POPULISTS
Monetary Policy
Labor Issues
Big Business
Regulations
PROGRESSIVES
1. Bland-Allison Act 1878
1. Federal Reserve Act 1913
a. Farmers want supply of
2. 16th Amendment-income taxes
money to increase
3. Federal Farm Loan Act 1916
2. Income tax
3. Federal loan program
4. Pollock v. Farmer’s Loan & Trust
Co. –invalidated income tax
1. 8-hour day
1. Illinois Factory Act 1893
2. Restrict immigration (nativism) 2. Coal Strike – government can intervene
3. Elkins Act 1903 put teeth into ICC
4. Hepburn Act 1906 – ICC can set maximum
railroad rates
5. Workman’s Compensation Act-1916
6. Adamson Act 1916
1. Government regulation of
railroads, utilities, commun.
2. Granger Organizations
3. Cooperatives
4. Lower tariffs
5. US v. EC Knight Co. (refused to
make sugar trust)
1. Sherman Anti-Trust Act enforced
2. Clayton Anti-Trust Act 1914
3. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
4. Underwood Act 1913
5. Muckrakers – Ida Turnbell
Government
1. Direct Election of senators
2. One term for president and
vice-president
3. Pendleton Civil Service Act 1883
4. Political machines – city/ward
bosses
1. City-managers
2. Initiatives, referendum, recall
3. 17th Amendment – direct election of
senators
4. “Homerule” –city manager/city council
5. 19th Amendment-women suffrage
Consumer
Protection
1. Pushed for tariff reductions
1. Meat Inspection Act 1906
2. Pure Food and Drug Act 1906
Conservation
Social Issues
1. National Reclamation Act 1902
1. Settlement Houses
2. Social Gospel
1. National Child Labor Committee 1904
2. Keating-Owen Act 1916
3. Muller v. Oregon 1908
4. Bunting v. Oregon 1917
5. Workers Compensation
6. Shirtwaist factory fire led to laws
PROGRESSIVE ERA 1900-1916
1. Period between the Spanish-American War and WWI
2. Three Progressive Presidents
a. Theodore Roosevelt
1901-1908
b. William Howard Taft
1908-1912
c. Woodrow Wilson
1912-1920
GOALS: 1.
2.
3.
4.
“Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick”
Teddy Bear
Rough Rider
protect social welfare
promote moral improvement
create economic reform
encourage efficiency
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Robert La Follette - Wisconsin
1. One of the greatest leaders of the movement
2. Served as a Governor and Senator
3. Reputation as the greatest foe of corruption
4. Many national ideas came from LaFollette and
Wisconsin
Robert M. La Follette
June 14, 1855 - June 18, 1925
"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"
Progressivism
1. It is a “Point of View” not a political party – swept the country
2. Reform movement against big business
3. Social conscience
4. Restore government to the people
5. Two main views
a. Restore the democratic process
b. Advocated expansion of government power to solve national problems
i.e. economic, social
6. Three main areas of concern
a. Social Justice
b. Political Reform
c. Regulation of Business
7. Happens at all levels of government
a. Local – State - National
ORIGINATION OF IDEAS OF PROGRESSIVISM
1. Reformed Darwinists
a. Social scientists were beginning to challenge Darwin’s theories
b. Lester Frank Ward wrote Dynamic Sociology
1) nature was inconsistent with man’s progress
2) nature was aimless and it must be shaped by man
2. New Economics
a. John Commons and Richard Ely attacked doctrine of “Lassiez-faire”
b. Believed in concrete data not theories
c. Tested “Laissiez-faire”
1) Concluded: Laissez-faire was interesting, but was not working
2) Worked for business, but terrible for workers and consumers
3. Social Gospel
a. Rediscovered the social goal of religion (i.e. charity)
b. Employers had a moral obligation to pay a living wage
c. Went against the Protestant Work Ethic
Election of 1900
Republican – William McKinley (292)
*Vice-President – Teddy Roosevelt
1. causing internal problems in the Republican Party
2. chosen to pacify him
Democrat – William Jennings Bryan (155)
*Assassination of
McKinley
Sept. 6, 1901
Anarchist: Leon Czolgosz
Died 8 days later
ROLE OF THE MUCKRACKERS
“INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS”
Ida B. Tarbell
Exposed Standard Oil Company’s monopoly
Led to “trust busting” legislation
Upton Sinclair – The Jungle
Exposed meatpacking industry
Led to Meat Inspection Act &
Pure Food and Drug Act
Lincoln Steffens editor of McClure’s
Given credit for “muckracking”
style of journalism
Thomas Nast
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President Roosevelt – New Breed of President
“Bully Pulpit”
1. Characteristics of typical president
a. laid back
b. reign, not rule
c. less you do, less trouble to get into
2. New breed of president
a. man of action – very energetic
b. honest and efficient
c. progressivism brought to a national level
d. could deal with people at all levels-popular
e. dominated the headlines and politics
1) breathed new energy into the Presidency
2) Father of Modern Presidents
Roosevelt’s Accomplishments – Brought in Progressivism
“SQUARE DEAL”
(control of corporations by trusting, consumer protection, and conservation of national resources)
1. Trustbuster
a. successful enforcement of the Sherman-Anti Trust Act
b. strengthened Interstate Commerce Commission
2. Backed unions
a. intervened in the Coal Strike of 1902
3. Pure Food and Drug Act 1906
a. prevented the mislabeling of food and drugs
b. Banned harmful drugs and chemicals in food and medicines shipped between states
4. Meat Inspection Act 1906
a. Federal inspection of meats shipped over state lines
5. Conservation
a. Father of Conservation
b. Gifford Pinchot in charge of Forestry Department
c. established national forests
d. established national parks
e. called for a national conservation policy
f. when federal lands sold, money went into conservation (i.e. dams)
Election of 1904
Republican – Teddy Roosevelt (336)
Democrat – Alton Parker (140)
Socialist – Eugene Debs (0)
Roosevelt wanted to win Presidency outright – McKinley assassinated
Campaign Promise: If elected would retire after his term was over
Second Term: Retires reluctantly
ELECTION OF 1908
Republican – William Taft (321)
Democrat – William Jennings Bryan (162)
Socialist – Eugene Debs (0)
Taft hand picked by Roosevelt to ensure his plans were carried out
Results: Taft wins easily – became 2nd Progressive President in 20th century
Concerns: Taft would be a puppet of Roosevelt – Roosevelt went to Africa
William Howard Taft – 2nd Progressive President
1.
