksCurrent functions of the Fed include:Addressing the problem of banking panicsManaging the nation’s money supplyMaintaining the stability of the financial systemStrengthening the US’s standing in the world economy

22. Federal Trade Commission (1914)Empowered a commission – appointed by the president – to monitor industries engaged in interstate commerceAllowed commissioners to issue cease & desist orders, ending unfair trade practices such as false advertising, mislabeling, & bribery

23. Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)Supplemented the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) by:Outlawing price discriminationRegulating mergers & acquisitionsEnforced by the Federal Trade CommissionExempted labor & agricultural organizations from antitrust prosecution while explicitly legalizing strike & peaceful picketingUnion leader Samuel Gompers hailed the act as the “Magna Carta of labor”

24. Other Progressive ReformsFederal Farm Loan Act (1916) – Low interest loans for farmersFederal Highway Act (1916) – Highway construction in rural areasWorkingmen’s Disability Act (1916) – Assistance to federal civil-service employees during periods of disabilityKeating-Owen Act (1916) – Child labor restrictions on products sold through interstate commerceRuled unconstitutional in 1918 on the grounds that it interfered with states’ powers

25. Other Progressive ReformsAdamson Act (1916) – 8-hour workday, with extra pay for overtime, for interstate rail workersMinimum wagesPrisons & “reform” schools forced to shift from punishment to rehabilitation