The Progressive Era Gives Way to World War

The Wilson Years

1912-1919

1912 – Looking For Candidates

Democrats Nominate Woodrow Wilson, Progressive Governor from New Jersey

1912 – Looking For Candidates

Republicans Nominate William Howard Taft for 2nd Term

1912 – Looking For Candidates

Teddy Roosevelt Returns With Nomination of Bull Moose Party

1912 – Choices?

• Consolidation of trusts and labor unions

• Growth of regulatory agencies

• Woman’s Suffrage• Social Welfare• Minimum Wage

• Small Enterprise• Entrepreneurship• Unregulated, Free

Markets• Shunned social welfare

“New Nationalism” “New Freedom”

Long-Winded Saves Roosevelt

• Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• Teddy Roosevelt shot in chest by fanatic

• Still gives campaign speech

Republican Party Splits VoteWilson Wins

Wilson Tackles the “triple wall of privilege”

1. Tariff – tax on imported goods

- Reduces fees on imports

- Replaces revenue loss with income tax (16th Amendment)

Wilson Tackles the “triple wall of privilege”

2. Banks – Providers of loans and money- 1913 – Federal Reserve Act – establishes Federal Reserve Board

- nationwide system of 12 regional banks- amount of $

in circulation could be increased as needed

Wilson Tackles the “triple wall of privilege”

3. Trusts – 1914 – Federal Trade Commission Act- rooted out unfair comp., false adv., mislabeling, bribery- Clayton Anti-Trust Act – objectionable business practices like; price discrimination & interlocking directorates, purchasing stocks of other companies

Populist Ideas Become Law

• Federal Farm Loan Act – made credit available to farmers at low interest rates

• Warehouse Act – authorized loans on the security of staple crops

How do Third-Party Political Parties Influence Our Government?

• Though they seldom win political elections, many of their ideas later become instituted into law.

DIRECT ELECTION OF SENATORS

• Before 1913, each state’s legislature had chosen its own U.S. senators

• To force senators to be more responsive to the public, progressives pushed for the popular election of senators

• As a result, Congress passed the 17th Amendment (1913)

The Workingman Benefits

• Workingman’s Compensation Act – Disability Insurance

• Restricted Child Labor• Eight-hour day for railroad workers

WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE

• Before the Civil War, American women were expected to devote their time to home and family

• By the late 19th and early 20th century, women were visible in the workforce

DOMESTIC WORKERS

• Before the turn-of-the-century women without formal education contributed to the economic welfare of their families by doing domestic work

• Altogether, 70% of women employed in 1870 were servants

WOMEN IN THE WORK FORCE

• Opportunities for women increased especially in the cities

• By 1900, one out of five women worked

• The garment trade was popular as was office work, department stores and classrooms

WOMEN LEAD REFORM

• Many of the leading progressive reformers were women

• Middle and upper class women also entered the public sphere as reformers

• Many of these women had graduated from new women’s colleges

Colleges like Vassar and Smith allowed women to excel

THREE-PART STRATEGY FOR WINNING SUFFRAGE

• Suffragists tried three approaches to winning the vote

• 1) Convince state legislatures to adopt vote (Succeeded in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado)

• 2) Pursue court cases to test 14th Amendment

• 3) Push for national constitutional Amendment

WOMEN WIN SUFFRAGE

• Native-born, educated, middle-class women grew more and more impatient

• Through local, state and national organization, vigorous protests and World War I, women finally realized their dream in 1920

The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920