2.
3.
4.
Over 300 pounds
Easy going
Committed to Roosevelt’s plans
Weaknesses
a. politically inexperienced
1) never won an election before becoming
President
a) appointed: Governor, Judge, Secretary
of War, to Canal Zone
b. indecisive
1) background in law, but always weighs the
evidence – doubts himself unlike Roosevelt
2) appearance of indecisiveness
c. Unlucky
1) led to split in Republican Party
2) Joe Cannon issue
3) R. A. Ballinger issue
a) tariff issue
TARRIF ISSUE
1. First day in office, Congress requested to revise the tariff downward
a. Objective: establish himself as a “true” Progressive president
b. Bill makes it to the Senate and returned with 800 amendments (altered it)
c. Republicans urged Taft to veto the altered bill
2. Taft reluctantly signed the bill
a. wanted to please everyone
b. concerned with his public image
c. Result: hut reputation within the Republican party
Joseph Cannon Issue
1. Midway – attempts to take away some of the power of the Speaker of the House (Joe
Cannon)
2. Cannon controlled the Rules Committee and prevented progressive measures from
reaching the floor of the House
3. Vote is close and Taft asked to use his influence
4. Taft decides White House will be neutral
a. concerned Cannon would win and become his enemy
b. result: Progressives felt Taft had abandoned them
R. A. Ballinger Issue
1. Taft made Ballinger his Secretary of Interior
2. Ballinger inherited career people
a. Inherited Gifford Pinchot
3. Ballinger leases land reserves to large companies
4. Pinchot felt Taft was abandoning Conservation policies
5. Pinchot publically denounces Ballinger
6. Taft intervened and told Pinchot to stop
a. Pinchot refused
b. Taft fired Pinchot
7. Progressives infuriated and felt abandoned on one more progressive issue
Pros of Taft’s Presidency
1. Broke up twice the trusts in 4 years that Roosevelt had in 7 ½ years
2. Strengthened the ICC
3. Passed the 16th Amendment
a. Congress had the power to levy and collect income taxes
4. Passed the 17th Amendment
a. Senators elected by the popular vote
Election of 1912
Republicans decide to challenge Taft
a) incumbent usually has and easy road to the party nomination
b) strong push for LaFollette
c) result: election is close until the Republican Convention
d) Roosevelt returned and becomes political again
e) Convention result: Taft elected
Roosevelt starts new progressive party – Bull Moose Party
Election of 1912 continued
Democrats – William Jennings Bryan
a. chosen out of loyalty
b. Woodrow Wilson nominated after 46 ballots
Candidates for Election of 1912
Socialist – Eugene Debs
Republican – William H. Taft
Democrat – Woodrow Wilson
Bull Moose – Teddy Roosevelt
Very spirited campaign
Platform: socialist ideas
Platform: Progressive ideas
Platform: No special help to any group
Platform: Nationalism
a) strip special interest groups of power
b) protect vulnerable groups
RESULTS OF 1912 ELECTION
Eugene Debs
0
7% popular vote
897,011
William Taft
8
23% popular vote
3,483,922
Teddy Roosevelt
88
27% popular vote
4,126,020
Woodrow Wilson
435
42% popular vote
6,286,820
Wilson – landslide in electoral votes, but only 42% of popular vote
1) votes of opposition were split
2) first time in over 20 years a democrat won the Presidency
3) Democrats also carry a majority in both Houses
Woodrow Wilson’s First Term
1. Only academic to reach the White House
a. earned several Ph.D’s
b. college professor
c. President of Princeton
2. Elected Governor of New Jersey
a. Did a good job in cleaning up corruption
3. Task: win next election
a. Develop a program to keep his votes and win other
votes
b. Impossible to get Taft’s vote, good change to get
Roosevelt’s and Deb’s votes
c. Action: Had to produce
4. Accomplishments
a. Underwood-Simmons Tariff (1913)
1) first significant downward revision since 1846
2) rates decreased to 27% from 40.8%
First Term Continued
5. Federal Reserve Act 1913 – Glass Owen Act
a. created the Federal Reserve System
b. allowed flexibility in the amount of currency in circulation
6. Clayton Anti-Trust Act 1914
a. closed loop-holes in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act
b. detailed specific conduct, if conduct proven, then guilty
7. Workmen’s Compensation Act 1916
a. granted assistance to Federal Civil Service employees during periods of disability
8. Adamson Act 1916
a. established 8-hour work day
b. extra pay for overtime
*Act only applied to interstate railroad workers
9. Federal Farm Loan Act 1916
a. guaranteed low interest loans to farmers
First Term Continued
10. Keating-Owen Act 1916
a. Barred products produced by child labor from being sold out-of-state
*Act declared unconstitutional in 1918
Election of 1916
Democrats – Woodrow Wilson
Republicans – Charles Hughes
277
254
9.1 million popular vote (more pv than 1912 ev)
8.5 million popular vote