I. Roosevelt becomes PresidentA. McKinley’s VP

1. McKinley assassinated by Leon Czolgosz @ Pan American Exposition

2. TR takes Office

B. Uses Presidency as a “bully pulpit”

a) wanted to fight class distinctions

C. United Mine Workers Strike

1. 150,000 coal minors- strike for higher wages

2. Conservative wanted TR to break up strike/ send in troops

3. TR suggests arbitration and threatens to nationalize mines

4. Workers received higher wages and shorter hours

a) mining companies didn’t have to recognize union

b) TR called this a “square deal”

D. Square Deal

1. Becomes TR’s campaign Slogan

TR wanted to balance interests of Business, consumers , and labor

a) Limit powers of trusts

b)promote public health and safety

c) improve working conditions

II. Regulating Business

A. Trustbusting

1. 1902- Fed. Govt. sued northern Securities Co.

a.   Controlled by JP Morgan, James J. Hill, & E.H. Harriman

b. Monopolized RR shipping industry

c. 1904 Supreme Court ruled NS Co. violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

2. TR files 44 more law suits against big business not serving the public interest

3. 1903 – Elkins Act – forbade shipping co’s from accepting rebates

4. 1906 – Hepburn Act – authorized Interstate Commerce Commission to set rail rates and regulate interstate commerce

B. Practices of food and drug companies

1. Dangerous practices by food and drug co.’s

a. Skim Milk added to spoiled butter –looking fresh

b. Formaldehyde added to old eggs-took away the odor

c. Drug Companies- sold worthless drugs w/ dangerous ingredients like cocaine or morphine

C. Protecting the Consumer

1. 1906 Upton Sinclair- The Jungle

a. Novel Depicting unsanitary meatpacking plant

2.1906 Meat Inspection Act- Fed. Inspection of Meat

3.Pure Food and Drug Act- Forbade the manufacture,sale, or transportation of food or medicine w/ harmful ingredients

a. Required Food Labels

Meet processing plant - 1906

D. Protecting the Environment

1. Conservation-Roosevelt’s most enduring legacy

2. Gifford Pinchot - Conservationist and a friend of the president

3.Roosevelt set aside 150 million acres of land as forest reserves

4.1902 The new Lands Reclamation Act

a. $ from sale of public land used for irrigation and reclamation- making damaged lands productive

5. Doubled the amount of national parks

6. Created 16 national monuments and founded 51 wildlife refugees

7. 1916 created the National Parks Service