progressive presidents2
TRANSCRIPT
Progressive Presidents
Who were the three progressive presidents?
Who were the three progressive presidents?
• Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson
How did Roosevelt become president in 1901?
• Republican President McKinley was assassinated in 1901
• The VP, TR became the nation’s youngest Pres ever at 42
How was TR's view of the role of the president different from
Presidents before him?
• Believed in strong, active government
• Believed government should protect people from big business
• Beginning of “big government”
What TR mean when he said people would get a “square
deal?”
• Government would protect people from big business
What labor precedent did TR set in 1902?
• Set up arbitration (negotiations) over a coal strike
• Owners refused to negotiate• TR threatened to send in the
Army & nationalize the mine• Gov’t could intervene if a strike
threatened public welfare
What was TR’s belief about trusts?
• Nicknamed “trustbuster”• Some could be good• Sued big businesses using
the Sherman Anti-trust Act if the monopoly hurt the public
What was TR’s reaction to Sinclair’s The Jungle?
• He was grossed out• Pure Food & Drug Act
required mandatory labeling• Meat Inspection Act enacted
food inspection• More gov’t intervention in
business
Why is TR considered the 1st environmental president?
Why is TR considered the 1st environmental president?
• Active in conservation• Believed in preserving natural
resources• Established the national parks
system
What happened in the election of 1908?
• Roosevelt chooses Taft as successor
• Taft failed to live up to TR’s expectations
• TR returned to run for President again in 1912
Who Ran in the election of 1912?
• Taft won the Republican nomination
• TR formed his own Progressive Party: “The Bull Moose” Party
• Wilson got the Democratic nomination
Compare TR’s“New Nationalism”
to Woodrow Wilson’s “New Freedom.”
• Names of the Platforms for each candidate
• Both were progressive
• Both believed govt should be more active in regulating business
New Nationalism (TR)• Some trusts beneficial• Only get rid of monopolies
that hurt consumersNew Freedom• All trusts bad• Govt should restore
competition
What happened in the election of 1912?
• TR & Taft split Republican voters
• Democrats were united: Wilson won