At the turn of the 19th century a new political party rose and that whole era was named the Progress
ive Era. This party based its decision on what is right for the people and not big businesses in th
e economic world. Two major leaders and Presidents of the United States, of this time were Theodore
Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Though both men contributed so much while in office, which one had t
he greater impact? Even though their achievements are equal in most areas, Wilson took the cake wit
h his actions to exempt unions from being prosecuted as trusts. Roosevelt entered office because the
current President, McKinley, got assassinated. His personal idea of what a president should do in
office is that he should lead the executive department AND set the legislative agenda for Congress.
The thing that people remember Roosevelt most by is his Square Deal. The deal favored neither busi
ness nor labor. He applied this rule to a coal strike where the coal miners went on strike in 1902.
Since, winter was around the corner Roosevelt was worried for the public's safety of heat so he ca
lled the mines owners and union leaders to the white house. At the meeting the owners would not giv
e into the demands until the President threatened he would take the mines over with federal troops.
The owners agreed to the conditions set by the union leader, but still did not recognize unions. R
oosevelt's next big act was his Trust - Busting. He was one of the first Presidents to really enfor
ce the Sherman Antitrust Act. He applied the act to the Railroad monopoly called the Northern Secur
ities Company. Even though federal courts said that the company was fine, they reversed their decis
ions because of Roosevelt's actions. The courts broke the monopoly and a lot of other monopolies as
well. Another huge enforcement from the President was the Railroad Regulation where he persuaded R
epublicans to pass two laws in Congress that strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC).
First law was the Elkins Act (1903) which gave more authority to stop railroads giving rebates to f
avored customers. The second law was the Hepburn Act (1906) which let the ICC fix "just and reasona
ble" rates for railroads. Roosevelt's second to last big action was helping Consumer Protection. T
he Jungle, a muckraking book that told horrible stories of Chicago stockyards and meat packing. Aft
er reading that book Congress made two regulatory laws in 1906. The first was The Pure Food and Dru
g Act which forbade the manufacture, sale, and transportation of adulterated or mislead foods and dr
ugs. The second law was The Meat Inspection Act that provided that federal inspectors visit meatpac
king plants to ensure that they met minimum standards of sanitation. The last and most important im
pact Roosevelt left was his actions on conservation. Roosevelt loved the out doors and wanted to pr
otect it. What he did for nature was the most original and lasting domestic policy, but three actio
ns stood out the most. The first, which he reused a lot, was the Forest Reserve Act (1891) which set
aside 150 million acres of federal land as a national reserve that could not be sold to private int
erests. The second law was the New lands Reclamation Act (1902) which provided money from the sale
of public land for irrigation projects in western states. Last thing he did was in 1908 when he hel
d a conference at the White House on conservation. After the conference a National Conservation Com
mission was established under Gifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania. Roosevelt did his fair share of work
in office and left a path for future Progressive Presidents to take his place. Woodrow Wilson took
the same stand as Roosevelt believing that a President should actively lead Congress and, when neces
sary, appeal directly to the people to rally their support for his legislative program. Wilson said
in his inauguration speech that he wanted to bring back free and fare competition in economy and br
eak the "triple wall of privilege." The first wall was the Tariff Reduction which he took care his f
irst day in office. Wilson called a special session in Congress to lower the tariff. This was odd
because instead of sending a letter to Congress, he told Congress himself. He told them that if the
tariff got lowered then so would consumer prices so Congress passed the Underwood Tariff (1913) whi
ch lowered tariffs for the first time in 50 years, but income tax rate rose from between 1 to 6 perc
ent. The second wall was the Bank Reform where the problem was the banks did not serve the public i
nterest but rather Wall Street. So Wilson proposed the Federal Reserve Act (1914) which proposed na
tural banking system with 12 district banks supervised by a Federal Reserve board. This took months
for Congress to pass but it was finally done. The final wall was Business Regulation which had two
pieces of legislation completed the New Freedom Program. The first was the Clayton Antitrust Act w
hich strengthened provisions in Sherman Antitrust act, exempting unions from being prosecuted as tru
sts. The second was the Federal Trade Commission that was a regulatory agency that could investigat
e and take action on any unfair trade practice in all industry except banking and transportation. A
