Presidential Progressivism
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson
Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt
• Used the “bully pulpit”
to resolve worker
disputes
• The “trustbuster”
– Called for a “square
deal for all
– Northern Securities
– Standard Oil
– American Tobacco Co.
• Railroad regulation
– The Hepburn Act
TR and the Consumer
• 1906
• Influenced by The
Jungle
– Pure Food and Drug
Act
– The Meat Inspection
Act
TR and the Environment
• Friend of Muir but
Influenced by Pinchot
• Policy of
Conservation
– National Reclamation
Act (1902) (Newlands
Act)
– Created national
parks, national forests
and wildlife reserves
(National Park
Service, Antiquities Act
Election of 1908
Democrats – Bryan -- 43%
Republicans – Taft -- 51.6%
William Jennings
Bryan
William Howard
Taft
William Howard Taft
• Prosecuted monopolies
• Mann-Elkins Act (1910)
– Strengthened ICC
• Most progressivism pushed by
“Insurgents” in Congress
• Taft sided with conservatives
– Payne Aldrich Tariff
– Ballinger-Pinchot Affair
The Election of 1912
• Republican –
– Taft
• Progressive Party –
– “Bull Moose” Party
– TR
– “New Nationalism”
• Democrats –
– Woodrow Wilson
– “New Freedom”
• Socialists –
– Eugene V. Debs
Wilson the Reformer
• ECONOMICS/Banking
– Underwood Tariff
– Federal Reserve Act
– Federal Trade Commission
Act
– Clayton Antitrust Act
Wilson the Reformer
• LABOR
– Keating-Owens Act
• Child labor
– Adamson Act
• 8 hour day for railroads
– Workmen’s Compensation
Act
– Federal Farm Loan Act
– Federal Highway Act
Amendments
• 16th (1913) – authorized a federal income
tax
• 17th (1913) – provided for the direct
election of senators
• 18th (1919) – banned alcohol in the U.S.
• 19th (1920) – women’s suffrage