Presidents of the
Progressive Era
Roosevelt
Taft
Wilson
Theodore Roosevelt
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With the assassination of
President McKinley, Theodore
Roosevelt, not quite 43,
became the youngest
President in the Nation's
history.
He brought new excitement
and power to the Presidency,
as he vigorously led Congress
and the American public
toward progressive reforms
and a strong foreign policy.
His View as President
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
The President is a "steward of the people" should
take whatever action necessary for the public
good unless expressly forbidden by law or the
Constitution.
"I did not usurp power," he wrote, "but I did
greatly broaden the use of executive power."
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Roosevelt:


the Government should
arbitrate between capital
and labor
guarantee justice to each
and dispensing favors to
none. (Square Deal for All)
2. Coal Strike
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
Roosevelt threatened government takeover
of the mines, which ended the dispute.
Government should intervene in strikes:


When it’s in the public interest to do so.
Showed that disputes could be settled in an
orderly way.
1. Trustbusting
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
Curb all trusts that
hurt the public
interest.
Filed 44 antitrust
suits.

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Winning 6 of them.
Standard Oil broken up
into companies in each
state to avoid gov’t
regulation.
3. Railroad Regulation

Elkins Act: made it illegal for
railroad officials to give and
shippers to receive rebates for
using particular railroads.


RR could not change set rates
without notifying the public.
Hepburn Act: limited the
distribution of free RR passes to
gov’t officials.

Gave the ICC power to set maximum
RR rates.
4. Regulating Food and Drugs
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

Pushed for Meat Inspection Act after Upton’s
Sinclair’s The Jungle.
Meat Inspection Act
Pure Food and Drug Act
5. Conservation
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
Conservation: some wilderness areas would
be preserved while others would be
developed for the common good.
Set aside
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

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150 million acres of forest reserve.
1.5 million acres of water-power sites
80 million acres of land that experts form the U.S.
Geological Survey would explore for mineral and
water resources.
Established > 50 wildlife sanctuaries and
national parks: Crater Lake, Wind Cave,
Yosemite
Roosevelt and the Panama Canal
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Aware of the strategic need for a shortcut between
the Atlantic and Pacific, Roosevelt ensured the
construction of the Panama Canal.
His corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the
establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and
arrogated the sole right of intervention in Latin
America to the United States.
Get permission from Columbia, which then ruled
Panama.
U.S. paid $10 million plus an annual rent of
$250,000 for an area of land across Panama.
Interesting Facts on Taft

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Taft was a more cautious progressive than
Roosevelt but did break up more trusts than
Roosevelt.
Taft was unable to appease both the reformminded progressives and the conservatives
within his party.
If not for Taft, Wilson would not have become
President.
Taft Presidency supposed to carry on
Square Deal
• Busts 90 Trusts in four years
• Promises to lower tariffs
• Payne Aldrich Tariff Act
• Lowers tariffs on some items but raises tariffs on other
imports
• Names Richard Ballinger as Secretary of Interior
• Ballinger opens up 1 million acres to timber and mining
• Progressives mad at Taft for these acts
• Taft not seen as Progressive enough
• Roosevelt decided to run again but is not chosen by Republicans
• Roosevelt sets up Bull Moose Party to run against Taft
• Hands the Presidency to Woodrow Wilson as a result
Election of 1912
Woodrow Wilson
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His plan is called “New Freedom”
Wilson regarded himself as the
personal representative of the
people.
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"No one but the President," he said,
"seems to be expected ... to look out for
the general interests of the country."
He reorganized the Executive
Branch to make it more efficient
and concentrate power in an “elite”
group.
In 1917 he proclaimed American
entrance into World War I a
crusade to make the world "safe for
democracy."
Wilson’s New Freedom

Three Goals: Attack Trusts, Reduce Tariffs,
Reorganize the Financial System

Refutes Laissez Faire

“Freedom is more than being left alone.”
Attack Trusts
Clayton Antitrust Act
 Strengthens Sherman Act
 Corporations can’t buy
stocks of other
companies to set up
monopoly.
 Holds officers of company
liable for the company’s
actions.
 Makes unions legal.
Federal Trade Act
 Sets up Federal Trade
Commission
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5 member watchdog group
to oversee trade violations.
Corporations now have to
answer to the government
Commission can make
business stop illegal
practices.
Attack Tariffs
Underwood Tariff
Reduced tariffs and increased competition
for American businesses
big business against it
Wilson goes to the American people directly to
ask for support in congress.
Financial Reforms

16th Amendment
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Makes income tax
legal
Income tax was
declared
unconstitutional 3
times before.
Need constitutional
amendment to make it
legal

Federal Reserve Act
Sets up Federal Reserve
System
12 districts
issue currency to
regulate the
economy.
Federal Reserve System
Wilson’s reforms continued

Expanded segregation in the federal
government and military.
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Retreated on Civil Rights like Roosevelt and Taft.
Wanted to reorganize the Executive Branch

Gave the executive more power-the bureaucracy
we see today stems from his efforts.
Square Deal
Roosevelt
Both
New Freedom
Wilson