The Progressive Presidents

Chapter 8

Theodore Roosevelt-NYRobert Lafollete-WISWoodrow Wilson-NJ

Privacy at the ballot box ensures that citizens can cast votes without party bosses knowing how they voted.

Allows voters to petition state legislatures in order to consider a bill desired by citizens.

Allows voters to decide if a bill or proposed amendment should be passed.

Allows voters to petition to have an elected representative removed from office.

Ensures that voters select candidates to run for office, rather than party bosses.

Passed important legislation:

Secret ballotInitiativeReferendumRecallDirect primary

How would you describe Teddy Roosevelt based on the cartoons seen here?

What were the effects of progressivism in the national government in the early

1900s? PART 1: THE FIRST PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENT

Theodore (Teddy) RooseveltBackground:• Popular progressive politician that

becomes McKinley’s VP 1900• Began his political career as NY governor

1989• Spanish American War hero

• became president when McKinley was shot

• First Progressive president; expands the role of president

The 3 C’s of his Square Deal

1st = Control Corporations• accepted big

business, vital to a country’s economic growth.

• But companies should act responsibly.

• TR known as the

“Trust Buster”

• Took on railroads with the Elkins Act and Hepburn Act for fair pricing

• Elkins Act- forbid shippers from receiving rebates for their business.

• Hepburn Act- ICC was authorized to set rates on all railroads.

• First president to mediate between owners and labor in the Coal miners’ strike of 1902

• Roosevelt urged them to accept arbitration, which is get a third party to settle dispute.

• Mine owners refused, TR threatened to take mines. Owners backed down

• President stepped in for the interest of the workers and the public.

2nd = Consumer protection

• Unchecked business created dangers for consumers

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdr5sxbh_CU

What is the problem with the following

products of the time?

• after The Jungle, TR gets passed the: Pure Food and Drug Act Meat Inspection Act

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

3rd = Conservation of natural resources

President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir had long talks about conservation while traveling together. In 1903, visited Muir in California’s Sierra Mountains (Yosemite) there, they laid the foundation of Roosevelt's conservation programs.

3rd = Conservation of natural resources

TR riding a moose in 1900

• Expanded national parks and forests

After he became President in 1901, Roosevelt used his authority to protect wildlife and public lands by creating the U.S. Forest Service and establishing 51 Federal Bird Reservations, 4 National Game Preserves, 150 National Forests, 5 National Parks, During his presidency,Theodore Roosevelt protected approximately 230,000,000 acres of public land. Also passes the Newlands Reclamation Act, money from public land sales will go to repair damaged land to make productive again through irrigation systems.

How would you describe William Howard Taft based on the cartoons seen here?

“Teddy Had a Little Lamb”

TR’s hand-picked successor; TR expected Taft to continue his progressive reforms

Some progressive reforms, but overall more conservative than TR (raising taxes on imports with Payne-Aldrich Tariff)

Taft “busted” more trusts than TR (he did not distinguish between “good” and “bad” trusts), including U.S. Steel, a trust personally approved by TR & Taft fired TR’s good friend, Gifford Pinchot, who was appointed by TR as the first Chief of the United States Forest Service, for speaking out against Taft.

TR upset and speaks out against Taft

consider:

How would you describe the election of 1912 based on the cartoons seen here?

TRTaft

• Taft wins Republican nomination, so TR forms Progressive Party (a.k.a. Bull Moose Party)

The bullet-damaged speech and eyeglass case.

X-Ray of Roosevelt's ribcage showing the bullet at lower left.

• This split Republican vote, so Democrat Wilson wins

The voters’ reluctance to break the two-term precedent also hurt TR’s chances of winning.

How would you describe Woodrow Wilson based on the cartoon seen here?

• His New Freedom progressive program continued progressive reforms.

map of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts and the cities where each bank is located

o the Federal Reserve System to control the economy (setting interest rates, supervising banks)

o Clayton Antitrust Act so that there is a more clear law making trusts illegal

The Sherman Anti-Trust Act left a lot of room for interpretation in the law because it was vaguely

worded.

Look over the chart. How are these Presidents’ progressive reforms changing the federal government?