teddy roosevelt

TEDDY ROOSEVELT

United States Studies

"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic-the man who actually does the work…not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done." (1891)

Invented Modern Presidency

First to hold regular press conferences

Used a theme (Square Deal)

Strong personality & influence (teddy bear)

Strong federal power when necessary (Coal Strike

1902 Strike Pennsylvania—140,000

striking workers Wanted 20% raise, 9-

hr. day, & form a union Management refused

to meet Roosevelt: Settlement

at the White House 10% raise, 9-hr. day,

no closed shop

TR and Business

Trust buster (used Sherman Act)

44 suits filed Ended railroad

rebates & unannounced rates

ICC finally regulated railroad rates

1906—after reading The Jungle (next slide)

Meat Inspection Act

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1906

Pure Food and Drug Act

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Set aside public lands for conservation

Conservationist

TR did not believe in equality (most Progressives)Invited Booker T. Washington to White House

Civil Rights

ONE OF THE GREATEST

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT

Taft Becomes President

TR’s Secretary of War

Hand-picked Far less popular More cautious Wanted to

continue TR’s Progressivism

Difficulty with Conservatives

Taft’s Record 90 Anti-Trust cases (more

than TR!) Standard Oil busted Set aside more public lands

than TR Income Tax But…supported higher

tariffs (Payne-Aldrich tariff)—alienated progressives

And…fired US Forest service head after he criticized Sec. of Interior