nother reform of Wilson was the Federal Farm Load Act (1916) which was twelve regional federal farm
loan banks were established to provide farm loans at low interest rates. Wilson's last major reform
was the Child Labor Act (1916) that was favored by settlement house workers and labor unions. It p
rohibited the shipment in interstate commerce of products manufactured by children under 14 years ol
d. But the Supreme Court found this unconstitutional in the case of Hammer v Dagenhart. When Woodro
w Wilson gave more power to worker's unions, he changed the way the job scene works today. It raise
d the standard for the lower class jobs. If the lower class was making more money then they could l
ive better which tightened the gap between the lower and upper class. This also led workers away fr
om strikes and other violent types of protest against their reformers because they could go through
their union to discuss issues with the employers. The most important act Roosevelt had was his cons
ervation acts, which are greatly appreciated but are no where near the same importance as making uni
ons practically fully legal. turn century political party rose that whole named progressive this par
ty based decision what right people businesses economic world major leaders presidents united states
this time were theodore roosevelt woodrow wilson though both contributed much while office which gr
eater impact even though their achievements equal most areas wilson took cake with actions exempt un
ions from being prosecuted trusts roosevelt entered office because current president mckinley assass
inated personal idea what president should office that should lead executive department legislative
agenda congress thing that people remember roosevelt most square deal deal favored neither business
labor applied this rule coal strike where coal miners went strike since winter around corner worried
public safety heat called mines owners union leaders white house meeting owners would give into dem
ands until president threatened would take mines over with federal troops owners agreed conditions u
nion leader still recognize unions next trust busting first presidents really enforce sherman antitr
ust applied railroad monopoly called northern securities company even though federal courts said com
pany fine they reversed their decisions because actions courts broke monopoly other monopolies well
another huge enforcement from railroad regulation where persuaded republicans pass laws congress str
engthened interstate commerce commission first elkins which gave more authority stop railroads givin
g rebates favored customers second hepburn which just reasonable rates railroads second last action
helping consumer protection jungle muckraking book told horrible stories chicago stockyards meat pac
king after reading book congress made regulatory laws first pure food drug forbade manufacture sale
transportation adulterated mislead foods drugs second meat inspection provided federal inspectors vi
sit meatpacking plants ensure they minimum standards sanitation last most important impact left acti
ons conservation loved doors wanted protect what nature original lasting domestic policy three stood
reused forest reserve aside million acres land national reserve could sold private interests lands
reclamation provided money from sale public land irrigation projects western states last thing when
held conference white house conservation after conference national conservation commission establish
ed under gifford pinchot pennsylvania fair share work left path future progressive presidents take p
lace woodrow wilson took same stand believing should actively lead when necessary appeal directly pe
ople rally their support legislative program said inauguration speech wanted bring back free fare co
mpetition economy break triple wall privilege wall tariff reduction took care called special session
lower tariff because instead sending letter told himself told them tariff lowered then would consum
er prices passed underwood lowered tariffs time years income rate rose between percent wall bank ref
orm where problem banks serve public interest rather street proposed reserve proposed natural bankin
g system with district banks supervised board months pass finally done final business regulation pie
ces legislation completed freedom program clayton antitrust strengthened provisions sherman antitrus
t exempting unions being prosecuted trusts trade commission regulatory agency could investigate take
action unfair trade practice industry except banking transportation another reform farm load twelve
regional farm loan banks were established provide farm loans interest rates major reform child labo
r favored settlement house workers labor prohibited shipment interstate commerce products manufactur
ed children under years supreme court found unconstitutional case hammer dagenhart when woodrow gave
more power worker changed scene works today raised standard lower class jobs lower class making mor
e money then they could live better tightened between upper class also workers away strikes other vi
olent types protest against reformers through union discuss issues employers important acts greatly
appreciated near same importance making practically fully legalEssay, essays, termpaper, term paper,
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