Wilsonian Progressivism
Chapter 29
1912 Election
• Wilson vs. Taft vs. TR vs. Debs
• New Freedom vs. New
Nationalism
– Antitrust, banking reform, tariff
reductions
– Consolidation, regulation, suffrage,
social welfare
• Minority president
• Progressivism was winner
Triple Wall of Privilege
• Tariff
– 1913 Speech to Congress
– Underwood Tariff Bill
• Lowered rates
• Income tax
• Banks
– Aldrich Commission
– 1913 Federal Reserve Act
• 12 Regional Banks
• Bankers Bank
• Federal Reserve Notes
Triple Wall of Privilege
• Trusts
– Federal Trade Commission Act
1914
• Presidential appointed commission
• Root out unfair trade
– Clayton Antitrust Act 1914
• Outlawed interlocking directorates
• Outlawed price discrimination
• Legalized strikes
Foreign Policy
• NOT IMPERIALISTIC
• No longer offer support to
investors
• Jones Act 1916
– Philippines independent (1946)
• Haiti
• Dominican Republic
• Virgin Islands (1917)
Mexico
• 1913 Huerta
– Migration to USA
– Intervention called for
– Would not intervene nor recognize
• 1914 Carranza/Villa
• Tampico
– Seize Vera Cruz
– ABC mediates
• Pancho Villa rampages
– Pershing
– WWI withdrew
WWI Begins
• June 1914, Archduke assassinated
• So…
– AH wanted to declare war on Serbia
• worried about Russia
– Asked for help German allies
• Emperor William II “blank check”
– Issued ultimatum
• Rejected
• July 1914, AH declared war on
Serbia
Assassination at Sarajevo
Dominoes
• Russia supports Serbia
– July 29 mobilization
• considered acts of war
– France promises support
– Germans warned Russians to halt
• Russians refused
• August 1 G declared war on R
– Two-front war
• Defeat France first & then attack Russia
with full force
– Schlieffen Plan
» Need to pass through Belgium (neutral)
The Chain Reaction
• August 3 violates Belgium
neutrality
• August 4 GB declared war on G
• World War I had begun
– Central Powers (G-AH)
• November 1914 Ottoman Empire
• October 1915 Bulgaria
– Allies (GB-F-R)
• Japan enters w/in weeks
• Italy neutral for 9 mo.
– AH-G aggressor so breaks treaty
– Wanted spoils of war
British Cavalry
No Man’s Land
US Role
• Wanted allies to win w/out involvement
• Ties to both sides
– Supported GB/F (language ties/history)
• Propaganda
• Arrogance of Wilhelm
– German Americans supported Central powers
• Supply allies - GB blockaded from helping G
– GB bought G goods to make up for US losses
• Neutral
– Couldn’t lend $ to either side
– Sell goods on credit
– Are really neutral? No
Submarine Warfare
• Passenger/merchant ships stood
no chance
– Viewed by Americans as uncivilized
• Lusitania (May 1915)
– Wilson didn’t want war
– Eastern Seaboard did
• Arabic (August 1915)
– G agrees not to sink pax ships
without warning
Submarine Warfare
• Sussex Pledge (March 1916)
– Wilson demanded G stop sub warfare
– German promised that U-boats would warn
ships
• Get allies to back off blockade/doesn’t do it
• American neutrality weakens
– Wilson embraced preparedness
– Authorized banks to make huge loan to Allies
• Dec 1916 G resumes unlimited
sub warfare to starve GB
Victims of the Lusitania
1916 Election
• Wilson vs. Hughes
– “keeping us out of war”
• Hughes takes East/Wilson rest
– Hinges on CA